Back to Raving at 50 (part 3) - Orange 3, Camden Palace & Unity In The Sun

This will probably be my last blog on the raving scene, because last year writing them triggered an idea for a new book. Thus Back To Raving at 50 (release date approx September 2025) will be a very personal account of my journey through London clubland, dancing and rave culture, following my brief time at Bagleys in 1992 and my one & only visit to Orange parties at Camden Palace that same year, before moving on to my return to dancing on New Years Eve of 2022 at Age Against The Machine & then Day Raving in 2024. The book is a journal of sorts, covering everything from Rave Etiquette, to many extraordinary friends I've met and of course the music events themselves. It will be, to my knowledge at any rate, the first book to cover the rave scene entirely from the perspective of just a punter who comes through the doors, of which I am one of many. Not from that of the promoters or DJs (and there's several great books covering that angle, which I dare say will be more entertaining than mine) From 2023 going back to dancing became both my new gym (lost two stone) and a form of therapy enabling me to take on my 2022 PTSD diagnosis (there is a blog about the cause of this below, if you wish to know more) and it has helped tremendously. My life is so different to that of three years ago and there are numerous people to thank for this, all of whom have in one way or another made a contribution to helping me rebuild my life and get my confidence back. Who would have thought I would have been back dancing on stage in my 50s? My mum would be so proud. Through raving so many new & happy memories have been created, new special friendships made and I want to give a shout out to two key events that made a huge positive contribution to my journey. (Everyone else gets mentioned in the book)

With one of my best friends & former raving buddy from the early 2000s Aisha at both her first Orange & visit to the Camden Palace. She absolutely loved it. Bombed on the left by my friend the lovely Amanda Bowey and on the right, Blondie apparently.

So starting with the most recent event I attended, as I type, ears still ringing with bass drops, I am recovering from ORANGE PART 3 - AT KOKO (Camden Palace to use its proper name) For the rare uninitiated who might read this blog, Orange parties started way back in the early 1990s and just before I moved to Nottingham, as a going away gift I was taken to Orange at the Camden Palace (sometime towards the end of 1992 or 1993 give or take) by then aspiring DJ Kris Mckoy. I'd met Kris when dancing for an event at Bagleys. By the time I moved back to London, Orange parties had been long gone until the reunion party in the summer of 2024. Both that event and Orange part 3 on June 14th 2025 were absolutely first class! (I was also at the Xmas party, another banger) You can tell as soon as you enter an Orange event that it's being run by someone with an eye for perfection. (well aside from an issue when a mic failed, but it happens, let's move on!)

I'd been trying to get Aisha, my best friend and raving mate of the early 2000s to come to Orange ever since the reunion party, but she couldn't make the Christmas party, so when part 3 was announced I literally didn't stop talking about it until she agreed to come. Despite getting lost in Camden I am pleased to report that Asha is now a full Orange convert, saying it was hands down the best music dance event she'd ever been to, and she already wants a ticket for the next one. A big part of that was also down to the warm welcome she got by several friends of mine, so in no particular order thank you to Karen & hubbie James, Phil, Amanda, Stanton, Kym, Clare Randall, Mandy, Clarebear, Fizzgig (Nicola-Jane) Etain, Tabs, Lisa Shirley 'crazy peanut' Valentine, Michele Blackley, Michelle (sexy specs) & hubby, DJ Whizz Kid and many others, you really showed her what being part of the Orange family means. Sharing the experience of an event like this with people you care about in your life is a major part of this for me, so I am so glad we got to share her first Orange together, she didn't stop smiling and dancing until she left. We were at the front initially, but having forgotten our ear plugs we ended up in a rare place for me, the upper balcony right at the top, but this was a good place to see the CHRIS PAUL LAZER EXTRAVAGANZA! OMG! More lazers than a Star Wars movie yesterday!!! It gave ORANGE Part 3 such an overwhelming sight on the senses that will not be easily forgotten.

Apologies for the poor quality of this picture. Towards the end of Orange part 3, Asha got to meet one of my favourite fellow ravers, Michelle aka Sexy Specs

I am sure the vast majority of people who attended would be in complete agreement with me when I say Orange is just in a league of their own on the London Day Rave scene. It is not just a clubbing event, it is an outstanding experience, even for a seasoned raver, and it's self evident that it's organised by people who care about the quality of the delivery they're giving to those who come through the doors. Orange has a hard working team behind it, the heart of which is DJ/founder Chris Paul (thanks for playing Voodoo Ray mate, nice one!) with MC Danny Lines, (one of my faves because he always talks at just the right moment during a tune, and never ruins the music) and Chalkie White (who used to come into Options in Kingston when I worked there in 1988) are the other two key players, along with several regular top level DJs & performers including DJ Hype, Jumping jack Frost, the Rat Pack & the Ragga Twins. One of their regulars - DEEMAN ROCKER got a special shout out as he is currently in hospital, so I don't know if he will see this, but I am extending my personal best wishes for a speedy recovery D, we want to see you back on stage at the next one!

