Meet The Rave Ref, a Peacekeeping Partier Who Guards Moshpits to Hold Ravers Secure – EDM.com
This is not your common Little League sport.
Wendell Dominguez is aware of that raves can typically get harmful, particularly when DJs overtly name for moshpits and “partitions of loss of life.” So he determined to begin a persona known as The Rave Ref, who dons a whistle and referee shirt in his mission to foster safer experiences in moshpits at digital dance music live shows and festivals.
Watching movies of Dominguez is like an EDM model of The place’s Waldo. In the event you attend just about any main bass music pageant, odds are you may see a black-and-white referee shirt loping across the pit like a zebra within the evening. And most of the time, his whistle capabilities because the beginning pistol.
EDM.com caught up with The Rave Ref to talk about moshpit tradition and why he determined to campaign for the protection of ravers.
EDM.com: For our readers who have not heard of you—who’s the Rave Ref and what precisely does he do?
Wendell Dominguez: The Rave Ref was initially a Halloween costume. Once I took the time and actually thought of how I used to be going to a rave as a ref, the concept of “Rave Ref” was born. I thought of how I might try to begin and cease the pit and sort of conduct the moshpit.
The response was considerably extra optimistic than I initially thought it could be—as a result of who actually likes a referee. It was then one thing I didn’t wish to put to an finish and continued to go to reveals after which festivals because the referee resulting from such optimistic suggestions. I used to be hooked on the positivity that was being unfold in essentially the most chaotic of locations, from beginning video games corresponding to limbo with a pash or totem, organizing 1v1’s between buddies, beginning circle pits and girls-only pits, and conducting “partitions of loss of life.”
EDM.com: Why did you initially resolve to pursue this campaign? Did you see or expertise one thing that galvanized you?
Wendell Dominguez: I initially determined to pursue being the ref as a result of I assumed it was a humorous concept. Once I really obtained in there and noticed how a lot I might assist out, the concept went from one thing humorous to one thing that would actually be helpful.
Once I thought again to earlier festivals I’ve been to, I’ve all the time seen at the very least one individual get significantly harm in a moshpit, a battle get away, or folks shedding private objects. I actually wished to attempt to have a optimistic affect on altering the power inside essentially the most chaotic of locations.
EDM.com: Have you ever obtained any pushback at reveals and festivals? Or has the response typically been optimistic?
Wendell Dominguez: Truly I’ve obtained pushback at some occasions. There have been situations the place some folks attending an occasion have been aggressive and have vocalized their ideas about The Ref.
I really take the time and listen to them out as a result of I’m all the time open to listening to what folks need to say so I can perceive their potential. Then I clarify to them what I’m attempting to do and inform them to look at and it all the time ends the identical approach: us all jamming out collectively within the pit. With the exclusion of those minor interactions, the suggestions has been persistently optimistic!
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EDM.com: What are the most typical stuff you see in moshpits that you just imagine require motion from a 3rd celebration?
Wendell Dominguez: A few of the extra frequent issues I see within the pit that I imagine require motion could be folks falling, getting injured and shedding private objects like telephones, wallets and keys. To elaborate, when folks have fallen down in a giant, closely populated moshpit, it is laborious typically for folks to comprehend it and extra folks find yourself falling and getting stepped on.
I run in from the facet, blowing my whistle to get folks’s consideration and block and assist those that have fallen. When folks have gotten injured within the moshpit, the medical group are all the time superb however typically its laborious to get entrance and middle the place the moshpit is. I get some folks to assist help in clearing the gang and getting that injured individual to the medical tent as finest as we will.
Too many individuals have misplaced their belongings within the moshpit or have gotten them stolen at a pageant. Folks really convey misplaced telephones to me and we collectively cease the moshpit till the proprietor claims their belongings. If it is a telephone I’ve them unlock it for me earlier than I give it to them to make sure it is going again with its unique proprietor. In a scary occasion, I’ve even have had somebody from the gang run as much as me and ask me for assist and took me to their buddy who was laying on the bottom unconscious. I instantly ran to get volunteers to assist me convey this individual to the med tent.
EDM.com: Moshpits have lengthy been a contentious matter in digital dance music tradition. Having labored so laborious to primarily safeguard folks in them, what do you suppose the EDM neighborhood can do to mitigate the hurt prompted within the pit?
Wendell Dominguez: As a neighborhood, the most effective factor we will do is look out for each other and unfold extra consciousness of moshpit etiquette. The Festival Finesser made an ideal video about “moshpit etiquette 101″—how we choose folks up who’ve fallen, don’t purpose to harm anybody, don’t push others from behind, respect everybody and have enjoyable.
We’re all there to alleviate the stress of our on a regular basis lives and focus solely on dwelling within the second. After we all look out for each other whereas having enjoyable, these moments turn out to be one thing we always remember.
EDM.com: You latterly discovered your self within the crosshairs of EDM Twitter, a community that has turn out to be fairly antagonistic over the previous couple of years. What occurred there?
Wendell Dominguez: Ever since Countdown Invasion Orlando, I obtained loads of direct messages asking if I used to be coming to Misplaced Lands and saying they wish to see the Ref there. After Forbidden Kingdom, these messages elevated closely. So I began to have a look at how doable it was to make Misplaced Lands occur.
Sadly I wasn’t capable of make it work inside my price range. I assumed I’d make a GoFundMe web page in help of getting the Rave Ref to Misplaced Lands in hopes {that a} community-based method of security and enjoyable would obtain help. I perceive that GoFundMe can also be used for critical conditions corresponding to medical payments, funeral bills and crucial medical procedures, and under no circumstances did I wish to indicate that my fundraising would take any priority over ones of great significance.
My Twitter submit rapidly went viral. Whereas there was help and optimistic feedback, there have been additionally unfavourable ones. Regardless of the negativity, my outlook and response stayed optimistic whereas attempting to supply readability and extra understanding. The best way I see it, everyone seems to be entitled to their very own opinion. It is how we react to those conditions that actually describes our character, and it doesn’t matter what, I’ll nonetheless be there to assist any and all when wanted no matter your opinion of The Ref.
EDM.com: What do you hope your fellow ravers take away out of your story?
Wendell Dominguez: If folks have been to take something away from The Rave Ref I’d need them to take the positivity that I convey and simply unfold it, assist folks after they need assistance, look out for each other, make everybody really feel included and simply have enjoyable.
All of us come from totally different branches of life however we’re all linked by our love for the music. I’ve met a few of the best folks from these festivals who’ve supported me for the reason that very starting. Jesus, Rosie, Lloyd, Chris and Flora, thanks for exhibiting me I’m higher at being myself then somebody I wish to be. They’ve proven me kindness and compassion I didn’t suppose existed and that’s one thing I wish to present everybody else—present how superb we as a neighborhood can actually be.