- With its marble pillars and high arches, Hotel Arena is perfectly in keeping with the lavish ethos that goes hand in hand with Global Underground. The prestigious label had not been in Amsterdam for five years and, among clubbers, there was a real wave of expectancy in the air around their night earlier last month. Many of the people in attendance this evening were also there five years ago, and they greeted the night with a strong sense or relief, infused with the kind of enthusiasm that greets an old friend as they return from a stint of travelling.
Anil Chawla arrived to an already hustling dance floor to deliver his deeper, more melodic house to a buoyant crowd. Opening with two of his own remixes, the rising London-based star showed off his capacity as a producer. With his debut album alongside Dale Anderson coming out in late February, Chawla has spent much of his time of late in the studio and tonight's opening set was a by-product of his recent activity. Standing on the top floor, under the towering, painted ceiling you could look down onto the whole club—an impressive sight—as Chawla kept the main room alive.
Jim Rivers is a man whose reputation is continually building and—judging by tonight's performance—it's easy to see why. The animated Londoner flew headfirst into his set, bringing a healthy amount of enthusiasm and energy with him to further the momentum that had been building throughout the night. The stylish GU decorations that hung from the high ceilings, catching and reflecting the strobe lights as they spun around each other framed Rivers' adoring fanbase.
Although this adoration is something Rivers looks set to see more of—especially considering his resurrection of the highly esteemed Nubreed series in March—you get the impression he treasures all of it, every hand that reaches into the air, every foot that taps along to the beat. His driving, infectious house music naturally provoked this reaction from the entire crowd, right up until the sound went dead and the house lights went up. As the Dutch clubbers reluctantly left the striking church hall and wandered into the cold Amsterdam night, all were left hoping they don't have to wait another five years for some more.