With several friends out on the smokers balcony - most of us just went for some fresh air. I had changed out of my Orange T-Shirt by this time, so looked slightly less like the Tango man. Second from the left is Crumpy who was in the year below me at school - we were reunited on the rave scene after a hiatus of some 28 years

Although I can't praise Orange, the people behind it, and the excellent staff at Koko enough, what really makes Orange extra special is the family of ravers it attracts. I've made so many great friends at Orange, some of whom I've socialised with outside the event itself. Then there's so many others where I just know the face (I am so shit at remembering names) where upon seeing each other it warrants an immediate hug or fist bump. Orange attracts such a wonderfully diverse group of people which is what makes it truly special. I said it before, that the Orange reunion of 2024 was the moment I realised I'd come home and I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Something which also made yesterday special was a sign from my late parents that they would be right there with me that day (well my Mum would be dancing with me, Dad would having a pint and chatting with the lads) - I had one of those reminder things come up on facebook, literally as I was heading out the door to Camden, it was from 12 years ago, where I'd done a post about throwing away all my old adoption papers and drawing a line under that side of things. I was adopted at the age of one, and my adopted (I call them my actual parents, because that is what they were) parents, Gunnar (graphic designer) and Barbra (choreographer & ballet dancer) Nielsen did a wonderful job as parents, something I didn't fully appreciate until I had met both my birth Mother (no comment) and later my birth father (Lionel Morton, former presenter of Playschool & Playaway for which he also wrote the theme tune) and without them, steering me, I don't think I would have become the person I am today. This post coming up just before I went to Orange was their way of letting me know they were going to be there with me, (they passed away in 2009 & 2010) and I knew why. They were so pleased to see that I was truly happy again. 2025 has been the best year for me since 2015, and the rave community can take almost all the credit for that. Events like Orange have played a massive part in healing the wounds of trauma of the summer of 2022. I know from speaking to many others that Orange means so much to so many of us. Yes we like to dance, party and have a good time, but it goes beyond that, it's the unity of friendship and the bond of a raving family that make it so meaningful to us all. CHRIS PAUL & TEAM YOU DID IT AGAIN - ANOTHER AMAZING MEMORY I WILL CHERISH FOREVER.

With the lovely Daniel from Essex down the front at Orange, I am still full Tango man at this stage! I'm sure he took a better picture of us than this one, so if anyone knows how I can contact him, i would be grateful.

All this talk of Unity, brings me neatly onto my second topic UNITY IN THE SUN a yearly overseas rave music event - Which would be my first ever rave / clubbing holiday experience and was a huge deal for me for a variety of reasons. I attended the event last month and would have written this write up sooner had work had not literally exploded as soon as I got off the plane. If you've read the blog entry about my PTSD, (its a few down below this one) you'll know that the primary trauma that led to that diagnosis took place on my last holiday abroad in the summer of 2022. The thought of going abroad for a holiday again absolutely terrified me. I'd only travelled once since that trip, just on a quick visit to Holland to visit a friend who had only weeks to live, so that didn't really count as a holiday. I forced myself to go because I knew I would regret if I didn't, and sure enough despite fighting really hard, sadly he passed away a few weeks later. That trip was not easy and apart from visiting my friend in hospital I barely left my hotel room during my short stay. Being on my own, now I felt incredibly vulnerable, where as before the events of the summer of 2022 I would confidently travel aboard all the time with no issue. That sadly was no longer the case. I was always hyper vigilant at all times, something very common with PTSD. The main appeal of the Unity trip was that several of my closest friends on the rave scene were going and I loved the idea of sharing this experience with them. They, like me, were all Unity In The Sun virgins although several of them had been to Ibiza. (I have not) I don't think the trip would have happened at all, had it not been for the determination of one person, that we were all going - In that context I extend my sincerest thanks Sara Jane aka Pinky, who got the ball rolling on this trip. She was the first to book, and kept encouraging us all to go. I would never have booked on my own steam had we not decided collectively as a group to attend. Ultimately I figured being in a group of people who care about one another's well being, we would have each others backs, so I should be okay, and if I didn't make the leap and go on the trip, I might never travel abroad again. I knew I had to face my fear head on and push past this. If successful, it would be a massive part of the healing process for me and a huge positive step in the right direction. Once my friend Nikki Kennedy told me she was going, I knew I would be safe, as she is one of my closest mates on the rave scene and someone I completely trust.

