#25 Peer Review: Solo raving in London
PR w/ Fabrizio
Hi everyone, and welcome to the first edition of Peer Review!
PR is a new format where I ask my friends questions about a single topic I’m curious about and share with you what they had to say. I’ve always been fascinated by forms of exchange—interviews, conversations—and what my friends do—or say, know, feel. So I decided to combine the two through Peer Review.
Peer Review is inspired by that spirit of exchange, and this first edition reflects exactly that. I was tapping through Instagram stories one lazy evening when I came across one from my friend Fabrizio. I’d been thinking a lot about how we do things alone—eating dinner, going to the movies, traveling—and the social stigmas and unspoken etiquette that surround those experiences. Fabrizio and I had talked before about how he often goes to gigs or out dancing solo. And that’s when the idea clicked:
To give you some background, Fabrizio’s in his thirties and originally from Italy. He’s been in London for quite a few years now and I know him from volleyball (he also plays football!). Most of his friends would say he’s almost too good at talking to strangers—some attribute this skill to the fact that “he looks like a Greek god.” Others picture him reading the paper under a low lamp in his Dalston flat, espresso in hand, pinkie raised involuntarily. Divine or not, what I find most compelling about Fabri is his curiosity—his way of engaging with the world. And when there’s no one around to be his +1, he is remarkably at good at going it alone. That’s what I wanted to talk to him about. You might catch him on your Instagram feed, mid–solo surf trip halfway across the world—or dancing solo at a bar or club somewhere in East London. This week, I asked him about the latter: solo raving.
When was the first time you went raving alone? Was it out of necessity? Where was it?
If I remember correctly, it was the summer of 2017, Ibiza. It wasn’t necessarily something I premeditated. There was a DJ playing at Amnesia that I really wanted to see, and the friend I was with wasn’t up for it that night. And I simply decided to go anyway. It happened quite naturally and I really enjoyed it. Of course, I love sharing these kinds of experiences with friends. They make great memories. But if no one else is keen, that won’t stop me. If I’m in the mood, I’ll go.
When was the last time? Who did you see?
Last summer, at Junction 2,—one of my favourite festivals. The lineup was amazing: Artbat, Kölsch, CamelPhat, Paul Kalkbrenner… I’m going again this summer to see Charlotte de Witte and Nina Kraviz. I’ve seen both before—Charlotte at Drumsheds, Nina at Printworks.
Tell me about the emotional experience of raving on your own.
There’s this thing that always happens to me during a set I really love. I find myself totally absorbed, dancing, completely lost in and in sync with the music. It’s this intense sense of presence, like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. And honestly, even when I’m with friends, I tend to zone out and have that moment on my own. When I’m actually by myself, that feeling is amplified. But the best part is that you’re not really alone—you’re surrounded by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people who are also in it. If you’re open to receiving that kind of energy—of the crowd—it can be a really powerful experience. Hard to explain, but that’s why I keep doing it.
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