Taylor Square has always been a place of interest when searching for nightlife in Sydney. The recent redevelopment of the square has made it much more attractive; flushing away a traffic island central to the square, previously inhabited by itinerant drinkers, and the closing of the previously well known Banana Bar (now T2) allowed for a major change in atmosphere, facilitating a rampant new fluster of people to the area. However when it comes to dance clubs the audience is often decided based on the style of music being played. Most recently Josh and Friends have moved their Night of Trance to Arq, a nightclub on Flinders Street. Last Friday, July 2nd, was one of these nights. Starting at 10 began 9 hours of uplifting, euphoric trance. This style of trance is quite uncommon in Sydney and is associated with events such as Halcyon and Rush Live. It is not to be confused with hard trance, which is played more commonly. If you do not know the difference between hard trance and uplifting trance I would suggest having a listen to some of the live sets from A Night of Trance, which can be downloaded from Trancetribe
I entered Arq around 10:45; last time I had attended one of these nights (at Icebox earlier this year) the first hour lacked momentum. It was a warm night outside with a still breeze; inside the air felt softer and flowed with people’s bodies as they moved to the soft, melodic trance inside. Stama was first up, and it was quite obvious that he had filled the gap that I had once assumed to occupy the first hour of the night.
Above the dance floor is a surrounding balcony; I stepped up there and spoke to some of the punters. Something I think that is often over looked is who attends events. The crowd was extremely friendly and accepting. I find it difficult to fit in when everyone is dressed up like a model and has their chin above the stage; this was the kind of crowd that anyone is free to dance and talk with, which was very comforting.
Scott Richardson began his set at 11:30, which was also when the visual effects began to flourish. He played a mix of both classics and new releases and built up the uplifting atmosphere which Stama had set a solid foundation for. Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat when Richardson spun Tiesto’s mix of Rain Down on Me whilst simultaneously the lasers kicked in, bringing natural euphoria to those on the floor. Arms were raised in the air and when Richardson wound down, concluding with the classic Barber’s Adagio for Strings a shrilled mood was left in the air. People cheered, clapped their hands and shrieked words of praise. As expected, Jumping Jack followed the direction of the night and failed to disappoint the crowd with anthems such as Rock Your Body Rock, Traffic and Born Slippy Nuxx. The combination of new blood, DJ Scott Richardson and the well-known Jumping Jack were a definite highlight to the night, and demonstrated that uplifting trance does exist in Sydney.
Josh Van Aalst played a very vocal mix following Jumping Jack and the music moved downstairs to a much calmer location for Rob Noble to spin the final tracks. The night was breathtaking; on Saturday night I was still hearing music in my head whilst I watched Spiderman 2 (pretty thrilling movie by the way). Even if you do not like uplifting trance I would suggest you think seriously about attending the next Night of Trance, as it is one night out each month that I will not be missing in the future. It has come a long way since I first heard the Night of Trance at Icebox. Back then the door charge was $5 and the performance was well worth the money I paid. It is now $10, which I would say is a real bargain.
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