- Whenever an event carries with it the label “Godskitchen” you can be excused for getting more than a little excited. Combine this with two of Europe''s hottest trance dj’s of the moment, Armin Van Buuren and John ‘00’ Fleming, appearing on the lineup and you may require a glass of water. I for one have had this date set aside in my diary for a long time, and music wise the night was all I had expected and more.
Feeling rather privileged I started the night by making the most of my guestlist status by skipping the long line out the front, and being the first person inside (a first I must say!) Trance was definitely the order of the night and I was pleased to hear Yoshi playing to the event, rather than sticking to his regular type of set as so many of the big-name local dj’s tend to do (not mentioning any names…) Tunes like veracocha – carte blanche really set the perfect stage for what was to come.
Considering the huge lineup, Gas filled up very quickly, and it has to be said that the Gas door staff did a great job in this regard. By the time Armin appeared behind the decks the main dance floor was completely packed out, and as Yoshi made way for the man many refer to as ‘God,’ the atmosphere truly was electric (excuse the cliché). He opened his set with his own remix of solar stone – seven cities, and from there his set was a masterful blend of melodic, uplifting, euphoric and energetic trance. The 25 year old dutchman took the crowd on a true journey, and not one person could have listened to his set without having the urge to raise their hands in the air at least once! Other highlights included another one of his own productions, perpetuous dreamer – the sound of goodbye, along with system f – needlejuice, push – strange world, push – universal nation, gouryella – ligaya, tiesto – obsession, café del mar – energy 52 (marco v mix), a new remix of paul van dyk’s for an angel, and the list goes on! His enthusiasm behind the decks was also amazing, and you could see how much this guy not only loves but also lives and breathes his music. His willingness to sign basically anything handed to him, with a beaming smile, summed up the overall friendly vibe of the night.
After two and a half hours of pure bliss, it was time for John ‘00’ Fleming to take the reigns, but not before the crowd showed their appreciation to Armin for what was without question one of the sets of the year so far. It was always going to be a tough act to follow, but Fleming, undaunted, embarked on a slightly harder, more progressive style of trance that kept the crowd moving. Personally, however, I found it hard to get really into his set, and ended up enjoying most of it from the sidelines, having staked claim with a group of friends to one of the couches near the main bar. The majority of the crowd continued to lap up his more underground style right up until the end of his set. A solid yet unsensational performance, an anti climax in many ways, but good to hear something different nonetheless.
There are a distinct lack of quality trance nights in Sydney these days, which makes events like these even more special. It is fairly obvious that this genre is back on the rise (as the success of new monthly trance night ‘altitude’ has shown), and the more internationally renowned dj’s such as Armin and Fleming visit our shores, the more its popularity is sure to grow.