This is Tara. She is a mama who spends her nights covered in milk and her daughters spew but rewind 13yrs and she was hitting the London squat party scene Tom Hardy style (hot and hard).
You lived that song ‘Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat.’
Yep I met a DJ in London who invited me to my first squat party and for years, that was all I did on weekends.
Were you or are you still a drug addict?
Lol. No. I had a job as a travel agent, and I still do. I just liked to dance.
Being tres illegal, how did you find out about the squat parties?
There was a number that you called at 1am every Friday morning for a recorded message that simply stated an address. The buildings were really run-down abandoned warehouses and the toilets absolutely never worked. Entry was 1 or 2 pounds, and there was always a bar selling really cheap booze and water.
Sounds like something you’d see in a movie.. only heaps shadier.
There were some dodgy characters – usually on the Monday when the party was wrapping up – but in general, it was the same crowd most weekends and everyone was really friendly and looked out for each other. People were just there to dance and have fun.
What’s the longest you partied for in one go?
Four days – something I do not recommend! I had to keep splashing water on my eyeballs as they were too dry to blink properly.
Craziest one you ever went to?
New Years Eve 2001. It was a seven-storey abandoned building in South East London. There were thousands of people there, and the party went on for days and days. The police turned up a few times to shut off the electricity, but the organisers somehow managed to keep turning it back on. The cops kept coming back to try to make us all leave, but they didn’t have the numbers.
You then continued travelling the world solo – what’s the best country you’ve been to?
I love the landscapes of Bolivia, the history in Egypt, and the people of Turkey. I’m a travel agent now and I’ve recently enjoyed experiencing our own backyard; if you haven’t headed north yet, do yourself a favour and visit the Kimberley region – breathtaking.
And you’re still pulling all nighters?
Yes but with my daughter, covered in breastmilk and spew. I couldn’t think of anything worse than my old partying lifestyle as I’m now approaching my forties. I have absolutely no regrets though which is all you can hope for.