Definitely one of my favourite people I met at Unity in the Sun - an amazing character, he'd come with a group of friends from Sweden (i think...)

Unity runs over 9 days, the key events taking place primarily over the first 7 days. However there's different packages available including a long weekend, 5 days and 7 days which is the most popular. The very reasonable price of a ticket includes your stay at a (decent) three star hotel and admission to all the Unity club events on land, but you have to book your own airfare. Fortunately after the catastrophe of 2022 I still had some outstanding British Airways vouchers, so the flight didn't cost me anything. Boat parties are an additional charge (around 30 euros each) and there's several of them to choose from, each doing a different genre of music. I wanted to attend the Stu Allen one (named after the DJ of the same name, who sadly passed away, but the party continues in his memory & honour) Ultimately I opted out of this just in case I had a panic attack/flashback on the boat which would have ruined everyones good time. If I had one in the club, I could just go back to my hotel on a boat there would be no where to go. The hotels btw were all pretty decent although the quality of peoples showers seemed to vary a bit, but I was very pleased with mine. I found the staff at the hotels to be very polite and extremely helpful. Musically, Unity covers several different genres including Old School House, Jungle & DnB, and some Hard House among other things. Although Trance wasn't on the menu unless my mind is playing tricks on me, more than one DJ blended a classic Trance Anthem into their set. Staying in Kavos, a holiday resort town on the beautiful island of Corfu, Greece, all three hotels, and the various club venues are within walking distance of each other. Although Kavos does look a little tacky & touristy, with the event running right at the start of the season in May, the drunken youngsters fortunately who would occupy it for the next few months had not yet arrived in force. Absolutely take out travel insurance for the trip, because there's a number of questionable gutters and pot holes, which accounts for the rather large number of emergency medical treatment centres in Kavos (I counted seven) which I dare say do brisk business in high season from spangled clubbers who, while staggering back to their hotel, fall over said holes and do themselves an injury. Being right at the start of the season (mid May) Unity clubbers largely had the town to ourselves. Although several Kavos restaurants offered shall we say food of less than impressive quality, there were at least four outstanding places to eat in Kavos and their prices were very reasonable. Just go on Tripadvisor and check out the top 5 for Kavos, the number one restaurant was one of the best I'd ever eaten at. Bottles of water in the clubs typically cost two euros, so not in the 8 - 16 range that venues in Ibiza charge then. I was considerably relieved.

Unity has been running yearly since 2017, including in the year of the pandemic but with several restrictions in place on that occasion. Our trip had no such limitations. I've heard a rumour that the tenth one might be the last, so start booking now! If you enjoy an event with a rave family feel, you'll enjoy Unity, as would any Orange ravers, as the music on offer is very similar with several of the same line up attending. Unity is organised by the tour de force that is Sonya Steele wife of DJ Billy Bunter (Check out his new YouTube channel, it's excellent, and I hope to be interviewing him on my own channel in the near future) So at Unity you can expect a line up of excellent DJs, MCs and some very talented newcomers thrown into the mix. In fact while some may have been stronger than others, I can honestly say I didn't hear a below par set all holiday.

At Unity in the Sun with DJ and co founder of the event, the legend that is Billy Bunter

One of the most outstanding MC / DJ duo that I was not familiar with before Unity was RAVE ANYWHERE - these two young lads (younger than me anyway!) proper gave an incredible fluid performance and they bounced off each other so perfectly. The energy behind the decks was so evident, I mean this guy really enjoyed himself, but he projected that energy into the room perfectly, very much the same way as Trance DJ Edele Andaya does at her gigs. They were amazing.

The Rave Anywhere lads - very talented, I predict big things in their future!

Like any event, Unity would only be as good as the people attending. Being a regular on the London Day Rave scene I knew several other familiar faces in attendance, but one of the plus points was that it drew people from all over the UK, so I got to meet several other ravers from around the country that I hadn't had the chance to meet before and made several new genuine friends. So around 350+ ravers descended on Kavos. I booked for nine days because I wanted to make sure I could fit in a couple of excursions and see some more of the island. I mean even the most strong willed among us would struggle to rave for nine days in a row. I also made a very conscious decision before I came to not be overly indulgent in the recreational department. In fact from day three until the end of the trip I was completely sober, with the notable exception that I did have a very nice wine tasting session in the number one restaurant in Kavos. (Tomato, brilliant food and wine) No judgement here, I just wanted to make sure I was on even keel as I knew the trip might be difficult at times.

