A new global party trend based on a movie about American kids throwing the mother of all parties has hit Grahamstown and it makes the infamous debaucheries of Rhodes students look tame.
A new global party trend based on a movie about American kids throwing the mother of all parties has hit Grahamstown and it makes the infamous debaucheries of Rhodes students look tame.
This concept went viral after the popularity of Project X, a movie about a thousand-strong crowd of young and wild party animals burnt down a house, drove a car into a swimming pool and stole a garden gnome stuffed with drugs.
A domino effect of imitation parties around the world have ensued and their respective successes were determined by how extreme they were. The party spirit has possessed the youth and Grahamstown night owls have been no exception.
The first Project X party sprung up a month ago on African Street. Called Project 21st, it was a celebration of three friends’ birthdays. “The name 'Project 21st’ just seemed cool and trendy as people wanted their lives to be like the movie, said Monwabisi Busika, one of the party's organisers.
Rhodes students quickly geared up to be part of the action, abandoning their usual party routine. Busika said it looked as if they had stolen customers from the House of Pirates down the road because it was empty and many people could be seen heading to their party. “Familiar and non-familiar faces were there.
I'd give an estimate of 150 people, he said, adding that the venue was a small digs in a public complex.
Reports of excessive noise levels combined with opportunistic dagga dealers didn't go down well with the neighbours however, who quickly called the cops, bringing the party to a premature end.
The second imitation party was dubbed Project Smirnoff and took place on Leicester Street over the Intervarsity weekend last month. Word of the party spread like wildfire on Facebook and close to 700 students confirmed their attendance on the event page.
With the promise of unlimited booze, students flocked to the house. Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender was patrolling the area that night and described the house as being so crowded that there was barely room to move in nor out.
Unlike Project 21st, Project Smirnoff was not shut down. Govender explained that although the party was very crowded, it didn't pose a safety risk.
Overall, the Project X phenomenon in Grahamstown has been fairly tame, especially when compared to one imitation party in Houston, USA, where party-goers were arrested after a $500 000 home was destroyed.
In another case in the same city, the night ended in tragedy when a teenager was gunned down during a dispute.
Maybe Rhodes students aren't as wild as they're made out to be.
