Commonwealth Games 2018: Robert Craddock reviews the opening ceremony
THE organisers of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony had been on edge after being reminded of an incident at the Brisbane Games in 1982, writes Robert Craddock.
Confidential
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THE big names shone, Queensland’s unsung heroes were celebrated – and there was not so much as a single rogue pigeon to spoil the party.
After a decade of planning, the Gold Coast put on a welcoming party that was both respectful and fun, showing the world things Queensland is proud of – the beaches, the lifeguards, the climate, its growing cultural excellence, and a fun-loving, laid-back attitude to life.
They say nobody is as nervous as an opening ceremony organiser on opening night, and while the locals were confident they had every last detail in place, they were reminded by organisers of the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games to “remember the curse of the pigeons’’.
The 1982 gang were invited to the Coast this week and recited a tale about when the Brisbane Games were declared officially opened, they erupted in celebration at a flawless ceremony that finished with the release of a flock of pigeons who were supposed to do a lap of the stadium and head off into the wild blue yonder.
Instead, because of the coolness of the day, they headed up into the grandstand rafters and spent the final 30 minutes of the show pooping on VIP guests.
It just goes to show, you never know. But there was not a pigeon in sight last night and you sense even if there had been, they would have been part of the fun at a ceremony that was as modern as the light show – which somehow made some dancers look as if they were on a theme park ride – and as retro as the sight of an old caravan poking its way on stage.
For local residents, it was the small things that drew a smile, such as an old 1970s-style Kombi van quietly cruising around as if its owner was looking for a park.
In deserved recognition for their tireless community service, hundreds of Gold Coast lifesavers ushered athletes to their seats as surf, sun and sand – the ingrained culture of the region – were a feature of the night. The lifesavers were taught simple dance moves to perform as the athletes moved around the track, but we liked the fact that they didn’t always follow the script. You would not want the surfies to be too perfect. They looked so much better just chillin’ out – the Gold Coast vibe.
The ceremony, as most do, started slowly and spiritually with a flashback to when the Earth was a single continent 335 million years ago.
But just as we were about to think, “Hey guys, this is the Gold Coast, not Athens trying to pay tribute to ancient Greece’’, the night ripped off its necktie and undid its top button with the likes of Delta Goodrem and Ricki-Lee Coulter upping the tempo.
The choice of domestic abuse victim Damien Rider as the baton-bearer was a good one, highlighting that for all the fun to be had at the Games, it is courageous souls trying to stamp out violence who are society’s real heroes.
There were some all but anonymous scene-stealers who did the state proud.
The combination of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and some of the state’s finest young musicians performed magnificently choreographed soundtracks that welcomed each of the 71 teams.
If you were born before 1970, you would recognise tunes from The Easybeats, Little River Band and John Farnham. Some of the nations may not even have known the meaning of the songs they were walking in to, which was probably a good thing, with Vanuatu rocking and waving agreeably to the erotic 1990s Divinyls hit I Touch Myself. Certainly they were excited – but not that excited.
But it was another Divinyls song Pleasure and Pain that summed up the Games journey for Gold Coast residents. Behind the euphoria of the exceptional ceremony were the years of sacrifice, toil, excitement and frustration that are part of every city’s Games journey and are still bubbling behind the scenes.
For every Coast resident who jubilantly tells you they have a ticket to the athletics, there is another who tells you about their neighbour, whose business next to the Games pool has been brought to a shuddering standstill because of the event.
Taxi drivers say the other night there were a million cabs at the airport and no one to catch them – then the next night the reverse was true.
But that is the Games life for you. It’s a charming, confronting, confusing, rhythmless challenge, but you know in time you will cherish the fact that it happened and you were a tiny part of it.
Bring it on.
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