Dancing in the streets

"You know they call this the CBD - the Central Business District - and I think you'd have to agree, there's some pretty serious business going on here tonight." That was the MC on Saturday night, and a very funny chap he was. We were there for the opening night of the Sydney Festival, for which a number of concerts had been scheduled around the city. If you'd told me five years ago that Plump DJs would play in Martin Place, as an opening act for the Sydney Festival, and that it would be free, I would have told you to check your prescription. But there we were, listening to the rather obscene growling bassline of Automatic, looking up at the marble columns of the CBA building. Surreal.

Perhaps even better than that was the atmosphere around the city. People talk about the atmosphere during the Olympic Games, and I'm sorry I missed it. But I do remember how it was when we won the bid. Juan Antonio Samaranch on a big screen at 4am. "The winner is Sideney". Whoooooohooooooooo! That was the most friendly I've ever felt Sydney, and while we weren't hugging complete strangers on Saturday night, it was a big step in the right direction. Three massive cheers for the festival organisers, and three more for the people who made it a great night, and who guaranteed there are no excuses for it not happening again next year.