I elected to do the review for Lookin’ Good at Candy’s Apartment again for a few reasons (aside from the fact that venturing up to Bayswater Road on Saturday night has become as much part of my routine as Oportos on Sundays).
Firstly, I had had such a fantastic time at the first one I went to that I wanted to see if the night could be replicated. If this was the case, I was keen to determine what the elements are which contribute to setting this night apart from most of the other club nights in Sydney. I also wanted to see what fashion trends one of the particular resident DJ’s would be setting. Most of my questions were answered.
I will start with the door staff. Every time I have been there (including Saturday) they have been well mannered, polite, and consistent with their policies. This is no easy feat, as so many Sydney doormen seem to nominate themselves as fashion police, and let their apparent power go to their heads much to the dismay of the promoters. Not at Candy’s Apartment.
I give matching praise to the bar staff. They are efficient, and one never finds themselves waiting at the bar for an extended period of time. The prices of the drinks are more than satisfactory, and they do have a good selection of beer and spirits.
Whilst the venue may not be the most recently renovated, it still has a great club set-out. It is slightly ambiguous; the main room appears to be very open, yet it is always easy to find a nook or cranny to set up base-camp for the evening, yet you never feel that you are away from the action. It is the perfect place for Lookin’ Good.
On Saturday night, I arrived at 10pm, approximately 3 hours too early. It took a fair while for the venue to get busy. I have a sneaking suspicion that people arrive, obtain a stamp, see that it is not busy yet, decide that they have not made a their entrance grand enough, retreat, and then return an hour later. Personally, I don’t mind being the first to arrive at a party; it gives you a chance to meet some cool people and enjoy a drink before the perceived mayhem begins. And I have learnt from experience that mayhem is synonymous with Lookin’ Good parties.
Even when it was quiet, I had a great time. The crowd that the party attracts does not wait for the fun to find them; they go and find the fun. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and the atmosphere was always good. One moment there were only 50 people in the room, and the next time I took note it was absolutely packed. I was also stoked to see some faces I had not seen for a number of years.
Naturally, there was a wide variety of house music being played by Brendan Fing, Rob Milton and Adam Coverdale which included many oldies, and plenty of goodies. Much respect to Adam in particular: you rarely see a set where the DJ manages to smoke a cigarette, have a beer on standby, be a good host, and still have the room jumping.
Unfortunately, I had to make an early exit due to an injured thigh (I am not sure whose idea it was to play limbo, but it rendered me useless for the rest of the evening). Sadly, I missed Louisa Traver’s birthday set, and I never did find out what Tom da Sameshirt, I mean Tom da Silva was wearing. I did determine why I enjoy Lookin’ Good so much, and can honestly say that it is a night which works.
