More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

Only the next day a pretty big production company called Brighter Pictures phoned Joel’s and Joel later rang me at work. They were almost too enthusiastic about what we had written, they told us they were restructuring the idea and taking it to Channel 4 the next day. We talked at first over the phone, still not quite believing that we were liasing with a big production company in london. Then only two days later, in the company’s conference room we were discussing ideas and the possibilities of a contract allowing them to develop the idea and binding us to it if it were ever to get commissioned. Which we were told could take anything from a month to a couple of years.

It was quite impressive in our eyes that someone had shown an interest but looking at thing realistically, nothing would come of it.

A week later and after a rejection letter from Channel Five (the quality program, station) our contracts came in the post, still not taking things very seriously, our parents, the most worldly people we know looked over them and it was agreed that we would sign. I returned to the Isle of Wight to teach and left sainsbury’s and “our TV show” behind me in Leicester. The day we were about to return our contracts Joel rang me… quite excited. Rapido, the makers of Eurotrash had rung saying they had a similar idea already under research and that they would like to meet and discuss the trip further. So again we made another trip to London, this time with a little more confidence as we had been there, done that. We met with the big cheese at Rapido, and soon realised that the trip was fast becoming a reality. They planned to do America in a bus and were soon going to advertise for victims to do it. Now they had us, a group of friends that were already keen to do it and had plenty of ideas, things to do and places to go. I left all the dealings with Joel and Bex as I was a dedicated watersports instructor. Managing a few days here and there, we shot a promo in London for channel 4 to check to see we had what it takes and also we met the commitioning editor at the channel 4 building for his approval. We merely had lunch in the canteen and pissed around which seemed to somehow impress him. He wanted to check to make sure we were whom we said we were and weren’t plucked from an agency. So we all had to send a wage slip or something as proof.

Knowing it was now all now very real, I began to tell pretty much everyone I knew. I had a mixed response, obviously they were all impressed that I had pulled off the biggest blag to date, but many of my wiser friends helped me to keep my head and not assume that it would be easy and everyone would treat us right, which was good, because lets face it I was dealing with an industry I knew nothing about.

The next few months were quite a wait. We shot a promo for channel 4, which basically involved us making twatts of ourselves around London, then the only things we had to sort out were passports, Rapido to get us visas and making sure we had our six members of the group sorted. It was agreed that Rebecca could choose the girls that were going so she didn’t get lonely or left out, and as the guy I was going to go travelling with had already left, Joel asked a friend we used to go to school with and the six were complete. As a team we were, me, Joel, Bex, Boppa, Chantel and Sheryl. Two girls I’ve met a couple of times that Bex knows, Chantel she used to work with and Sheryl she grew up with.

About a month before we were going to the states though a really weird thing happened, totally irrelevant to the show but it’s a story worth telling.

On the 16^th of June I was fired from the UKSA, well sort of. I was given the reason of “poor performance” much to the disagreement of the other 30 instructors working alongside me. I had had no prior warnings which usually come before a dismissal and my contract states that I should have been given at least a weeks notice, instead I was forced to pack my bags within the hour under surveillance and then told to leave the island. They dropped me off at the ferry with my season’s belongings, which I couldn’t even lift and left me there. But it wasn’t too much of a problem as a mate lived just up the road and I planned to kip there a couple of nights so I could get my head straight. When I rang though I found that for some reason all my mates had been warned that if they were to help me then there jobs could be on the line. I paused for thought then realised my fucking motorbike was stuck at the centre. I couldn’t figure it out I had done nothing wrong, if anything I was chuffing good at what I did, but got fired. Nevermind, I ended up staying round a friends for a week, which at the time was appreciated and that night absolutely everyone came around for a barbeque and we got hammered then went down the pub. My parents came the next week and I took all my stuff in one go including my beloved motorbike. Weird hey?

So I had a couple of weeks to kill, some of which was spent filming us, preparing to go and getting some background on who each of us were, in various glamorous locations. I did decide to sign on for two weeks, I wouldn’t normally but there was no way someone would employ me for two weeks and I still had bills to pay so I had no choice.

Some of the crew that would be working on the show in London and with us in the states came up to Leicester to meet us and find out what to research that we would like to take part in when we get to the states, there was Richard who would be assistant director and who would sneekly stay on our bus but shhh the viewer doesn’t know that bit. Another guy, Matt who would be a researcher working in London at the Rapido studios and Steven D Wright, the producer of the whole lot, he is the man that makes the decisions and the man with the money in his hand so we had a slap up meal and as many bottles of wine as we could before the night was over.

At a later date we would meet our director, Phil Jones who would be directing the show in the states for the two months we are out there, we met at Joel’s house, just me, Joel and Bex. He would offer his ideas on how he wanted the overall show to look and we told him what we had envisaged, so we sort of had an idea of what to expect and how the filming would work over the next few weeks while still in Leicester.

The next couple of weeks were a long wait, two of those days we met Paul and Rory, the sound and camera men, top blokes and we got on well from the beginning. The crew rushed around to different locations to film us doing what we do. I was filmed windsurfing on a day with no wind, but it was a good laugh and got me used to being filmed. Also we would all be interviewed during the two days, which I have to say was very awkward, but would again get me a little more use to having a camera in my face. It was all-good though.

Now the time had come, the holiday of a lifetime.

. Around the World in 80 raves …. {Working title} … Rapido production for Channel 4 …

Around the world in 80 raves is a show conceived by and starring six kids from England’s most under rated city, Leicester. Three girls and three lads spent eight weeks touring America communally living in a bus, going between festivals, beaches and S & M clubs. 80 raves will premier in April in an eleven o’clock, Friday night slot. The three girls, Rebekah, a sexy young singer, Chantal a feisty fashion student and Sheryl, the lap-dancer, spent their time sunbathing, partying and generally putting the lads in their place. The lads, Glenn, the ladies favourite watersports instructor, Joel the tattooed comedian and Boppa the two pence short of a pound musician spent their eight weeks drinking, stinking and trying to charm the women. Glenn, Rebekah and Joel dreamed up the idea for a TV show trip of a life time, and within a week of writing their letter, were setting off to London for production meetings with major TV players. 80 raves is a surreal realisation of every young partyers dream, to tour a continent getting up to things you really shouldn’t be able to get away with, all on someone else’s money. Music, drugs, mud, sex, and Jerry Springer……….what more could any one want.

I did keep a diary while I was out there, call me a geek but I thought there might be a few moments I may want to remember in years to come, anyway enjoy my holiday.

The crew had flown to the states a day before us so they could set up and be ready to film our arrival. Nerves had set in and I had a long wait for the van, as I was the penultimate to be picked up. A van had been sent to go to everyone’s house and pick them up, Richard would be in the van with the small camera to get our goodbyes and us stuffing our kit in the van on tape. Sheryl was the last to be picked up and apart from my windsurf board she had the most kit which later we found out, one of these suitcases was full entirely for her own pillows cos she can’t sleep without them. Pack essentials that’s what I say. So once all in, we travelled to the Posthouse at Heathrow airport to fly early the next day. We met in the bar for a few drinks where we were given our contracts to sign, it seemed a bit dodgy but they read over ok and reminded us that we wouldn’t get any money out of it all, but what the hell, when am I going to get another opportunity like this… yes you’re right, never. Well unless we get a second series. We all hit the sack reasonably early because we would be up at about four in the morning.