The Best Parties in History
It’s party season, babes and boys. Or should we say partaaaaay? Because, well, Christmas is really a time to let loose and be embarrassing. Whether you’re doing a Motilo Christmas party and mixing vodka tonics, karaoke, and beef carpaccio, or having a classic affair with sausage rolls, cheesy tunes and a lot of inappropriate dancing, you’ll certainly be celebrating the festive season. Getting excited about wearing our glad rags and trying the newest, coolest cocktails got us thinking about which parties are a true inspiration to all who drink, dance and get pretty daring. Here are 5 the best parties in history:
1. THE CAPULET BALL
Ovaries exploding.
In Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes get it on. It’s beautiful, romantic, tragic and, in some parts, hilarious. Such is Shakespeare. The most exciting part of any R&J film, or theatre production, has to be Act 1 Scene V, or the Capulet Ball. Luhrmann did the majesty and grandeur of the ball complete justice, but putting it in an incredible, over-the-top modern day setting took it from being a good scene to a set piece shimmering with genius.
PAUL RUDD, WE LOVE YOU. WE’LL DANCE WITH YOU.
Juliet, dressed like an angel, and Romeo as a knight, peeking at each other through a fish tank, a cross-dressing Mercutio singing Young Hearts Run Free (how apt!), Paul Rudd dressed as an astronaut and being delightfully goofy, intense costumes, an amazing soundtrack, decorated ecstasy pills. It certainly looked like a night to remember.
2. THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI’S 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY
‘Less is more’ – The Sultan of Brunei
Hey, meet Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, otherwise known as ‘The Sultan of Brunei’. As you can gather from his name, he’s a pretty big deal. He’s the Sultan and the Prime Minister of Brunei, so basically fully runs the country. He is also known to be one of the richest people in the world, living in an incredible palace, surrounded by splendour. One of the things he’s famous for, is throwing a rather bangin’ birthday bash. In 1996 he celebrated turning 50 with something a bit extra special. Most people welcome the landmark by maybe renting out a fancy venue, getting friends and family together, possibly getting somebody else to cook dinner for once. What did the Sultan do? He spent $16 million flying Michael Jackson to Brunei to perform for his subjects. He then threw a banquet for 10,000 people, serving the finest champagne and caviar that money can buy. The total? A casual $27.2 million. Remember, this is 1996. Hardcore.
3. WOODSTOCK
Casual Vs Awesome
It’s 1969, and everyone is having sex and listening to music. What does that do? It makes everyone obscenely happy and laid back. Maybe that’s why authorities just kind of let Woodstock happen, despite the health and safety implications being a prospective nightmare. However, the ‘Three days of Peace and Music’ went off without any major hitches. Despite 500,000 people crammed into a tiny milk farm in White Lake, New York, with rain pouring down and mud pits rising, everyone managed to have a really rather wonderful time. Naked people, recreational drugs and an insane line-up including Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane and the legend that is Jimi Hendrix made the festival go down in history as one of the most iconic events of the ’60s.
4. ADMIRAL RUSSELL’S ‘DRINK LIKE A SAILOR’ PARTY
This man was a wild party-throwing maverick
Admiral Edward Russell was the 1st Earl of Oxford in 1694. He was a respected man with a prestigious career in the Royal Navy. One day he decided to throw a party for his fleet, and thought it would be nice to show his affinity for his sailors by making the focus on alcohol. Without really thinking about the consequences, he filled up a large fountain with 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of Malaga wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice and 5 pounds of nutmeg – the largest cocktail in history.
Imagine this X 1 million
There were some logistical problems, such as getting the alcohol out of the fountain. In the end, they stuck a couple of bartenders in canoes, to help dish it out. To stop them from getting intoxicated or passing out from the fumes, the chosen ones had to do it in 15 minute shifts. The other issue was that there were only 5000 people attending, so the party continued for another 7 days, until the punch was finished. This isn’t a garden fountain, people, this is like a full on ‘middle of the town square’ kind of fountain. We really wish Admiral Russell could throw us a party, imagine the possibilities…
5. THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
Happy Birthday Jesus!
The Nativity Scene, in addition to being a vital part of Christmas celebrations, is probably the most imaginative impromptu party ever to be hosted. Think of the guestlist: woman in labour + her husband, three kings + gifts, shepherds, an innkeeper, angels, oh, and the birthday boy himself: the messiah. Collectively, they are the definition of VIP. There were even farmyard animals, (Tom Hanks in The Bachelor Party, eat your heart out). The gifts were also pretty good, gold always goes down well, frankincense has wonderful healing properties for your skin and myrrh is deliciously aromatic. So, we have an atmospheric, iconic birth, complete with heavenly soundtrack that will still be famously celebrated over 2000 years later. That scores full marks for us.