My Disco Needs Kylie!!!
So I think it's a law or something here that every bar must play at least one Kylie song a night. And that's a government regulation that I could really support!
So I've been sampling the night life here in Syndey. In addition to the beaches. I did meet a cute Aussie Bear who is a DJ so he's been giving me some tips on where to go. So that helps. Oxford St, which is just a block away from my new, and fab, AirBnB flat, is the main party strip and there are probably a dozen clubs within a 6 block stretch. Gay and straight. So the sidewalk is packed with the youts (as my sister would call them) as they party hard. And yes, I'm feeling very old here, but still having a good time.
Friday night, after my failed beach day at Manly Beach, I headed to the Shift Bar for a beer. Chatted with some folks. Then head up to the Columbian Hotel Bar which is the next stop on my bar crawl. I'm about to walk in when a security guy stops me. "Hey mate, how are you?" "I'm good", I reply. "How much have you had to drink tonight?" Now it's like 8PM. And I'm very sober at this point so I'm a little shocked by the question. "Um, I had one beer at the Shift and then I thought I would check out the bar here." "Okay mate, have a good night." So their security guys (who all beefy and sadly straight) are really hard core. I guess they are trying to clean up Oxford St to reduce the partying so the security guys have the power to turn folks away if they think they are drunk. I saw it happen on Saturday night. A guy and a girl heading into Stonewall. He was clearly buzzed. But not falling down drunk, rambling, or anything. Just someone who has had a good night. The security guard looks at him and says, "Not tonight mate. I think you should go home." Wow. Okay. In addition, after midnight you can't order doubles or shots. And they have these weird lock out laws. You have to be in a club by 130AM. I guess the bars don't close till 3AM (not that I would know from personal experience), but you can't bar hop at the end of the night. After 130, they won't let anyone else into the club and if you leave you can't get back in. So strange. And yet still Oxford was hopping on the weekend.
Now, I love to dance. The T-dance at Ptown is my favorite thing. Dancing from 4-7PM, to songs with words! I'm in. All in! Getting to a club at midnight to dance to the permo techno beat with no words till 6AM? Pass. Hard pass. But most of the clubs and bars I've been to here have been playing words with songs and I'l admit that when one of my favorite songs is played I'll sing as I dance. Give me a good anthem and I'll belt it out. But wow, the people here aren't just singing along. It's like performance art. They are LIVING the song. Hands in the air, flourishes with the beat, dramatic steps and hand gestures, and they are practically yelling the words to the song to each other. It's like they are all drag queens, over exaggerating everything about the song. And it's not just the gay guys. The straight girls were doing it also. A couple even had the choreography from a video down and were working it to the song. It's just a little bit crazy. And it makes for great people watching.
And now, some classic Kylie:
Say you won't leve me no more, I'll take you back again.
No more excuses, no, no; 'Cause I've heard them all before
A hundred times or more
I'll forgive and forget, If you say you'll never go
'Cause it's true, what they say, It's better the devil you know
It's better the devil you know.