The Joy Of Ice Cream Sundays: How To Party And Not Feel Dreadful On Monday

How do your Sundays look like? (Credit: Meltem Acik)

I used to hate Sundays. What’s there to like?

It foreshadows the looming doom of Monday. It’s always the part of the weekend that sprints by without remorse. And in my case, it’s commonly plagued by gruelling hangovers that hammer on like a mallet. “I’ll stay in bed like a dehydrated starfish and mope,” or so I used to punish myself.

Till eventually, I learnt the importance of adopting a healthier, less dreadful approach to bidding another week adieu. I realised that – amongst other approaches – what I needed was a rejuvenating Sunday spritz that would refill my batteries for the weekly grind ahead. The wonderful irony to this remedy? It was yet another party, but not just any late-night, booze-dunked, hardcore rave.

This is how I end my weekends right (Credit: Meltem Acik)

Uplifting my routine was the sunny and sprightly daytime shenanigans of Ice Cream Sundays.

I have waxed lyrical about the growth of daytime parties in Singapore before, and Ice Cream Sundays is currently one of the leading advocates of this nourishing partying habit. It is a merry sentiment shared by co-founders and ex-high schoolmates, Jake Camacho (who spins under the alias, Toppings) and Daniel Alexander O’Connor, a duo who came up with this cool concept back in 2015.

Co-founders, Daniel Alexander O’Connor [left] and Jake Camacho [right] (Credit: Meltem Acik)

“We met up at a Singapore club after spending a few years overseas,” begins Jake on the series’ inception. “It was a bit of a weird night out; unreasonable amounts of alcohol were consumed, and we got to talking about our musical experiences in other cities. Daniel had experienced the culture of chilled-out Sunday afternoon sessions during his time in Melbourne. And while living in L.A., I was inspired by a party called Space Yacht that had created a tight-knit community of music lovers and successfully made Tuesdays ‘their day’. The specifics are a bit hazy, but by the end of the night, we had a concept and a lot of naïve enthusiasm.”

You might know Jake as the effervescent Toppings (Credit: Meltem Acik)

So in 2016, with this wide-eyed ambition, the two would go on to throw their first Ice Cream Sundays party on a small rooftop in Geylang. From that point, they knew that they were onto something big.

Ice Cream Sundays took over the majestic entrance of National Gallery Singapore during National Day (Credit: Meltem Acik)

Ice Cream Sundays would go on to take over a myriad of spaces, including residential buildings, industrial rooftops, the regal front steps of National Gallery Singapore, artsy enclaves around Gillman Barracks and Dempsey, and even the nightmarish theme park, Haw Par Villa, for a truly historic bash. And wherever they roamed, their loyal community would follow.

“For us, it’s about keeping things fresh and creating unique experiences. In a small country like Singapore, it’s easy to find yourself going to the same bars and clubs each week. There’s nothing wrong with that, but on the other hand, there’s something really exciting about partying in a place you’ve never been to before, or that you’ve never thought of as a party venue. I think that’s a key part of what keeps people coming to our events,” shares Jake on Ice Cream Sunday’s nomadic modus operandi.

DECK at Prinsep Street was the habitat of choice for Ice Cream Sundays’ Space Disco (Credit: Meltem Acik)

Like all promoters in Singapore, however, the crew is not spared from the roadblocks one would expect in locating a venue, especially for the purposes of a boisterous, beat-thumping fiesta.

“Finding the right venue comes with all sorts of challenges, and it’s one of the most difficult things about planning our events. An ideal venue needs to be outdoors, sufficiently far away from residences, have an appropriate size and layout, be sheltered enough in case of bad weather, be easily accessible, allow us to serve food and drinks, shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, and of course, needs to be interesting. It’s a constant struggle looking for spaces that tick all of these boxes,” Jake reveals in his location-hunting checklist.

