Party hard

SOMETIMES ONE NIGHT OF DANCING JUST AIN’T ENOUGH. DAVID MILLS AND STACY FARRAR CHECK OUT A FEW PARTY OPTIONS FOR THIS SUNDAY.

SUNDAY DAY RECOVERIES
 
When and where The Flinders Laneway, Arq, the Barracks, the Midnight Shift, the Stonewall, Middle Bar, the Oxford (including Gilligans), the Colombian.

The pitch Medical practitioners and Sydney Star Observer editorial staff agree: when the final curtain comes down on the final Mardi Gras party show, it’s time to go home. Staying up past your bedtime is fun, in a kind of naughty, parents-wouldn’t-approve kind of way, but really, there are limits. Rather than carrying on like some punch-drunk boxer, it’s better to throw in the towel, go home, sleep and bounce back refreshed for the Sunday night recoveries.

But if you’re one of those people who boycott the main party in favour of the Sunday day recoveries -“ or if you feel that you simply haven’t had a good time unless you’ve been out for 24 hours -“ you’ve got plenty of options during the day on Sunday.

The Flinders Laneway opens itself up again from 6am on the Sunday morning, despite the fact that the Beresford has now closed. This might mean longer queues for beers and toilets at the Flinders, but expect the usual recovery laneway ambience. Arq opens at 8am, with DJ Josh firing in the Arena and Jake Kilby and Baby Bear warming up the Vortex. The official Mardi Gras recovery venue is the Midnight Shift, with two floors of DJs and action (including Ryan Murphy, Ruby, Neal Crawford, Sean Manley, Ronnie James and Chip), while the Stonewall features DJs, a percussionist and a sax player from sunrise to sunset. A slightly later-starting recovery happens at Middle Bar, with Paul Goodyear and Garry Tee. Other options include Gilligans (always nice and cruisy on a day-after-party day), the Barracks (for the boys only), and everybody’s favourite new gay pub, the Colombian.

SUNDAY NIGHT PARTIES

ICE

When and where Gas nightclub, 10pm-8am

DJs In the main club: UK duo Pants’n’Corset plus Luke Leal, Tim Spinks, Doug James, Adrian Wells. In Melt: Sveta, Mark Murphy.

Likely crowd Party boys; hardcore leather dudes; aficionados of banging hard house; a few girls.

The pitch Anyone who has been to an Ice party over the past three and a half years knows the moniker is a virtual synonym for fun hard-bangin’ sexed-up good times. Promoters Craig Payne and Kevin Daly return to Gas for this Ice event, subtitled Be Cool. They promise the usual over-the-top lasers and sound downstairs and a visual feast in the upstairs area, Melt. Headlining the DJ roster is UK duo Pants’n’Corset, whose music should be very well known to Ice party regulars. Organisers are expecting a crowd of about 1,000.

We’re expecting our usual crowd, and hopefully some visitors as well, Payne says. Girls are welcome, but of course it will be plenty of boys.

But the organisers stress that they won’t be over-selling the event.

We don’t pack our parties, Payne says. You’ve got to have lots of space to enjoy yourself.

 

QUEER NATION

When and where Home nightclub, 10pm-8am

DJs Jake Kilby, Luke Leal, Alex Taylor, Mandy Rollins, Kelly Lynch, Junior B, Neal Crawford, Chip, Coco, Bill Morley, Kate Monroe, Scott Pullen

Likely crowd Varied. Old and young, girls and boys, gay men and lesbians and their mates.

The pitch Value for money -“ that’s what Home nightclub’s Emma Smythe reckons Queer Nation delivers.

We’ve seen what works in the gay nightclubs, and we give the punters 12 of the best DJs in Sydney, she says. The ticket price is very affordable. Ten hours, four rooms.

It’s a formula that seems to work. This will be the ninth Queer Nation party, with another four planned for long weekends over the coming year. Hosted as always by Claire de Lune and Verushka Darling, the Queer Nation parties are famously fun and famously popular.

 

ARQ -“ MERCURY

When and where Arq nightclub, 10pm-8am

DJs In the arena: Greg Boladian, Paul Goodyear and, direct from LA, Brett Henrichsen. In the vortex: Baby Bear, Peter Farris and, direct from the UK, Paul Lillie.

Likely crowd Buff gay boys with shirts off and tits out; girlfriends of said buff boys; girlfriends of said girlfriends. Also: lots and lots of tourists. Arq tends to be the one club name that every tourist knows about, so they tend to gravitate there.

The pitch Did we mention the buff boys? Oh yeah, and the music. Expect a thoroughly up and happy set from US circuit-party maestro Brett Henrichsen.

He’s very hands-in-the-air in terms of style. He’s not one of these dark-long-desolate-journey type of DJs, advises Arq’s Chris Curtis. It will be a very positive sound.

Henrichsen’s DJ orbit has taken in just about every significant club and party on the planet: Heaven in London, Queen in Paris, White Party in Amsterdam, Ibiza, Europride, Salvation in Miami -¦ the list goes on. Now Arq. Need we say more?

Sunday night will also feature Aneiki performing their new single live. Last time they did an Arq set, by all accounts the crowd went off. Expect more of the same.

 

GURLESQUE’S FARTI BRA RECOVERY

When and where DCM nightclub, 5pm-1am.

DJ Gemma

Likely crowd Gurlesque always attracts a weird and wonderful range of curious and enthusiastic girls, grrrls, women and wimmin. Farti Bra should get some curious out-of-towners as well.

The pitch Aside from it being the only official chick-specific recovery party (non-strip enthusiasts take heart, there’ll be plenty of women at other gender-unspecified events), Gurlesque is always a bit silly, a bit sexy and a bit jaw-droppingly outrageous. Farti Bra will be only kind of a recovering event, performer and organiser Sex Intents says -“ not that low-key and probably warranting a Monday recovery of its own. Performances will range from the vanilla to the rocky-road and performers from the very famous to the unknown. Shows start at 6pm and will continue all night. Tickets are $20 or $15 concession and are available on the door. Visit www.gurlesque.org for more information.