By Michelle Storey
What better way for DCU to kick off another academic year than with a party, and a bloody good one at that.
DCU students flocked to campus last Wednesday night, eager to see DJing legend Calvin Harris in action and they certainly weren’t disappointed. The theme set for the night was rubix cube and although I saw two brave students sticking to the rules, on a whole, the theme was ignored (who looks good in yellow anyway) With tickets set at a price of only €15 and plenty of drink promotions available to thirsty students, the night, as a whole, was a bargain.
Unfortunately, the Student Union’s warning that the 1800 tickets would sell fast appeared to be a very sound piece of advice, as many were left disappointed and unable to attend the once-off performance. Buying mine in advance, I didn’t want to let something as minimal as no ticket stand in my way of interviewing the uber Adonis Calvin.
Little did I know, it would be the man himself who would prove to be the barrier. Armed with my questions and a bag full of nerves, I was informed that in fact, Mr Harris was refusing to do any interviews on the night, which led me to ask the question, would his DJ set be as much of a disappointment also?
Certainly not. I arrived slightly miffed at the man and I exited with an admiration for his ability to keep a slightly drunken crowd pleased and entertained for an hour or two. Arriving on time to perform his set ( surprising because as we know, time-keeping can sometimes be a slight inconvenience to these performers!), he ensured that his fans were treated to the full 100% Harris treatment as images of him appeared on the big screen and the lights flashed along to the beats. Hands were constantly in the air, showing their appreciation, massive crowds were dancing to the music and people seldom sat down for the whole night, an all-round success it would seem for any DJ.
As if Calvin wasn’t enough, the Dublin GAA team and new all-Ireland champions arrived to join in on the celebrations and really tantalised our patriotic taste buds. The boys in blue taking to the stage concluded a very successful night and students attending the ball seemed to agree.
Success
DCU student Jessica commented that “The ball was great value considering it was Calvin Harris. He played for the right amount of time and it was definitely worth getting squished for!”, while Lauren said “This year’s Orientation Ball was really well organised. Calvin was amazing and the Dublin team continuing their celebrations with DCU students was a nice surprise. For €15 it was good value for money!”
The only criticism people seemed to have of the night was mentioned by fellow student Brendan who said “Good night, price was pretty decent. Should have controlled queues into the helix a lot better though.” Speaking to DCU’s Student Union Officers Collie Oliver and Cillian Byrne they commented on the success of the ball saying “The night was a soaring success! A great way to start the year! There was not one ounce of trouble at all. A very safe night and a great way to start the year for DCU students.” Speaking about the DCU student-only entrance to the ball Collie said “It’s a Health and Safety issue and also to do with the local Gardaí. It didn’t take away from the night anyway. A couple of people complained that they weren’t allowed to bring guests but overall, the feedback was extremely positive from the event.”
And it seems that hiring a wellknown artist such as Calvin Harris didn’t break the bank too much either as Collie said “Emmmm haha it cost a bit of money but we made a profit and didn’t make a loss. I can’t divulge the exact figures. It cost a lot of money but was well worth the investment.
We sold all the tickets and made a bit of profit.” The pressure now seems to be on for the DCU Student’s Union, who really surpassed themselves this year when booking Calvin, but the question is, will the act for next year be bigger, better, and as much of a crowd pleaser? Student Union, it’s over to you.
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