- It was that time of year again as Ministry of Sound came to town once again for their annual tour. With international trance legend Ferry Corsten headlining the event expectations were always going to be high, but very few were to leave GAS Nightclub disappointed on this occasion.
Before the event I was impressed by Ministry’s selection of local talent for this event, securing the services of two of Sydney’s most respected dj’s Ben Korbel and Mark Dynamix, alongside GAS and hard house favorite Yoshi. In addition to this the night was also to showcase a live performance by Melbourne’s Ultrasun.
With Korbel’s techy/tribal progressive flowing nicely onto Dynamix’s slightly more up-tempo tech house and techno (must make mention of Dariush – Ira which was the standout track of his set for me) the dance floor was soon packed out and hyped up for the commencement of the first international of the evening, Tall Paul.
I had previously had very little experience with Tall Paul’s music and so was not entirely sure what to expect from his set. What he delivered was thumping array of tough progressive, (slightly) commercial house, and progressive trance. Could only identify a couple of the more trancey tracks such as Push – The Legacy, Exposure – Magic impulse, and Alena – Turn it around, so i'm afraid the trainspotters out there will have to look elsewhere for some more of the track listings! All in all the set was just good fun without trying to be anything ground-breaking. Have heard mixed opinions from others regarding his set but personally I would definitely be keen to see him live again.
By the time Tall Paul came to the end of his set the place was buzzing in eager anticipation for Ferry. When he finally emerged the crowd went nuts, chanting “Ferry, Ferry!” Jerry Springer style, to the visible delight of the man himself. Commencing his set with a slightly more techy style of trance it wasn’t long before his more trademark style of melodic and uplifting trance kicked in as he dropped Darren Tate v Jonno Grant – Let the Light Shine in. The “hands-in-the-air” atmosphere had been achieved and was to remain right up until the end of his set. His mixing was really as good as it gets, and this coupled with a track selection to die for made for a memorable performance all round. Tracks such as Eon – pocket damage, Mark Norman – Faith, Gouryella – Tenshi, Gouryella – Ligaya, En-motion – Getting away with it, Plastic Boy – Silverbath, System F – solstice, and 4x4 – Indigo make for quite a long list of highlights. Ferry then briefly turned Jeff Mills-esque, balancing yet another of his own anthems Punk across two decks while cueing up his next track on the third. The result was at least 10 minutes of hysteria as Punk proceeded to tear the place apart, with Ferry momentarily blocking out the sound during the now famous chorus to the sound of “DAH DA DA-DA, DA DA-DA DA!” roaring from the punters. And then just when you thought the set was coming to an end (he must have played for at least an extra 20 minutes than scheduled) that all too familiar intro of Veracocha – Carte Blanche kicked in and what happened next is still merely a blur in my memory of flailing arms, bouncing feet, ecstatic grins, and flashing lights that was undoubtedly poetry worthy!
On top of his flawless musical display, Ferry Corsten also got himself thoroughly involved with the crowd. Handshakes, raised thumbs, raised arms, and wide grins were a constant sight, not to mention going out of his way before, during, and after his set to sign anything from records to clothing items of his admirers. It always makes the night that much better when the dj is visibly having as much fun as the crowd is.
The one down side is the realization at the end of the night that we now have approximately 12 months to wait until his next trip down under, but if his set then is anything like it was this time, the wait will be well worth it!