Weekend lockdown

This past weekend was both the Johannesburg party person’s dream and nightmare: so much to pick from and so little time. The Arts Alive programme was out in full swing, there was DJ Kenzhero’s monthly Party People session, there was the annual Soweto beach party … I could go on but then this post would be wasted.

So with so much to choose from and a learner’s licence test looming the next day, my first stop was the Arts Alive Newton Lockdown. First of all I must commend the people over at Arts Alive for such creative branding and marketing of the festival. They certainly had the hottest spots in Newtown on lockdown! For those who don’t know, the Urban Dictionary defines lockdown as the act of someone controlling somebody’s social life and activities — well, among other definitions, but this is more fitting …

Now the idea of catering to everyone’s tastes is a very good one indeed. And one has to wonder how much it all costs, but that’s usually the last thing on any party person’s mind. The Bassline catered for the world-music crowd (and was packed!), the dome on Mary Fitzgerald Square catered to the older jazz crowd, Carfax to the “world dance music” fans and, lastly, Newtown Park to the urban hip-hop crowd.

Yes, yes, everybody was catered for, but then the whole scurrying from one place to another trying to catch your favourite act became too much after a while. I had to preserve my energy for the next morning and night; Party People is the never-to-be-missed event of the month. I had carefully laid out my itinerary for the Saturday. Write the learner’s test in the morning; attend a heart-wrenching farewell for a dear friend and celebrating my pass and boogie the night away at Roka. Sigh. It was not to be …

I sadly failed the learner’s. Which I thought was of the easiest tests I had written in a while and … um .. well, it has been a while. Clearly it wasn’t and my day went downhill from there. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get into the groove and there is nothing worse than a depressed party companion …