The Renaissance of Halifax Rave Culture

Ravers in pointed elf ears, chain mail and chest harnesses gathered at the Marquee Ballroom on Nov. 21, for SLURP: Lord of the G-Strings.

Together they danced until 2 a.m. with DJs DARK FANTASY, Aniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiita, Kneesplint, Pollysporyn and DJ Decision. The venue was also in costume, decorated with medieval-esque drapery and vines framing the DJ booth. 

SLURP is a series of dance parties hosted by the Nectar Collective. Each year, the collective hosts a handful of these parties around Halifax. 

Cher Hann and their two friends, Anita Chatanet and Annah Lauren, formed the Nectar Collective — a Halifax-based queer DJ collective — about three years ago. The trio initially bonded over their shared struggle for equality in the Halifax nightclub scene, where they didn’t feel they belonged as feminine queer people. 

“We figured, why not make it ourselves?” says Hann. “We started it with the idea of it being a FLINTA-focused event, but it’s grown so much from that.” 

FLINTA refers to anyone feminine, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, transgender or asexual.

Along the way, they picked up two more members: Polly Rawlinson and Ian Williams. Formerly the founders of their own Halifax-based DJ collective called Fervour, the duo joined forces with Nectar to create what Hann calls a “super group.”

“It was kismet. It just kind of worked,” says Williams.

Williams grew up in Newfoundland and recalls seeing parties in bigger cities on social media, wishing they could take part.

“I wanted to see people dancing,” says Williams. “I wanted to dance.”

Rawlinson never had to wish for that experience. Growing up in Montreal, Rawlinson was introduced to queer club culture as a teenager. 

“In Montreal, there’s so many avenues where it’s okay to throw these insane queer parties,” says Rawlinson. “I love our venues [in Halifax], but there’s only a couple of dedicated gay clubs; it’s important to us to create a queer environment.” 

The Nov. 21 event marked the collective’s 10th SLURP event. Hann came up with the idea for Friday night’s theme: Lord of the G-Strings.

“A long time ago, I saw this porn parody of Lord of the Rings called Lord of the G-Strings, and it always stuck in my mind,” Hann says.

Not only is the theme a cheeky play on words, but it also incorporates Hann’s love for fantasy — both as a genre and a means of escaping reality. At SLURP, “you can be a different version of yourself,” according to Hann. 

Hann says the collective prides itself on providing a safe space for people to dance and dress up without feeling uncomfortable. 

On posters and Instagram posts promoting the event, clear rules were included to remind partygoers of the collective’s expectations. Williams says the collective encourages community policing and feedback from attendees.

“Our rules explain that SLURP is a sexually charged party, and consent is of the utmost importance,” says Williams.

“I don’t necessarily mean people having sex, but people are dressing lightly, dancing together, kissing — as they should. But sometimes, people just want to dress like that. Those people should feel comfortable to do that; the way they dress won’t dictate how they will be treated.”

“It’s an easy place to let loose because you’re not worried about people being aggressive,” says attendee Olivia Johnson, a third-year journalism student at the University of King’s College. 

Williams says SLURP’s target audience is “people who know how to have a good time, but not at the expense of others” — particularly “girls who have pieces in their closet that they’re waiting to pull out, who party hard … and also party responsibly.”