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Azure Harbour Party 2007...
review
This year it wasn't rain that stopped play... It was the cops.
The skies, somewhat miraculously, cleared just as the sound system was cranked up and the crowds piled down into the Botanic Gardens. As the clouds parted and the sun broke through great cheers went up and everyone's hands were in the air.
Billed as 'the best gay and lesbian party in the southern hemisphere', the Azure Harbour Party is a a spectacular event. The backdrop alone is simply stunning. I challenge anyone not to get goose-bumps partying amongst 5,000 other revellers in the open air as the sun sets behind the Sydney Opera House.
The organisation required to stage something of this size and at this location shouldn't go unrecognised. Sound systems, dancefloors, lighting rigs, bars, food, toilets, marquees, more toilets, security, bar staff, volunteers, DJs, live acts and lots of things that we probably can't even guess at come together to make for a fabulous party.
But following a recent death in Sydney from a batch of ecstasy containing PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine - a strong hallucinogen) the police and yes - perhaps the politicians with one eye on the forthcoming elections... were twitchy. Annabel Catt, a 20 year old dance teacher, collapsed at a party following attending the 'Good Vibrations' music festival at Centennial Park last week.
Azure's own security guards were joined by uniformed police who were joined by drug sniffer dogs and plain clothed officers... a major raid, resulting in 26 arrests including a handful of dealers. With a magistrate's order the plug on the party was pulled, the lights came up and the music stopped around two hours before it was due to end.
The crowd were, on the whole, pretty well humoured about the event being cut short. As if to ease the pain somewhat, the rain started again just seconds after the floodlights came on at 9pm.
It was still a great event and if it were to go ahead again next year (something that is undoubtedly being questioned by the authorities) I'd still be first in line to buy my ticket. Having said that, I think it's fair to suggest that the drugs issue might have been dealt with more thoughtfully.
Personally I'm not sure that closing the party early, turfing everyone out of what was evidently a heavily policed and supervised safe space, was the right move. It may just have ended up appearing, to the average punter, like a public flexing of muscles rather than something designed to effectively control drug abuse in the city.
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someone said...
A VIP comment randomly selected for your delight:
"Oh My God! Trashbags!"
Said by Markybabes on Thu, 1st March 2007.
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snapped!
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