Originating in the United Kingdom over 2,000 years ago, Halloween has grown into a world-wide phenomenon with recognisable symbolisms of evil and “scary” imagery.
The celebration of this holiday falls on October 31, as the Celtics mark the end of the harvest season and welcome winter, or “the darker half” of the year.
Some believe this dark tradition began as Celtics observed festivals of the dead, and believed spirits could return and visit the living.
This festivity was then introduced to the United States when immigrants of the UK entered America in the 1800s, and has since taken a western influence and produced pop culture icons.
Halloween in Australia is not celebrated to America’s enthusiasm, but it is a growing trend – not only with children trick-or-treating, but with adults dressing up on the Saturday before Halloween for weekend shenanigans.
On Saturday October 27, Perth’s nightclubs were hospitable to wonderful costumes and make up, as Halloween continues to foster in the Australian community.
Matches Bar, located on James Street in Northbridge, was one of the nightclubs welcoming the costume assembling as Houseworkz hosted its inaugural Halloween Special.
A monthly event running since June 2012, Houseworkz looks to grow amongst Perth’s house and techno circles with exciting themed nights featuring resident DJs as well as international guests.
As you make your way up the stairs to Matches, it gives off an immediate relaxed feel even with Halloween decorations embedding the room – such as spider web and jack-o-lanterns – and the sense of something “spooky” filled the air amongst the modern interior.
The room itself has a cosy lay-out, as the bar is directly in front of you as you walk up the stairs, seats and tables situated around two-thirds of the room, and the dance floor and DJ booth on the far side.
For this particular event, those dressed up in Halloween costumes were given a complimentary drink of their choice, to go hand-in-hand with the affordable drinks on the menu, which include $10 cocktails.
Panning across the room, the likes of half-dead zombies, crazed murderers, naughty nurses, and playboy bunnies thoroughly enjoyed their night with the combination of excellent service, and a fantastic atmosphere, and great music.
House music in Australia is yet to really take off, but Houseworkz staff, the staff at Matches Bar, and patrons alike believe this is a great event boost the popularity of house music.
Fans of house and electro will appreciate how tracks were effortlessly mixed into each other, with remixes of current songs being presented in a detached, scientific and fun fashion.
The impressive line-up of DJs only brought more attendees throughout the night, and while it was never congested, it was a good blend of enthusiasts.
With a great platform to spring their name into the limelight on this Halloween holiday, Houseworkz hopes to grow into one of Perth’s premier events, with more frequent events on the horizon.
One thing is for sure – the night of crazy costumes and fun-filled entertainment was a hidden gem and is definitely one to watch out for in the coming years; is it too early to plan next year’s Halloween?
Article by Jeremy Truong
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