As the wise proverb states….if you cant stand the heat get off the dance floor!

With crowds gathering early in the day and the sun already high in the sky no one would believe that this was autumn. And no matter how prepared you thought you were for the heat somehow it just wasn’t enough.

Arriving in time to see the tail end of Kenny L the usual ‘early birds’ marked out their territory with the usual heel and toe shuffle not wanting to miss a minute of the tunes already pumping from the speakers. The favoured local took the opportunity to get the event kicking and certainly seemed to draw a lively few.

Max Graham was up next (around 1pm) to take control of the helm and guide the passengers onward and upward. Unfortunately at this time of the day there was an alternate overriding concern….the increasing heat. Although mist hoses bordering the tent did all they could it still proved too much for a number of revellers. I myself decided a grassy knoll was a preferred option for a brief time and the area just outside was perfect to listen to the music within.

These first two sets seemed to fly by and before I knew it I had been seated for far too long and Technasia began their live act. The heat was not going to let up but neither were they as the bass moved the crowd into its preferred beat. The techno mix seemed slightly edgy meeting the audiences’ approval, persuading them to gather closer to the talented act. They even managed to get the boys in blue tapping their feet!

You’d have thought by this time the temperature would start to descend but no such luck. Markus Shulz made his appearance around 3.30pm and took to the stage like a duck to water. Though a little slow to begin with he seemed to create his only journey, teasing the onlookers enough to excite but not overheat. By this time ticket holders had made their way through the gates and were tending to favour the Godskitchen samples.

But it has to be said that the crowd seemed to miraculously multiply when Armin Van Buuren came out to play. Starting with ‘Talk’ by Coldplay (Junkie XL Remix) and moving on to his track Zocalo you could feel the music vibrations far back in that grassy knoll I was so fond of earlier! Although the outside was starting to cool down, the inside was just beginning to heat up. T-shirts were removed, hair tied back as the crowd moved in a sweaty, energised mass to the sounds of SOS by the Police (Sander Van Doorn remix). The heat exertion was obviously an increasing worry for the event organisers as bottles of water were handed out to the thirsty bunch. The main man finished with Tracking Treasure Down By Gabriel and Dresden.

As the sun came down we prepared for the last talent Kai Tracid to finish the night with the same satisfying techno we had now become accustomed to. He didn’t fail us with the cleverly placed hard techno tracks with that hint of trance to end the night in a memorable fashion.

Thanks to everyone who made the day bearable even in the heat!  Don’t you just wish it lasted longer!