Virtual Reality Raving

Forget the real world, dance music fans can now go clubbing in a virtual reality environment online.

US DJ Scumfrog has set up a '24-hour party island' called Skyros in online game and community site Second Life.

"The virtual world is the hottest thing right now in the US, it's in all the media all of the time and there are nearly two million people participating in Second Life," Scumfrog told DJmag.com.

"It's the new MySpace. So I jumped at the opportunity to be the first DJ geek to land there and to take as many of my DJ friends with me."

Second Life: The Future of Socialising?

Skyros

Dance music fans and clubbers who've registered with the site can 'travel' to Skyros and catch exclusive sets in the island's clubs from Scumfrog and his DJ buddies.

Scummy hopes the island will become a haven for global dance music fans, and he will use it to broadcast DJ sets.

"The amount of land you buy in the game translates to the amount of server space you get on the Second Life mainframe.

Then there is a monthly maintenance fee to Second Life and that's all before you build anything.

'Investment'

"But it can be considered an investment because there is a real economy within the game, with its own currency, allowing anyone to sell whatever they want to other players.

Anything from gambling, cool clothes for your avatar or a virtual lapdance from one of my go-go dancers."

He continued: "We didn't want to recreate any existing clubbing place like Ibiza.

"We wanted to create a completely new environment.

"Most of the rules that restrict a club's total awesomeness don't apply in Second Life - no noise complaints, no building costs, no cold weather or rain and no gravity.

"It's a club designer's dream."

For more info on Second Life visit www.secondlife.com