Sleaze back at Fox

Sleaze Ball will return to the Fox complex for 2003 after the Livid Festival offered to move its booking dates.

Stevie Clayton, co-chair of New Mardi Gras (NMG), told Sydney Star Observer that Livid organisers contacted NMG this week to say they previously hadn’t understood the importance of Sleaze.

Playbill Venues Management, who manage the Hordern, RHI and other halls, had rented the site to the organisers of the Livid rock festival for the 2003 October long weekend. The dates had traditionally been allocated to Mardi Gras.

NMG organisers posted the news on their website two weeks ago, and called for feedback from community members about where and when the event might be held.

Clayton told the Star that although this year’s party would be at the Fox complex, the organisation had received significant feedback from people calling for a change of venue.

We’ll be taking the next 12 months to work out a suitable location for Sleaze in the future and [we will] make that decision over the next year, Clayton said.

Fellow co-chair Michael Woodhouse told the Star he had received a number of offers from different venues during the week, and that feedback through the NMG website highlighted the importance of Sleaze Ball being a sexy party and in a space that people feel is safe.

We need to make sure we can deliver both of those things wherever we hold it, including at Fox -¦ We are completely committing to refreshing this event and in particular to putting the Sleaze back into Sleaze Ball, he said.

Clarification: Our front-page story last week on the future of Sleaze Ball incorrectly referred to Fox Studios licensee Playbill Management. Although colloquially referred to as part of the Fox complex, the Hordern, RHI and other halls managed by Playbill are actually leased directly from the Centennial and Moore Park Trust, not from Fox Entertainment Precinct Pty Ltd. Fox Studios Australia are not responsible for booking decisions at those venues.