Still happening, except they wouldn't last 2 hours like OP's story. I took an american colleague to a rave (in dublin) about a year ago and he was freaking out at the fact that you had to meet someone somewhere then get passed off to a few more people before you got there. "Its like the movies man!"
Then we raved until 9 in the morning to some deep techno. There were no official photographers.
I honestly thought NY would have a majorly active underground party scene.
Not as much though. The police basically killed it completely come the beginning of the 00s. (though there's a chance that I'm now just completely out of the loop so oblivious to it all)
Ah yes, the Criminal Justice Act. I think the law even has provisions about "repetitive beats." I seem to remember vaguely a techno track at the time that sampled some politician (Michael Howard, I think, the Home Secretary) reading that part of the bill. Memory is obviously a bit hazy.
There are still raves in fields, but nothing like to the extent there used to be.
I went to a warehouse rave in Manchester (because, well, par for the course), it involved calling a telephone helpline to get instructions, meeting someone who knew someone, then finally getting there.
I agree, I thought NY still had a big party scene even if it wasn't necessarily built around dance music.
Then we raved until 9 in the morning to some deep techno. There were no official photographers.
I honestly thought NY would have a majorly active underground party scene.