Seven years is a LONG time in this business, the business of party throwing. Parties quickly appear and then disappear, full of hollow promises and excessive hype, but rarely do they deliver the goods necessary for longevity. Sadly, this is quite commonplace in the fickle old town of Sydney. The desire for good old-fashioned parties with soul, vibe and a variety of quality music has been replaced with the admiration of McClubs. Generic, soul-less, vibe-less haunts playing the latest fashionable and drab music to people more interested in how cool they might look and how happy they are to gain entry to said McClubs.

Fortunately, there are some in this town who look beyond the immediate gratification and false hopes of McClubs and who throw parties just how they were meant to be thrown, with passion, humility and that essential wacky/mad element. The Mad Racket crew are the epitome of this ethos and its no surprise that they are one of the longest running parties in town.Last Saturday was their 7th birthday party and to help celebrate seven fantastic years of party throwing Germany’s Tom Clark was invited along to share the moment.

As with many Racket parties, the 7th birthday was a themed affair, Sporty Seven was the motif for Saturday. So, I dusted off my blue and yellow 1980s Boca Juniors soccer jersey, donned a pair of sporty sneakers and headed on down to Marrickville Bowlo for some birthday shenanigans. The place was pretty busy on arrival with the bar three deep in sporty attired punters. Tennis seems a popular sport amongst Racketees with many a Pat Cash headband on display and many a pretty girl in short tennis shorts… phrwoar!!!  :p  My favourite however was the dude resplendent in rugby league footy gear, he had everything bar the squashed nose and lack of neck. The Racketeers were also in dress, all donning brand spanking new Mad Racket t-shirts with a big number 7 on the back… they looked prett damn spic if you ask me. Any left?

By midnight the dancefloor was rammed with Señor Caldwell laying down some choice cuts, some I recognized but I was in no real mood to trainspot my friends so you’ll have to forgive me on that one. Happily, the Racket crew had decided to open the rather special locker room for the night to ease the pressure in the main room and I would have to say I had one of the best times in there for a long time. It’s a rather surreal experience really, dancing in the locker room of a lawn bowls club and it was great to hear Sameer/Pocket and Sinclair lay down some appropriately bizarre and interesting tunes that had the small but electric room heaving. Best second room in town… no competition! And Sinclair…one of the best record collections in town.

Back to the main room and Tom Clark was already on the decks and continued on from where Simon left off, ass-wiggling, tech-influenced house with the odd crazy sound and sample. The crowd was lapping Clark up and the dance floor was getting rather full. I hadn’t heard Tom Clark play before and was well impressed with what I heard. But weary legs and head were upon me come 4am, and it was time for me to make my exit for some fresh air and a comfy bed.

Congratulations Mad Racket for such an accomplishment! It’s great to see that your enthusiasm for throwing excellent parties has not diminished through the passage of time. My view is that Racket parties are the gold standard of party throwing in Sydney. They stick to some very simple rules:  excellent, clear sound that is never too loud or harsh;  a comfortable, interesting venue with relatively cheap drinks;  good party people;  excellent music that doesn’t pander to commercialism;  and finally a good bunch of genuine, friendly geezers who just like to have a good time and take others along with them. Cheers!