Melbourne Cup Lawns Party @ Canberra Racecourse, Canberra (04/11/08)
The Melbourne Cup Lawns Party looked to be a promising event – a day at the races, with food and alcohol provided inclusively for the fairly reasonable price of $157 (depending on how much you eat or drink of course). There was a stellar line up of DJs, including San Fran house legend Mark Farina, who is well known for his combination of laid back house tainted with a range of influences, as well as local acts The Ashton Shuffle and Robkay supporting. The outlook was ideal for a day of chilled live music, drinking and relaxation trackside, with the added hopefulness of walking out a little richer should your gambling abilities serve you well.
The result, however, were not as promising as it sounded. The vibe and the atmosphere, quite simply put, just weren’t entirely right. Perhaps it was the fact that the music and the crowd would have been better suited to a lounge bar atmosphere on a Sunday afternoon – they seemed slightly displaced at an event like the races. Or maybe because it was in a segregated area away from the track and marquees, which meant that if you wished to wander and catch the trackside action (which wasn’t visible from the party) you couldn’t take your drink with you. This was done for obvious reasons – to discourage people smuggling alcohol out – but the result was that a number of people threw back their drinks quickly and proceeded to get messy early in the piece. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having a few, but it didn’t encourage a leisurely pace of alcohol consumption, which could have resulted in a more memorable day for some. Additionally, it was exclusive – ie no one else could enter had they not paid for the ticket beforehand. This led to further segregation from the crowd and anyone who goes to the races. As there weren’t heaps of people at the party itself, it was almost more desirable to leave it behind and join the more lively elements of the trackside action. The music, for the most part, stayed relatively samey. Although the vibe demanded a laidback feel, there was a distinct lack of deviation from the same sound, and after two hours it started to wear a little thin.
Perhaps the day was more an opportunity to mingle, and if it wasn’t so sectioned off from the rest of the racing world on the day it could have worked. The opportunity for others to wander in and out – checking on the music and resting one’s legs while having a chat – would have improved the situation somewhat. The alcohol wouldn’t have been taken advantage of by freeloaders as there were armbands distributed to those who had paid. Most importantly, a greater diversity in music would be advisable if The Lawns Party is to improve next year. There’s definitely a great deal of potential for it to be a truly rocking event!
