Casa was too small for what The Art Department had in mind for the Golden Week of 2025, but what could be bigger than Casa’s classic courtyard and be able to host the now iconic music festival? I, for one, cannot say I am particularly upset at the choice of the Neelsie parking garage. So what was that experience like?
Walking down into the parking lot, devoid of cars, but full of activity on Monday 10th of February I immediately thought that the stark grey concrete pillars of the industrial basement architecture was the perfect backdrop for everything The Art Department had to offer visually. The unadorned walls provided ample reflection for the ever creative lighting setup, bathing the crowd in laser and disco fluorescence. Beyond this, a massive kudos to whoever realised that the garage’s spaciousness would create an incredible level of sound ambience.
Walking down into the empty lot I was pleased to hear the impeccable natural reverb effect ricocheting off the uniform walls, creating a dense, built-in surround sound experience. From everywhere in the Neelsie parking lot you could clearly hear all that was was coming out of the speakers in front of the stage. Now, all of that would have been for nothing without the talented DJs who carried the three nights. As always, hosting a select roster of local talent, Art Department had us locked and loaded grooving to DJs such as Steam 03, Mahandana and Nataša. These were some among the many talented DJs that performed thoughout the week.
But where, I hear you asking, did you go to the bathroom? Funny you should ask, because this one was a doozy. After following the relevant luminescent signs along the back of the lot I was greeted, or perhaps more appropriately, mentally assaulted by the sight of the Neelsie bottom floor. There it was…Miriams to my right, Sausage Saloon to my left and the red-blue glow of the Moody Blues waffle counter. I had walked into purgatory, and not the kind where they’re kind enough to keep the pineapple off the thin crust pizza.
Fearing I was trapped in a sleep paralysis nightmare, I executed what is known as a kop af kap aan straight into the men’s facilities, where I could have my panic attack in relative safety. After some foetal spooning and orange slices to calm me down, I remembered it was in fact NOT Tuesday lunch hour and I did not need to mentally prepare myself for the endless sea of Neelsie people. With a couple more deep breaths and a couple of Hail Mary’s, I braved the gauntlet back to the parking garage and promptly forgot that I’d just nearly died of an aneurysm by cognitive dissonance.
(I hope this answers the foetal spooning question)
What did I learn? Well for one, our demons are never far away, but also that the Art Department has once again set a ridiculously high bar for the 2025 nightlife. Catch the event again in July.
By Eben Labuschagne
