- Transmission has for a long time now established itself as one of Sydney’s biggest dance parties, and with huge international acts like Hennes & Cold and Marc Dawn included on the lineup this event was shaping up to be too good to miss. The State Sports Centre was again the venue after previous successes, and it provided the perfect setting once more for a memorable evening.
Diggs & Morro vs Stama was the first set of the night in main arena, and they were kicking things off perfectly with their favoured style of melodic, uplifting trance that just kept building and building. Tracks like Sirocco – Destination, James Holden – Nothing, Capetown – Pitstop and Scott Bond vs Solar Stone – 3rd earth laid the foundation perfectly, the only downside being that the majority of people still had not arrived to hear such a fine musical display.
The dance floor had filled up considerably by the end of their set however, and it was time for Liquid M to step things up a notch. Their live performances have consistently blown me away over the past year or so now and this was to be no different. Within minutes of their opening track the crowd was going absolutely nuts, as they seemed to instantly take to their slightly harder style of uplifting trance. There’s not much more I can say about these guys that I haven’t already said, and from talking to a number of people throughout the night it seems like I’m not the only one who can’t resist singing their praise!
Andrew James and Amber Savage were up next and they immediately started to bang out a notably harder style. I was a little disappointed they couldn’t follow on from Liquid M with some more uplifting trance, but the majority of the dance floor (which by this stage was nothing short of packed) certainly didn’t seem to mind. Green Velvet – La La Land continues to be a crowd favourite and was again met with a rapturous response, and I also heard Igor S - Boomerang before I departed to check out a couple of the other rooms.
“Funky Mission” featured a handful of regular SOS dj’s Seven, Shamus, and Matt Roberts, who were all spinning the kind of funky tunes we have grown accustomed to from them. It was a welcome breather from the relentless beats of the main arena, and its great to see Transmission continuing to diversify their events. Trouble was this area was situated outside, and it was a tad on the cold side, so I was only able to stay out there for short periods at a time. Some gas heaters next time would definitely go down well.
I also checked out the “Nu mission” room where some of Sydney’s best up’n’comers were given a chance to showcase their skills. Pete Heery and Scott Baker were both very impressive, as were Newcastle boys Scott Beker and Mixxam. Both these sets had the room packed out from start to finish, but the soaring temperatures in there meant it was definitely not a place for the faint hearted.
Meanwhile back in the main arena the Peewee/Nervous/Marc Dawn set was getting into full swing. Despite the fact that I think it’s a little ridiculous to have an international playing a combined set with not one but two locals (what’s the point?), they were dropping a nice mixture of anthems and new stuff to keep the Transmission faithful happy. I managed to catch Marc Dawn’s own “Expander” which was the definite highlight of this set for me, and towards the end of their set I made my way to the front of the dance floor in eager anticipation of the headline act to commence.
Hennes & Cold are one of the biggest names in the international hard trance scene, and you only have to look at some of their phenomenal productions and remixes to understand exactly why. I have very fond memories of their 3 hour set at plastic last year which absolutely tore the place apart, and so understandably I had rather high expectations this time around. It didn’t take long for them to convince me that I would not be disappointed! Hard trance is a style I’ve gradually moved on from over the past year, but these guys definitely know how to put on a show, and their set was perfectly structured and mixed from start to finish. Add to this a great stage presence (they looked like they were having the time of their lives up there!) and track selection (Arome – Hands up, Spacefrog – Follow me, their remix of Dirt Devils – The Drill, and of course their own classic “The Second Trip” to name a few) and you really do have an international act worthy of all the hype surrounding them. As is always the case however, it was all over so quickly, and before I knew it the music had stopped, the punters were screaming their approval, and Hennes even threw one of their records into the crowd. A great way to finish off a fine set, I’ll almost definitely be seeing these guys again the next time they venture down under.
Overall I have to say the night was huge success, and the production was quite possible the best yet at a Transmission party. The lasers were incredible, as was the sound, not to mention the dancers and fire-breathing acts that turned the event into a true spectacle, not just your average dance party. On top of this the security and staff were all very friendly, and the all-round organisation of the event from crowd control, reasonable bar prices and constantly small queues was commendable. It is little wonder why their events continue to sell out time and time again!