Colours everywhere in this beautiful harbour city of ours. The last day of Summer and a dance party backgrounded by the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Blue water, white sparkling ship sails and a mirror ball of epic proportion. Dancin’ time at the Gay and Lesbian Harbour Party.
Reds hitting the huge mirror ball and the colours of sunset foreground the city skyline as the event hits its 3000 capacity. It’s been in full swing since 3 pm. The Parade and even the Parade Party are events which many people share with the LGBTQI community but this party tends to have a more niche community feel about the light and colour.
Orange tabards for the medical workers, blue T Shirts for the volunteers, pink on the ACON rovers. They stand out in a crowd that is sensibly attired for a party that opens mid-afternoon in 36 degrees. Most participants choose singlet tops or T shirts which can be easily stripped off to be tucked artfully in jeans or boardies or shorts. Some brave souls add glamour, costumes and impossible shoes.
Yellow spreads across the boats anchored close enough for them to hear the thumping noise and for us to see them dancing along with the crowd. This is a crowd which knows their DJs. Huge cheers for DJ du Jour as she hits the big desk. DJ Kitty Glitter and DJ Dan Murphy are there to the delight of the crowd. The dance anthems are triumphant and even in the hot sun grab the feet and make them move.
Green though the dance floor begins, it is taking a beating as the cool evening arrives with the breeze off the water. It’s then that 2012 X-Factor Winner Samantha Jade heats it all up again. When Canadian powerhouse Kiesza hits ‘Hideway’ no one is still and the remixes of Bimbo Jones’ (fronted by Lee Dagger) just boom across the gardens. It’s a, dance like no-one is watching, affair. Sexy, hot, bare.
Blue boys and girls everywhere. The police, drug dogs and the water police ensuring a safe time for all. A few people are pulled up and searched and there is a patdown before entry but the crowd is used to this and the lines are amicable and excited. There’s alcohol of course but lots of free water and a cocooning of shared experience to make time fly until the 11pm cut-off. The families and bewildered foreign tourists high up on the hill who are drawn to the music during daylight hours, sit and enjoy the colours flashing before them.
Indigo / Violet are the final colours of the Pride Flag and these are in evidence on the brand name banners which adorn the fencing more than about the person of the participants. Amazing how many logos can be manipulated into rainbow tiers. Energy drink cans, search engines, banks. This is not an event for wearing of the flags. It’s more casual, friendly, inclusive boutique atmosphere. The flags make their appearance next week at the parade when visibility is important. The Harbour Party is just about what makes LGBTQI people dance.
The Harbour Party is an annual event as part of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and was held on Fleet Steps on Saturday 1st March.