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Dishes have been assigned, the drinks are sorted and there’s a disco ball on the table. Let’s do this.
Sean Galway (he/they) can sum up the appeal of Tiktok in two sentences: “I have a lot more fun there. There's more room for authenticity and real people doing real things, so it allows people to exist and explore outside of the picture-perfect Instagram grid.” Sean’s own Tiktok is both authentic and joyful, full of their friends and personal style, which they describe as “colourful conceptual chaos”. There he talks openly about his mental and physical health, blending that vulnerability seamlessly with to-die-for ‘fit checks and behind-the-scenes peeks into his social life. “I’m a more is more person, but I always think about who I want to be today, which part of myself do I want to express, and go from there. I think it’s too hard to narrow it down to a singular personality, trend or aesthetic.”
Sean’s current home, which he shares with his best friend Ella, is the perfect reflection of his inner workings. “I have things from everywhere and everything and every person I've ever met all put in the same place because, well, I'm a real hoarder, but also a very sentimental person, so I just have a lot of things that mean a lot. Particularly our art wall. It's been growing and growing and growing as people come and go, which is what makes it so impactful and so special. It’s the kind of style you can’t do if you were trying. If you were trying to create it, it would never look right. It has to happen organically.”
And he’s right. Sean’s aesthetic and creativity are at once entirely unique and 100% relatable. A deep dive through their feed makes you both want to be them and be their bestie. Lucky for us, Sean invited us over to their colourful sharehouse to chat all things hosting, toasting and good vibes.
- Q.What’s your brand of entertaining?
“I really, really just love being with my friends at any opportunity in any place, in any capacity. I live with friends and most of our other friends are in a 15-minute radius. We just happen to have the biggest living room, so it always kind of ends up at our place, which we're so happy with. Our door’s always open and we’re very opportunistic in our plans usually, it’s just whoever is around and we invite them over, so it's all about creating a good space that’s ready to be filled with good people.”
- Q.Have you always been a keen host?
“Britney Spears said, “There’s two types of people in the world: the ones who entertain and ones that observe. I’m a put on a show kind of girl,” and I’m the same. Even back in high school, every year I’d throw an extravagantly themed birthday party. My parents always encouraged us to have friends over, so when there was only the shopping centre to go to, my house was always available. That’s where I started throwing parties, and I’ve continued since moving out six years ago. I still host an over-the-top birthday every year at my house. It’s my favourite event of the year. The themes have only got better, too. For my 21st, the theme was MTV presents SG21 and everyone dressed up as celebs in iconic music videos or red carpets. Last year was a little more obscure, it was Trash Glam, and the year before that was Rue the Day with the idea you were making yourself look so hot that your ex would regret their entire existence. I’ve also done Maximist and Space Rodeo.”
- Q.How do you get a guest list to commit to a theme?
“You have to read the room, or your guest list. My friends know the level of ‘extra’ that I will go to and they do the same. So I can go big. I send out my invites months in advance and all my friends work on their costumes and outfits for weeks. It’s a whole thing. I love it. But if you’re working with people who aren’t huge on dress-up, a crazy theme might become too scary and then they might not come at all. The solution is to make it something that they can easily do without having to spend a whole lot of time or money. My theory is, if you are wearing a costume or you have a theme, people are less worried about whether their hair is sitting right or their makeup looks okay, or their outfit is right. They aren’t worried about looking silly because they already kinda do, and that’s the point. Then everyone relaxes and has more fun.”
- Q.What drinks do you keep on hand at home?
“Our bar is pretty well stocked in case of emergency. We’ve always got spirits, ciders, beer and wine – and if you check the back of the fridge you’ll find a real mix of drinks left over from previous parties. If it’s just for me, I’ll pick up a pack of Bulmer’s Apple Cider, but if I have friends coming over we’ll want wine, so I like to have some great wine just waiting for my friends when they come ‘round. I also like to keep something on hand for my sober friends, or just anyone who doesn’t want alcohol. The Senza Non-Alcoholic Aperitif is always a great option.”
- Q.What drink do you usually pour for guests?