Given that Singapore’s a country where it seems like you need a licence for everything, and where partying hours seem to be getting shorter and shorter, these fears are not unfounded. Ice Cream Sundays, does, fortunately, have a card up its sleeve that not only gives it an upper hand in solving this conundrum, but a distinctive identity.

It’s an exhilarating sensation to party in the day, and Ice Cream Sundays knows it (Credit: Meltem Acik)

By this, I refer back to the fact that Ice Cream Sundays’ gatherings are jovial daytime events. Aside from shifting the notion of ‘getting wild’ to less unearthly hours, their choice of timing helps to serve one more beneficial purpose.

In a fairly conservative society like ours, partying is still perceived as a solely hedonistic, debaucherous pastime where sinister shenanigans lurk in the shadows. Daytime parties shatter this impression, bringing to light – quite literally – that party culture can be a healthy, clean affair. It’s simply positive education, and it can only help strengthen its overall appeal and growth. Jake agrees with this too, “We love the special vibe you get at day parties. There are other folks doing cool things in the daytime – for example, Darker Than Wax with their BREW events – but there is certainly room for more and I think the local scene has a growing appetite for it.”

Ice Cream Sundays’ boogies are suited for ravers of all ages (Credit: Meltem Acik)

Besides, what’s not to love? You get to explore a new urban space with the sun in your face, glugging a crisp ale while snacking on grub like gourmet sausages and crispy tacos (and ice cream, obviously), while vibing with a community who’s present for the music.

A typical soundtrack at Ice Cream Sundays pulls influences from the jolliness of disco, house, and funk, with some hip-hop and soul cuts for good measure. This tunage is unleashed by resident selectors on the Ice Cream Sundays roster that currently includes Bongomann, Muto Masashi, and Jake himself as Toppings.

The Ice Cream Sundays residents from left to right: Toppings, Bongomann and Muto Masashi (Credit: Meltem Acik)

“Nick, AKA Bongomann, is a total music nerd with amazing, eclectic taste. He’s all about surprising people with new and interesting sounds, incorporating anything from ambient and jazz to techno in his sets,” Jake divulges on the forte of each resident. “Muto is a magician behind the decks. He has such a groovy, rhythmic style and never fails to work the dancefloor into a frenzy.”

“I make the other two look good,” he quips.

This humility on Jake is no surprise. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of bumping into Jake, you’ll know him to be an all-smiles nice guy. But beneath the modesty, Jake actually boasts a musical resumé that started back during his stint in Los Angeles.  

Through the years, Jake has been coming out on top as Toppings (Credit: Meltem Acik)

“I picked up DJ-ing while I was living in L.A. and working for Ultra Records,” he reminisces. Being a part of that industry, I was immersed in the local scene and surrounded by people with a passion for dance music. Eventually, I bought myself a cheap controller to play around with at home, but it wasn’t until I relocated to Singapore that I really had the chance to start playing out more frequently. I was lucky to have Ice Cream Sundays as a platform to kick-start my DJ journey, and it’s led to many other great opportunities to play at venues and events around the island.”

Toppings is now a household name in the scene, and you’ll easily spot him playing gigs for The Council, Kilo Lounge and Potato Head Singapore, to name a few. But without hesitation, one will always associate him with the brand he helped build, and the scene is grateful for it – for making partying more palatable for uninitiated audiences, and for bridging communities together through the power of music.

Ice Cream Sundays’ bash at Haw Par Villa will always be an unforgettable one (Credit: Meltem Acik)

“One of our core goals is to create a relaxed and inclusive space for people to enjoy themselves. When we started out, we were promoting the events to our immediate network, which was mainly composed of expats. Since then, we’ve pushed to bring in a more diverse crowd and create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, whether you’re foreign or local, young or old, gay or straight. There’s still some work to be done, but we are getting there.”

If you ask me though, and any other punter who’s felt the joy of an Ice Cream Sundays jamboree, they’ve already done it. The good work simply speaks for itself.

I used to hate Sundays. But not anymore.

For more information on Ice Cream Sundays, visit their official website.