Carl Kennedy, supported by a couple of the coast’s regular favourites, descended on popular Broadbeach venue Platinum last weekend. Platinum is a place that locals go to when they want to dance, and it offered a warm sanctuary away from the freak cold snap we have been experiencing on the coast. Temperatures have gotten to as low as three degrees on the – usually sunny – Gold Coast. Dancing up some body heat is a perfect way to get warm on chilli winter weekends like this!

I arrived nice and early so I didn’t miss a thing. There were already a few people milling around the venue at this time, but Platinum still feels empty even when there’s 100 people chillin’ or dancing as it’s a large space. The main room boasts a massive dancefloor surrounded with podiums and a raised DJ booth, which overlooks everything. The club also boasts a state of the art soundsystem, which you feel throughout your entire body. The music is always played at high decibels and they have two bars that are easy to access. More importantly, they offer good service and reasonably priced drinks. They have two rooms, although this evening’s entertainment was just in the main area.

Craig Roberts got the evening going on the main floor, and he had things moving nicely by the time the crowd really started streaming into the venue. I sat back in the comfy lounge section and made the most of the waitresses – who were immaculately dressed and offering service with a smile – by ordering a drink. Casually sipping a tequila sunrise, I found Craig’s tunes to be a mixed bag, although the dancefloor definitely increased throughout his set. He played a pretty lengthy set before the long awaited Carl Kennedy arrived.

Having been based in New York for quite a few years, although born in England, Carl Kennedy has followed in the footsteps left by NYC house music greats like Roger Sanchez. No small feat at all. He’s played at events like the Budapest Love Parade, our own Future Music Festival, and legendary party island Ibiza. Kennedy is also renowned in the world of fashion, having played at parties for brands like Diesel and Calvin Klein. Carl certainly didn’t disappoint tonight, bringing a smooth mix to Platinum on the Gold Coast. The crowd loved the tight changes and interesting sounds blended throughout his set.

Keeping in the spirit of the Beijing Olympics, Kennedy produced Asian gong sounds, and it almost had me thinking I was at a Full Moon Party in some secret beach in Asia. The highly maintained crowd wouldn’t have looked out of place at one of the Prestige Supermodel parties that Kennedy’s famous for playing, and they responded with loud cheers and whistles when he dropped highlight tracks throughout the set. Specifically, it was tracks like ‘Just Can’t Wait’ and ‘The Love You Bring Me’ that really got the crowd pumping.

The 3am curfew soon hit and there was still a huge crowd dancing hard. Raye Antonelli, another of Platinum’s residents, took over and he maintained the minimal vibe created by Kennedy, playing as the crowd slowly started to disperse into the streets. The night was finished on a high, with storming late 90s anthems like ‘Fire Starter’ by The Prodidgy keeping the club interested. It’s cold outside, but Platinum kept us warm!