“I like a Spritz station, but I’m also partial to a punch for a party. I think it’s nice to kick off with something a little bit interactive and with everyone drinking the same thing. My punches are a bit notorious. I started making this one back when I had no idea about food or beverages – it’s called ‘Pine Lime Splice’, but you have to say it like Kath and Kim would. It’s pineapple, lime, and lemonade with vodka, and sometimes a sparkling wine. If I don’t have time to make a punch, I’m a sucker for a big box of Vodka Cruisers. Anyone who says they don’t like Cruisers is lying, or boring. They’re iconic and perfect for a party. My favourite is the Pineapple.”
- Q.What’s your go-to drink order at a bar?
“It depends what the goal of the drinks is. If I'm just having a nice little cocktail, my go-tos are either an Aperol Spritz or a Margarita, or I do love an Espresso Martini when the mood is right. Otherwise, if I'm just going for a casual drink, I'm all about a cider, or a vodka lemonade if I'm feeling a little basic. Honestly, if you’re trying to order in a crowd, and the music is loud, keep it simple with little margin for error with a cider or vodka lemonade.”
- Q.What’s the best restaurant you’ve ever eaten at?
“My two favourite dishes I've ever eaten were both while travelling. The first was when I was in Mexico – we were on a riverboat and they served us tostadas and this whole Mexican spread and it was just the freshest food I've ever eaten in my whole life. No Mexican restaurant here will ever live up to it. The other one was in India. My family is from the south, we were visiting and went to this real hole-in-the-wall restaurant where they served fried rice in half a pineapple. It was amazing, and has since become my favourite dish. I just thought it was so cool. Locally in Melbourne, my current favourite is Ginger Boy. The Pear Spritz they have there is my usual, but I love how all their drinks compliment the food so well."
- Q.What’s the key to having fun at a house party?
“I like having friends over for dinner in my house, I find it quite intimate. Much more so than getting a drink or dinner at a restaurant. You are bringing them into your space and want to make them feel welcome and all that kind of stuff, but you don’t want to have people over that are going to make it feel stressful. So firstly, it's about bringing the right people into your home. Then it’s about creating the right environment. My house kind of looks like the graffiti you find in a nightclub bathroom, but in a nice way. There's art everywhere on every wall, and everywhere you look there's like a little knickknack. So once I've changed the lighting and we've got a speaker going, it's kind of hard not to want to dance and party. We've even got a lip-shaped couch. So it just kind of feels like you’re in a music video.”
Let’s plan… a potluck dinner party
- Q.Who’s coming?
“My best friends Ella, Molly and Eden. All very cool girlies who I’ve known since uni, so they’re always great company.”
- Q.What do you tell your guests?
“A successful potluck begins with checking everyone’s dietary requirements. I have a lot of intolerances and back in the day I wouldn’t say anything and then I could only eat the food I had brought, which is not the point of a pot luck, so check everyone’s dietary requirements and communicate them so everyone that’s cooking is aware. Then, if you’re hosting, don’t be afraid to assign dishes. Do you want to end up with four sides, a dessert and no main? No, you don’t. So don’t be scared to say, ‘you’re on salads, you’re the appetiser, you’re drinks and you’re mains.’ They can just say, ‘Yes, chef!’ ”
- Q.Drink on arrival?
“A Moscow Mule. It will really set the mood for the flavour palate of the meal, which is fun and fresh. Brookvale Union Ginger Beer is always a fave, and perfect to use in your Mule. If we’re feeling extra fancy, we mix ours with Crystal Head Aurora Vodka, which also looks great on the table. Of course, we’ll have a zero% ginger beer available too, like the classic Bundaberg, so no one feels left out. I prefer to prep the food and then pull it all together just before we eat, so depending on how much time I’ve left myself and where I’m at in my spiral, we can have a drink and chat in the lounge before going into the kitchen to start getting everything ready.”
- Q.What will you drink and serve for food?
“I’m a market girlie and I’ve got a personal menu of tried and tested recipes that I rotate between. I do love to eat the rainbow and cram as many veggies in as possible, so for this I’m making a crunchy noodle salad, a satay salad and rice paper rolls. Eden is making a chicken karaage, Molly is making a fish dish and is also on wine, so she’s bringing a couple of different wines.
- Q.How will you decorate for the event?
“A disco ball on the table is always a vibe.”
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image credits: Charlie Hawks (photography), Bridget Wald (styling)
