Listening to people talk about clubbing in Sydney can sometimes be an exercise in whine appreciation. It’s all too common to hear Sydneysiders complain about the lack of variety in the Sydney music scene, or the lack of top quality venues, or even the lack of top quality musical talent. It’s all too easy to ignore the facts that sit before your very eyes. As well as the absolute abundance of local DJing and artistic talent and a dance music scene which makes up in grass roots strength for what it lacks in size, Sydney has a refreshingly close knit link between those who come to the nights and those who make them.

In May 2001, a simple question was asked to the ITM forums. The question was “What are your views of Home on Saturdays?” It came as a bit of a surprise, mainly because of the source. It came from Home nightclub; incidentally the only successful Home franchise anywhere in the world.

The reason it came as a surprise was it was the first time I can remember the club attempting to connect with their target market on a personal level. Previous Saturday nights, such as the much-maligned KinkiDisco, had been overshadowed by poor PR and accusations that the club was a long way from being clubber-friendly. For possibly the first time, the club was asking punters what they wanted from Sydney’s biggest club. The response was an overwhelming bundle of ideas, wild and wonderful, ranging from a specialised chill-out room and greater musical diversity to DJ rotation and greater support of up and comers, all delivered with an enthusiasm that suggested Sydneysiders really did want to see the club get it right.

Sixteen months later and that theory has become a reality. The idea became the night and Together @ Home is celebrating it’s first birthday. Four rooms, 21 DJs and the promise of a night to be getting excited about.

Entry isn’t what it used to be. There was once upon a time when you could pretty much guarantee being met by some of the surliest bouncers ever to grace Clubland. The wrong facial expression here, a misplaced word there and the wrong pair of trainers and you could be guaranteed of a one-way trip to There’s-A-Function-On-Tonightsville. Nowadays, it seems to be more a case of a nod, a wink and in you go, all garnished with a good feeling to start the night. Gone are the days of queuing for thirty minutes only to enter and discover distinct lack of punters inside.

Not that there is any chance of finding an empty club tonight. Walking into the Terrace, which has become almost like a club in it’s own right during Together’s year-long development, is the perfect introduction to the evening. With one of the finest views from a club that you are likely to find anywhere in the world, the place is rammed and getting across the floor is like being inside a giant, human pinball table. The staff and residents are all dressed as Sargeant Pepper. The music, as you’d expect, is deep and sultry. Thirty minutes later, the aperitif is spent and the metaphorical warm-up is complete. It’s time to head downstairs for the main course.

However, arrival on the dancefloor downstairs only brings huge disappointment. Ready to groove, we are, and lined up to face the pulpit only to discover a complete absence of DJ. “Disgraceful!” we cry, “how can we have a dancefloor without a DJ?” One helpful intervention later and a gentle nudge ninety degrees to the left and the situation is rectified. If a change is as good as a holiday, then the new position of the DJ booth is an all expenses paid trip for you and your mates to Ibiza for the summer. When once the main floor felt vast and lost, suddenly it has depth and feels like it has a true focal point. Whatever your views of Feng Shui, who could have thought a simple twist anticlockwise could have instantly filled a space with an atmosphere it had been previously lacking? Things are looking up.

Andy Jackson (Jackster to the rest of us) is up first and instantly launches into, rather fittingly, Together by DJ Falcon & Thomas Bangalter. Following it up with a rather speed garagey mix of 50c ‘In Da Club’ (Hey Shorty, it’s your birthday!), and we are away. Jackster plays the kind of set for which he is renowned. Wicked track selection launches tune after tune at the dancefloor, all perfectly positioned to turn the crowd into one massive glut of teeth, all beaming in the same direction. As the bloke next to me put it, “Bloody bonza, mate”.

Goodwill (dressed as a clown? I thought it was Sargeant Pepper tonight?) takes over after the hour and slowly eases us into chunkier territory. Before you even know it, techier sounds are bouncing around the walls, much like the crowd, and the floor has lost none of it’s enthusiasm. I’m hardly the first person to come running when the harder-edged sounds take, but this is cool as a penguin’s arse. Goodwill demonstrated not only a rather squiffy command of his genre of choice, but some mixing skills that would put Jamie Oliver to shame. Sweet as.

Alex ‘Blondie’ Taylor is up next and like discovering a naked chick under the decks, you know exactly what you are going to get. Alex eases himself into the night without breaking even a beat of the rhythm and vibe. He delivers a set that compliments what has come before but leads nice and smoothly into some great tunes that have the crowd wearing holes in the wooden floor. Thuper.

Another hour and another changeover, and time has come to mingle. The Back to Mine room is next, where I catch the end of one of JD’s regularly eclectic sets. JD is known for playing everything from Café Del Mar to Coldplay to Simply Red and back again. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch my breath. Alas, apprehending of exhalation is not on the agenda as Danny ‘Rare Groove’ Bass is up next and launches into what has to be a succession of records whose collective age is probably in excess of a Subbies dancefloor. Danny delivers more than a few familiar riffs and infectious basslines that constitute the perfect side order. If it’s classics you want, it’s classics you’ll get. In fact, most of these are classics from whence came the classics. Scrummy.

A quick check upstairs reveals that the Terrace has lost none of it’s following. John Devecchis is at the controls and playing what is most definitely a chunkier offering than I remember from earlier. Without a doubt one of the finest DJs in Sydney, John works the ones-and-twos with great dexterity and demonstrates an ability to change styles at the drop of a hat. The only regret is that “I’m a little teapot” didn’t get another workout. Ah, well. Maybe next time.

Back down to the main room to catch the end of Ben Korbel’s set and the beginning of Bob Frisky’s, and it is back into full-on hoon mode. The sound is large, the tunes are fresh and the atmosphere is electric. Hands shoot up in the air, fingers point, grins beam and there is no sign that the main floor is easing up. Six am arrives far too soon for the party to be over.

Credit where credit is due, Together @ Home has been without doubt an absolute success over the previous twelve months, and the first birthday demonstrated exactly why. Home may be cavernous when half empty, but there are few clubs that can match it when full. The changes to the layout only enhance that. However, along with the sound system, these are things we already knew. Why has Together @ Home become such a strong night where others failed? For that, just go back to May. So much of what was requested has been delivered. The formidable weekly line-ups are composed of some truly fine local talent, much of it homegrown and having come up through the Sydney scene. Rotation is rife, with various different DJs now playing multiple rooms with multiple styles. The attitude and vibe of the club has changed and it now feels like a club should. The club is so much more clubber-friendly and the knock-on effect has been great parties.

Whatever your musical tastes and genre affiliation, may I suggest you put down your glass of whine and put your hands together for a job well done; a superb transformation and a great night. I had a top night at Together. If your last experience of Home was KinkiDisco or if you are a former Saturday’s fan who lost heart, you owe it yourself to give it another go and check out Together.