As an audio engineer I call BS on this. Bass on its own can make breathing unpleasant at ridiculously volumes but to kill someone..
Though with the right amount of narcotics, a false arrhythmia could occur I guess if standing next to a sub array at 130dBA
Read this. Underlying genetic conditions is the key point but, yeah it happened.
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/805430-loud-bass-music-killed-student-tom-reid
Interesting read but its not the bass that killed him, it just triggered something:
“A coroner recorded a verdict of natural causes, saying the straight-As student was killed by sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS)
…
Cardiac experts said the bass could have triggered SADS if Mr Reid had underlying, yet unknown, genetic problems”
If bass could really kill, blowing up hearts left and right, we would probably have heard of it by now.
Damn. Imagine being allergic to bass. lights a candle for the poor SADS souls 
my thoughts are with the family.
and i agree, people seem to be jumping to conclusions.
however, if it is to do with drugs, then it would be the dealer for being so irresponsible for selling and encouraging someone who blatantly can’t handle their dosage. it’s not hard to be able to tell if the kid’s done what ever he did before and whether he actually knows what he’s doing. i wouldn’t want to kill off my customers, i’d feel incredibly shit knowing it was my fault.
as for the bass theory, wouldn’t you have to subject your self to agonising pain i.e, ear drums bursting (or however your ears break) before you died? i’m sure people wouldn’t hang around to listen to it.
i think as a member of a forum built from DJ’s who are so heavily immersed in the rave culture, it’s likely that at least some of us have at least tried some drugs without problems. it’s a shame other’s experiences are truly lethal.
EDIT: ignore the bass theory, other posts came through whilst typing this up
Those festivals are hell. No water, a lot of money, people bumping into you, drugs, drunk fools, etc etc..
Given that 2 dozen people were hospitalised I’m comfortable jumping to the conclusion that either the crowd was too rowdy and people got physically hurt, it was too hot in there and people got heat stroke or there was a dealer in there with some dodgy pills (which in turn can lead to heat stroke).
An old friend of mine was involved in the promotion in this (he picked up skrillex from the airport) I’ll ask him what went down and post here when I get the relevant info
jesus christ EDC…
If you think the dodgyness of the pills is in any way related to heat stroke, you’re part of the problem because you have no idea what you’re doing.
Don’t give people advice about drugs until you do a lot more research.
It’s usually alcohol, where I’ve been. I’ve had friends carried away for that reason–well, more like acquaintances. And I’ve taled to paramedics–while they weren’t busy–mostly to thank them for being available at every event I’ve seen them at. And chatted with them.
Apparently things like “craft beer festivals” and outdoor summer wine tastings are even worse per capita…they just top out at about 800-1000 people instead of 150,000.
Yeah, things like MDMA will make you have to regulate your temperature yourself (with water, clothing, breaks, etc.) but statistically, hard drugs are a lot less dangerous than drinking too much. And no one in the US respects alcohol for what it does, especially outdoors in the heat.
I’ve watched people buy a beer while they were sweating like mad in the 1pm sun in August in Atlanta…only to throw up, pass out, and wind up in a medical tent or hospital.
Frankly, I don’t think festivals should sell alcohol at all. It’s just too dangerous in those settings.
Haven’t people learned to bring camelbacks yet? I’ve been going to shows for years now and am still surprised at how people haven’t picked up on how absolutely useful they are.
And I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, but I guess I am to a degree. I love shows, I love having a good time, but so many people just make constant bad decisions it’s nutty.
my camelback got confiscated at an event. no joke…
Being in the military, the thing they pound into your head shortly after you step off the bus, and forever after is “HYDRATE!!!” Being properly hydrated would cause some of these nights to be so much more pleasant, it lessens the effects of alcohol and drugs (I think…), and you don’t feel like crap the next morning. Whenever I go out I’m drinking water, iced tea, juice, etc. Partying, dancing and DJing can be physically demanding, HYDRATE!
they usually do, unless you bring them in empty
a majority of collapses at dance events in australia are attributed to GHB… either because they overdose on it, or they are mixing it with alcohol. i can’t believe how irresponsible people are with GHB (well any drugs really). But with GHB the line between safe and unsafe is so fine. It’s really like russian roulette with a lot of people.
also mixing a whole bunch of different drugs can cause all sorts of problems too. a friend of mine’s sister took ecstasy for the first time about 5 years ago, then took a strong sleeping tablet at the end of the night so she could sleep before work, and her body shut down in her sleep and she died.
I think it’s such shit that raves and festivals get such bad reps because people think that everyone is doing ecstacy or other drugs. My sympathies go out to the family members of those who have died at these kind of events but it’s such b.s. that the spotlight is focused on EDM concerts and festivals. Deaths due to drugs happen at rock concerts, for example, but that is never as widely publicized as the deaths that occur at raves. I think that because EDM is so popular right now that it naturally will be at the forefront of news.
Last year at POP 2010 in San Francisco, I think two people died and there were several people who were hospitalized because of drug-related issues. Don’t blame the promoters or the culture, and again my sympathies to those who have lost someone, but it’s honestly their own damn fault for being stupid enough to take a drug from someone random or a drug in general (Darwin at work?). I don’t do ecstasy, LSD, shrooms or any other related drugs because I definitely enjoy having full function and control of my brain and intend to keep it that way. I do not want to trade a few nights of amazing under-the-influence partying for a possible overdose, potential brain damage, or death. I think I will be able to enjoy the music without the help of drugs just fine.
Let’s assume at POP there were about 15,000 people which might be a low estimate. If two people died in 15,000, that’s a 0.00013 mortality rate. That is miniscule. I personally see no need to shut down events because of deaths because I was there and I had an absolute blast. There have to be changes from within to promote safety, but it is typical bureaucratic bullshit that when bad things happen, everything has to be shut down and a blanket ban has to be issued instead of actually investigating the causes of what happened and then working to fix them.
On a related note, I’ve got to hand it to clubs and rave organizers…if a lot of people are going to be doing drugs, that means that your alcohol sales will suffer…and they found a way around it: charge $12 for a bottle of water.
Oh wait…all that’s doing is ensuring that some people will be cheap and not drink enough water…which also seriously affects people who are drinking.
I had a press pass to Ultra one year…and it felt like I spent almost as much time shuttling water from the hospitality areas to my friends as I did on stage taking pictures. Oddly enough, everyone I talked to was in favor of it as long as I didn’t actually empty a water bin that an artist was likely tot use.
It’s sad.
I know that drugs impact liquor sales, but…well…them’s the breaks. Charging for water is just fucking stupid.
Isn’t it true that it’s illegal to charge for a cup of water? I mean someone could give you the smallest cup in the world but they technically have to give it to you for free, right?
in the US that is LAW and can be charged if not followed. But as we see it’s not enforced well.
When i was younger I took a hold of this law when I was skateboarding and would go to places getting water, even offices allowed us in to only get water… then soon booted out before skating there HAHA.
I can understand if it’s a desert party since those are held outside in the desert and not at an actual venue. Though at those you have to watch yourself pretty well because if something happens… you may not get help for quite some long time.
Steady on.
Hyperthermia is a well documented risk of things like 5HTP, and anyway I don’t think saying pills can be dangerous is going to do anyone any harm.
Just Say No!