There’s usually a handful a year; an event which has a certain air about it. Something you get the feeling could be one of ‘those’ nights you’ll never forget. For years, Paul Van Dyk has toured Australia but for various reasons, a Canberra gig had never eventuated. Until now.

The ANU was always going to be the perfect venue for the German icon to work his magic. Holding numerous dance parties which have gone down in local folklore as one of ‘those’ nights, it would almost seem wrong for the event to be anywhere else. My only gripe with the night was that the stage setup could have been different, but as it turns out, the setup with the stage half way up the refectory facing towards the bar end worked well. Although for a while it looked like it might not….

An early set for PVD had to be arranged due to playing commitments in Melbourne on the same night, as such, Jeff Drake kicked off the proceedings early at 8pm. As I arrived to a very thin crowd, Jeff was warming up the sound system with some luscious tunes to say the least. Having warmed up for DJ Tiësto on his first and only visit to Canberra as well, it was no surprise to hear a set full of melodic gems to get the crowd in the mood. It would have been no surprise to hear Jeff bang it out a bit more before a headline act, but as the night was still in it’s infancy, the pace turned out to be just right. Dropping such crowd pleasers such as James Holden – Horizons, cheekily throwing in samples from Chable & Bonnici – Ride, and finishing with a production of his own in collaboration with local wunderkind Jaytech called ‘Tequila Mockingbird’, it was amazing to see how much the ANU filled out in the last 45mins before 10pm.

At 9pm there would have probably been about 200 people through the door, however in true Canberra fashion, our punters left it to the last minute to show their numbers. This would normally be the part where I say ‘As PVD took the decks’, however that would be a lie. While certainly not leading the pack in technical innovation, PVD’s current modus operandi is a pretty cool setup which allows for more creativity than your standard decks/cd players and a mixer. Consisting of 2 laptops playing the tracks via digital audio, 2 cd players and mixer, PVD has the ability to cue up tracks in an instant, sample sounds, chop and change sounds, play multiple tracks at once (more than just your available mixer channels), while still using the CD players to beatmatch and mix in the traditional way. There’s no computer mixing for him, but it does open up a whole new range of possibilities.

To start off with, fans of the classic PVD sound may have been slightly disappointed with the first hour and a half or so of the set. Big room progressive sounds, slightly techy tunes, and stomping beats dominated the room as the now packed dance floor really began to liven up and bring the room some of that ANU party vibe we all know and love. And if you weren’t convinced that Jaytech is taking over the world, the fact that PVD played his & Matt Rowan’s ‘Tomorrow’ should cement this for you. Of course, this was far from the uplifting epic sound that PVD was previously known for but the crowd didn’t seem to mind one bit. As the set progressed though, so did the pace and feel of the music, and by 2hrs into the 3hr set, we were getting treated to some driving progressive trance of the highest order.

Being a self confessed trance nut, there was many a track in there that made my hair stand on the back of my neck and in true trance fashion; oh for the lasers I did reach! Speaking of which, the production on the night, while not extravagant was ample for a light/laser show which complimented the music well. The sounds was thumping, although possibly a little bass heavy, but you’d rather that than having it the other way round. As the set was coming into the home stretch, PVD seemed to kick up a gear and really give those arms and voices in the crowd a workout. And as one of the most recognisable dance tracks possibly ever produced in Azzido Da Bass – Dooms Night (timo maas remix) (amazing story behind that track actually, ask me about it sometime hehe) rang out through the speakers, utter chaos is the term that springs to mind.

And as PVD closed the set with two of his own, For An Angel (which also sent the crowd mental with a sea of hands raised and screaming voices), and the more recent Time Of Our Lives, one could only have left with a smile on their face and sore legs from dancing like a complete nutter. I almost felt sorry for Archie, having to follow such a name as Paul Van Dyk, but he showed why he’s held in such high regard as he kept the dance floor going strong into the night. While he may now have had an address in Sydney for quite some time, he never seems to be anything but a familiar face for the local crowd. As the crowd started to thin, local young guns Enerv8 and Fast Twitch were entrusted to bring the night home with a set of uplifting and driving tunes that consisted of recent bomb Above & Beyond vs. Andy Moor – Air For Life, and other goodies.

Unfortunately, the downside to these ANU events is the 4am finish time enforced by the venue, although the official after party at Cube Nightclub was a preferred destination for many of the PVD patrons. All in all, the night provided quality from start to finish, and while not the biggest or most lavish setup, everyone was in agreeance that PVD gave a show that won’t be forgotten for a very long time.