Party - Azure

Reviews, By Snickers, 2nd March, 2007

So we all know that the Azure Party at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair was closed down due to police action at around 9pm on Sunday evening. Unfortunately I don’t think we will ever get a true insight into the events that led to this action being taken as the possible reasons are endless.

In all honesty just going to the party in the first place was a bonus as throughout most of the day Sydney was plagued with drizzle and heavy rain clouds loomed over the city – at times the threatening weather alone put a question mark over the event. We had all learnt our lessons at Azure 06 from the heinous experience of trying the flee the party during a torrential downpour – not pretty!

Miraculously at around 4pm the rain stopped, the clouds parted and it was time to head on down for “the best gay and lesbian party in the southern hemisphere.” Well at least that’s what their PR machine says!. I guess it suggests a certain level of arrogance to claim that you’re the best gay and lesbian party in the southern hemisphere in your own print and web advertisements, especially when little would agree with this claim. Maybe that’s where the problem lies? The promoter is too busy believing their own bullshit while slowly neglecting the precious gift that this party is to the Sydney Party calendar… Or at least was.

The Harbour Party we used to know and love while in the hands of First Fleet Productions was something very special indeed, the memories of the ferries circling the party firing their water jets into the air in the mid-afternoon as well as the massive fireworks displays were all elements that showed the rest of Sydney that “the gays” really knew how to put on a party. It was something we were all really proud to be a part of.

Now these and other stunning elements are non-existent at Azure and it seems that the ticket price gets higher and higher each year – but we are we getting a bigger bang for our buck?

There were some great touches at this year’s party with the bleachers to the side of the dance floor giving punters a grandstand view over the crowd to our glittering harbour. The extra tall lighting towers while simple were really effective in turning the dance floor into a graceful avenue that gave a great visual perspective. Music had a great feeling of fun and familiar house with a few good classics thrown in and it was unfortunate that we did not get to hear Ryan Murphy’s closing set, as I think it would have made for a successful new musical direction that had not been heard before at Azure.

Now, more than ever, since the dramatic ending last week, Azure is really at a crossroads. With some of the new production people on board this party could really make a turnaround if given the chance but unless major changes are made and the promoter shifts the priorities to the reasons that used to make this party so magical, I cant see this important tradition being able to continue on with the relevance it once had to our community. And that would be truly tragic.