From Mr S. Compagno & Rev. S. Vella sdb

Five!.. Four!.. Three!… Two!… One!… Happy New Year cheered most of the crowds in the early hours of the new year. But not all of them were so cheerful. Most of the people at organised parties were bitterly disappointed, as some of them failed to come up to expectations once again.

To start on a positive note, the fact that most of the organised parties did not have open-bars, as sedqa and other organisations have been saying in the past years, is praiseworthy. This meant that one was more careful when it came to alcohol consumption and spending money. Refunds for tokens of drinks in some parties were given to those who bought the tokens but did not use them all. This showed that you drink according to how much you spend, without risking the chance of having left-over tokens and wasted money. Some parties also provided different styles of music by dividing the venue into different music areas. This was ideal for those who wanted to listen to different styles of music without having to leave one club and go to another, as happens in Paceville. Some parties also were a bit more innovative because they were held in the south of Malta, rather than in the usual places in the north. One cannot forget the memorable event that took place at it-Tokk in Victoria, where it was a mini-national event, with Wintermoods being the main music attraction – all for free. Such an event ensured that people of all ages could get together and see in the New Year as a united people. Police, and all emergency teams including ambulances did an excellent job, as they were as always on alert, hoping that their services wouldn’t be needed.

On the other hand, many have already started complaining and writing in newspapers about their disappointing experience at some New Year’s parties. One particular party, the Caraffa Vaults in Birgu is taken as an example. Safety seemed to be last item on the list, as electricity cables and wires wound themselves around people’s feet. There were also wires and cables dangling from the ceiling down to head level. All that somebody needed to do was just raise a hand and actually pull the cable for fun, (if drunk). Customers also complained that the place was terribly overcrowded. Many people were seen trying to get out of the place, but were unable to move as the people were packed like sardines. Some actually panicked and when they succeeded in getting out they did not go back in, because they were afraid that they would have to go through the same thing again. Many people were left outside during the countdown because the place was too crowded. Some people did not actually show their tickets as the security people did not even bother to check and approve their tickets. Many of them still have their ticket intact at home. With hardly any tickets being checked, one wonders whether people who did not purchase a ticket were the cause of the overcrowding.

Extractors (if there were any) were not effective at all but at least some of the windows were open for some ventilation, although this was a waste of time because some people were smoking cigarettes and cigars. Security was also very lax, as they were not identifiable. One would have to actually see an ear-piece to identify them as they were all wearing black. One would expect Security not to wear black as most of the people at such parties wear black, thus making it more difficult for people to ask for their help if it was needed. Some people were actually “rained on” as the ceiling above them was made of wood. Some kind of liquid, either alcohol dropped by people or even from the bars, was dripping between the wooden slabs. This was not such a good experience for those who had actually spent a lot of money on their suits and coats. One wonders whether having an overcrowded room with a wooden floor is safe enough for a crowd to be in and under.

The countdown was also a huge confusion. There was no official countdown, resulting in some groups in the same room celebrating the New Year a minute after another group’s celebrations.

Another party, The Steve Caesar Party at Melita Gardens in Balzan, was also given the thumbs down by some clients. Again, there was no official countdown and many people felt that organising such a small thing would have helped show the peak of the party. But the real downside was the fact that even if there had been done the official countdown, they would only have had only one hour to celebrate the new year, as the party was over by 1am. One has to keep in mind that Balzan is a residential area, and it is a good to think of the residents. But clients at this party were not advised that this party would finish at 1am, when some people that time IS the beginning of the New Year celebrations. Such people feel cheated as they think the party was falsely advertised.

Some people also complained that the Ruby Party at the Monte Kristo Wine Vaults in Hal Farrug was not equipped to hold so many people as there were only two toilets for each sex. People were reported to have almost fought the security people to use the restrooms as the queue was so long and they were getting impatient.

Some were also reported to have “rested” wherever they could, as they could not wait any longer.. Also, some people did not have their tickets checked and approved at this particular party. According to these sources, security was also very lax and ineffective. An amusing fact is that those who were not satisfied with the party took the opportunity to write how disappointed they were DJ Ruby’s website message-board. With a lot of negative comments, a few hours later, the website message-board was not available. Fireworks were also let off to provide a different entertainment, which was rather dangerous as the place was too overcrowded and the fireworks were let off only a short distance away from the crowd. One also has to praise the fact that the party was not an open bar, although there were some complaints about the tokens as being too expensive, with two tokens for one bottle of beer.

MTV and Uniting Nations Party was commended for its reasonable priced drinks and the fact that it was not an Open-Bar. But with a wide promotion, Uniting Nations let most of the crowd down by only playing two songs, with their main vocalist missing! The DJ played the same songs two or three times in the space of three hours indicating that he must have had a limited repertoire. When spending an average of Lm10.50c without tokens, and seeing such great advertisements for the event, one expected a bit more respect from the DJs and the guest of the night, Uniting Nations. Hitting a good note at this party was the fact that the cloak-room was well organized and that the toilet facilities were up to standard, and most of the clients were satisfied.

These disappointments seem to have become a yearly saga. In the past, we often heard about coats gone missing or stolen from cloak-rooms, over-selling of tickets, over-crowded arenas and yet nothing seems to change. One must ask, is there any form of Authority that carries out inspections on these parties? If there isn’t, then it seems like we need one. We need a body of authority composed of not only Health and Safety rules, but also real inspection of fair trade. We need a committee or a board that will lay down a set of regulations and standards for these events and parties for organisers to abide by. Inspections should be made

When an application to organise a party or event is handed in, the proposed venue should be inspected to check whether it is up to standard and can hold the proposed number of people according to the tickets to be sold, and has good safety exits.

Upon approval of the venue and party, the inspectors must make sure that while installing lights, bars and so on, standards are kept and regulations adhered to. The inspectors must also make sure that the organisers have explained to all staff what to do in case of an emergency such as a fire. Inspectors should make sure that fire exit indicators are clear and visible. They must make sure that there are enough restrooms. They must also make sure that no reckless and unsafe apparatus such as wires, wobbly chairs etc are around.

One would also expect the board to have some inspectors together with the organisers during the party to make sure that everything is up to standard, so that if any complaints arise after the party, the Inspector or member of the board can testify in favour of or against it. If the party fails to meet certain standards, the organizers would be fined, as it meant risking and failing safety regulations.

Another alternative for New Year’s Eve could be a national event such as the Notte Bianca. Seeing that it was a great success, Notte Magica also followed it, one would expect such an event to take place next year. Again, it would be a clean and safe environment where all ages and all forms of entertainment can be had. Such an event was held this New Year’s Eve in Gozo in it-Tokk, Victoria, where it was widely applauded.

Our main conclusion is this. We are not proposing a boycott against such parties. We are not trying to compete against such parties. All we want is the safest environment possible with satisfactory entertainment and value for money. With all the downs mentioned, one cannot forget to commend all the organisers’ efforts to make their parties acceptable. What we are doing, is showing what went wrong, giving a voice to the customers – what they expected, what they were disappointed with and what they expect in the forthcoming events organised by the respective coordinators. This is a real opportunity where the customers can show that the organisers’ next success is built upon their response: their positive or negative feedback.

Steve Compagno

Kummissjoni Djocezana Zghazagh

Savio Vella

Director Kummissjoni Djocezana Zghazagh