In the Unity facebook group I'd asked who else was going on my flight and two people responded one of whom, Penny, was a former acting student of mine and is a really good egg. The other, Maddy, a very sweet Old School Raver lady who has certainly had an eventful life, met me at the airport for my traditional glass of prosecco before a flight. She also very kindly nabbed me a bacon roll on the plane and wouldn't hear of me paying for it. All of my other friends were travelling on earlier flights or from different airports, so I was eternally grateful for her company. She did a great job of distracting me with her entertaining tales of raves past, so my mind did not turn to more recent tragic times. I knew the trip would be emotional for me, and I wasn't wrong, bursting into happy tears when the plane landed in Corfu. I just couldn't believe I'd actually got on the plane, I was so relieved and it was briefly emotionally overwhelming.

A group of truly international travellers, the lady on the right came all the way from Australia

Although the trip was not without its difficulties, for the most part, I had a great time. The parties were excellent, as (from feedback given) were all the boat parties and the music sets were right up my street. My favourite night was probably The White Party, I joked that I finally got to share the stage with Danny Lines, as I was doing my light whip thing while he was MCing. On the last few days I hung out with this group who had invited me out to dinner when they saw I was at a loose end. New friendships were made, and it never amazes me when you sit and listen to someone's life story and how and when raving fits into it, how unique each person's life has been, yet there is always at least one common thread that I can related to. Raving is therapy for so many people. It's their chance to let go, let their hair down and forget about the problems of life. Speaking to one lady, whom I shall nickname Balloon Queen, she basically said to me 'This is the one time I get to let go, so I come here every year and make the most of it. Back at home I have kids to look after and a responsible job. Back home, life takes over.'

Needless to say I already decided we had to be mates. Our friendship bonding over comparisons of the huge mutual spots we had both acquired through our one mosquito bite that all my precautions had not managed to zap. Hers having apparently failed also. Balloon Queen got a monster boil on her knee and mine was in my bloody arm pit! So go prepared!

I need to give extra special thanks to two people regarding this trip. (I could thank more, but I am sure you already bored reading this) Firstly Serena, Sonya's right hand lady who, along with Jules (the bigger left hand) worked really hard to look after us all. I was extremely nervous on arrival, and during the trip I did have one really bad flashback and some horrible nightmares from that day onwards and she was made aware of my situation early on and made it clear she would be on hand to support me if needed. (She also gave me 30 minutes of wise worldly advice when she was off work and well oiled with prosecco) - an absolute diamond of a woman. Despite these minor set backs, fortunately I sucked it all up and pushed through it all. Secondly, I want to offer my eternal gratitude to my Rave Sister from another mister, Nikki Kennedy. Nikki is probably one of my special people I've ever met in my life, let alone on the rave scene. A truly unique and deeply spiritual individual. She is one of my closest friends on the rave scene and if it hadn't have been for her catching me when I had a wobble, I would have made a dash for the airport on day 4 and jumped on the next plane home. She talked me out of it. She knew how difficult this trip was going to be for me, and even more so, she knew how much I needed it to go well and be a positive experience.

I have a strong connection with the country of Greece which I will have to tell you about another time, but if you watch my film - The Journey (it's on my YouTube channel, The Outcasts Creative, just search for The Journey, Jason Flemyng and it will come up straight away) that is the movie I made based on the events of my first trip to Greece in 2009. I've been to Greece many times, and I have a tradition that at least once, I want to eat a meal with a view of the sunset that I can watch while enjoying a nice glass of wine. Kavos is on the east side of the island so no sunsets, but I spoke to one of the tour operators and they booked me a taxi and restaurant table at the nearest beach on the west side for the last night.

The view from the restaurant on the west side of the island, on my last night on Corfu

Most graciously, Nikki came with me for the occasion, so I wasn't alone. It was the perfect to end to a bench mark of a trip to me. I was very much on the road to recovery and the wounds of 2022 were beginning to truly heal. So I hope having read all this, if indeed you made it this far, you can understand how crucial events like Orange and Unity in the Sun have been for me on that journey, they have and will continue to play an important role in my life. I hope to come back for Unity's tenth, if you've not been I highly recommend it.

Go to www.Unityinthesun.co.uk for more information.

(Lances book about his journey back to dancing on the Day Rave scene - Back to Raving at 50 is due for release in late September and will be available on Amazon)