Latest news with #MillyOnAir
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'It's the best feeling' - The Bristol rave where everyone is sober
Bristol's music scene is known for its thumping basslines and - for some - its booze-fuelled big nights out. But as more young people embrace sobriety, one group aims to prove you do not need drugs or alcohol to let loose on the dancefloor. DJ Milly, better known as Milly on Air, has been in recovery for nine and a half years."For me, it was a choice between life and death, and I chose life," she said."I actually started DJing whilst I was in recovery. It was something that I had always wanted to do and addiction had meant my life was incredibly chaotic and I'd never actually managed to do it," Milly was one of a host of artists who played at The Trinity Centre's first ever day-long sober rave on 3 August. The event in Old Market welcomed anyone who chooses to avoid alcohol or drugs, whether that is for health, religious, recovery or personal the early days, Milly said being a sober DJ in the world of dance music made her feel "like an alien" - but in recent years she has noticed a "huge shift".And that change is reflected in national figures. Research showed 19% of people in the UK aged 16+ did not drink alcohol in 2022, compared to 17% in adults aged 16–24 were the most likely to be non-drinkers (25%), while those aged 55–64 were the least likely (14%), according to the of the Trinity Centre event - Bristol Sober Spaces - aimed to rewrite the narrative that nightlife and substances must go seven-hour rave featured local favourites Misneach, Discombobulator, Steven Stone, and Josephine Gyasi, and was headlined by drum and bass icon Nicky Blackmarket and Bristol's own Roni Size. Reflecting on the gig, Roni Size said: "It was incredible. Performing to all those people, some of whom were going through recovery, was a totally different feeling to what I'm used to."I've [always] felt like people associate drum and bass, jungle and anything to do with DJs with drugs or alcohol."They think that you can't party without some type of influence to get you going - but that's not the case."Bristol Sober Spaces is a collaborative project between Bristol Drugs Project - a drugs and alcohol support service - and Not Saints, a record label aimed at supporting those in its formation in 2020, the group has hosted a number of sober Jade King said she avoided clubs altogether when she first became sober 11 years ago. Speaking about partying at sober events, she said: "A lot of my friends are here, I get to have a dance with them. "I don't feel embarrassed about getting up and dancing in front of other people."These events are not just for people that are sober because maybe they've had a problem in the past - but also for people that just don't want to wake up tomorrow with a hangover."Curtis Corbett-Blakemore, also a volunteer at Bristol Sober Spaces, said more people were focusing on wellness and mental health these days. "There's clearly a bit of a link between poor mental health and using substances."These events are important because, generally, people in recovery want to stay away from places where there's a lot of drug and alcohol use."It can be triggering for people that are in recovery and there are not a huge amount of options out there," he of the DJs who performed at the rave said sober crowds were often the most engaged."There's something really special about playing at sober events. People are so engaged and so present," Milly said. DJ Steven Stone agreed, saying the energy levels in the crowd were "incredible". "I've never seen anything like it. The participation's amazing and the interactions I've had since coming off the stage have been really wholesome," he the crowd was London-based music producer Mina, who does not drink and runs an alochol-free club night called Club said she was "curious" to see what happened when alcohol was removed, which she felt dominated nightlife and electronic added: "I found it's a really beautiful experience. You're surrounded by people that are really present and engaged. "It's just one of the best feelings being on the dancefloor without alcohol."If you, or someone you know, have been affected by addiction the BBC Action Line has details of organisations which may be able to help.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Fire in your Soul festival will be "alternative to party culture"
Organisers of a festival that will feature yoga classes and ice baths alongside live music say they want to offer an alternative to normal festival party in Your Soul is a new festival which will be held close to Chew Valley Lake in Somerset from 4-6 musician Milly on Air, who will be performing at the festival, said there has been a "need for wellness"."People are more open and embracing wellbeing practices and looking after their mental health and their community's mental health. Wellness doesn't have to be chilled out, it's also about finding joy, celebration and energy," she added. "The festival is for people like me - who might be having a midlife crisis," Luke Hasell, event organiser, said. "Anyone who wants to be doing better for ourselves and the world."Mr Hasell owns farmland near the lake and planted trees on the site in 2004, which has become known as 'Nature's Spectacular' and will be where the festival will be held."I wanted to make my farm a beacon of hope for the area," Mr Hasell in Your Soul is a new festival which was born out of Valley Fest, which Mr Hasell has hosted in recent years."Fire in Your Soul was an area at Valley Fest and it's taken on its own life. I want it to be a more boutique, relaxed event," Mr Hasell added. Milly on Air added: "Music has always been healing and it has the ability to process emotion and experience a connection to something bigger than you."Playing to a crowd where the crowd are conscious and more sober, it's such a powerful experience. People weren't clouded by substances, their connection to the music felt really intense. I felt a real connection with the crowd."Alongside a music programme, the festival will offer yoga workshops, breathwork sessions and ice the evenings, chef Simon Dyer will make seasonal, zero-waste meals and there will also be live poetry sessions.
