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The people who run the lucid parties are some of the most friendly, dedicated and hardworking promoters in Sydney - giving some of the most ambitious, smoothly run music events around, while also giving all their profits to youth-based charities.
But for all this hard work, nothing stops Manning from being a shit multi-room venue.
The main room manages to go off for smaller events such as The Crystal Method or The Bird, and at times during this night they were also full of energy (not to mention flawless sound) - but lucid5 was just too spread out across too many overly-lit spaces (the exception being elecro-techhouse room that was The Chapel).
Featuring 35 diverse acts across five rooms - there were many highlights, and more than enough diversity. Surprisingly, Koolism, who opened for Massive Attack the previous evening, weren't on the main stage, but instead pigeonholed into the second floor terrace along with several Field Day-like breaks DJs (Q45, a much changed Chris Fraser).
The main stage was home to entirely live acts, such as Brisbane's amazing Superfluid, and Endorphin. Endorphin, performing with Canberra's former favourite son DJ Archie, did a raging pop music set with stilted performance artists and John Howard masked babies. Then everyone left.
Yes, not unlike a charity fundraising dinner party - the crowd was very diverse and polite - and piked early.
Which is shame because not only did they miss Simon Caldwell's most full-on electro set in memory - but also the cheesy live trance of duo Liquid M. Inspirational to be making live, uplifting anthemic crap at such a young age - they were innocent and friendly, playing with the smallish crowd throughout their short (but sweet) 30 minute set.
Good on the lucid crew for continuing to do such well organised, well publicised parties in aid of charity. But perhaps they need to be a little less spread out (both musically and physically) in the future.