It was the hottest ticket in town: Snoop Dogg’s first Australian performance since touching down in Melbourne for his AFL Grand Final headline set.
I flew back to my hometown for a whirlwind visit, courtesy of premium tequila brand Don Julio 1942, to catch Snoop DJ at a Melbourne institution for a VIP event.
I wouldn’t call myself a diehard fan, but his biggest hits were the soundtrack to my teen years.
The venue? St Kilda’s iconic Espy (Hotel Esplanade). The vibe? Let’s just say Melbourne’s glitterati didn’t exactly show up… or maybe they didn’t make the guest list. Or maybe the pay cheque wasn’t enticing enough? Either way, I wasn’t complaining.
The buzz was electric. Hundreds packed the venue, drinks flowed, and the bathrooms were busier than Chapel Street on a Saturday night in its heyday.
Performing as his alter ego DJ Snoopadelic, the rap icon finally hit the decks close to midnight (two hours late, naturally), joint in hand, which he puffed on throughout – and passed to a lucky punter mid-set.
Snoop performed as his alter ego DJ Snoopadelic, joint in hand – which he puffed on throughout, and shared with a lucky punter
It was Snoop Dogg’s first performance since touching down in Melbourne this week ahead of his headlining performance at the AFL grand final on Saturday
‘Gone were Melbourne’s A-list staples, no Bec Judd, no Nadia Bartel, no Rozalia Russian. Fine by me,’ gossip columnist Lucy Manly writes
He blasted through classics like Drop It Like It’s Hot, Nuthin’ but a G Thang, and his Katy Perry collab California Gurls, then threw in karaoke crowd-pleasers – Sweet Caroline and Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams.
But here’s the kicker: the crowd wasn’t what you’d expect at a VIP launch party. Gone were Melbourne’s A-list staples, no Bec Judd, no Nadia Bartel, no Rozalia Russian. Fine by me.
Instead, the guest list was a mixture of suits and marketing execs, a sprinkling of AFL players (Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor, St Kilda’s Jack Steele and Callum Wilkie), and the usual reality TV hangers-on: MAFS ‘star’ Dave Thomas Hand (who’s basically a Temu Dane Swan), Shark Tank’s Nick Bell, model Gracie Ireland (who?), and online nutrition personality Amy Lee (also, who?).
Then there was the crowd itself.
A handful of eager women told me they’d camped out all day to nab front-row spots. One even offered me $1000 to swap places. And it wasn’t her fairy-floss hair that shocked me, it was that she looked like she hadn’t stopped partying since Woodstock.
The rest of the floor was just as colourful: eshays in bum bags, rap tragics screaming every lyric, and suburban mums who looked like they’d scored golden tickets from breakfast radio.
In the VIP section, I clocked a boomer in earplugs, happily bopping along – clearly clueless about the lyrics.
Snoop was the consummate showman: charismatic, engaging, and expert at hyping up a crowd that was simply ecstatic to be in the room. He easily exceeded expectations.
Fire-haired model, influencer and content creator Gracie Ireland was one of the VIP guests – personally I didn’t recognise her
Dave Thomas Hand of MAFS ‘fame’ (pictured) is basically just a Temu version of Dane Swan
DJ Aria was out to see Snoop on the decks
There wasn’t a socialite in sight, but Nick Bell from Shark Tank did make an appearance
St Kilda’s Jack Steele and Callum Wilkie were two of the more notable attendees
Tomorrow he’ll take the MCG stage in front of 100,000 fans, reportedly pocketing $5 million.
But Snoop’s booking has already drawn backlash, with critics accusing the AFL of hypocrisy over his history of controversial lyrics and recent remarks about same-sex couples.
If the Espy was any indication, Melbourne’s A-list isn’t exactly impressed. Then again, Snoop probably doesn’t care, as long as the joint’s lit and his pay cheque clears.
