Q-Dance brought Christmas early to Sydney hardstyle fans. The venue, the party-perfect Hordern Pavilion, was wrapped in bright orange. Upon entering, punters were greeted with pounding bass, multi-coloured lasers, and an enthusiastic crowd. The gift? X-Qlusive. An X-Qlusive party typically features one headline DJ/act, who then invites guest DJs to appear behind the decks with them. Showtek hosted X-Qlusive in the Netherlands earlier in 2008, and it seemed like a logical choice to bring the format over for the Australian crowds. Logical… and exciting, seeing as the event was to feature the always well received Donkey Rollers and the much anticipated debut tour of Southstylers.

Settling into a seat for Showtek’s 11pm start, it was pleasing to see the dancefloor already packed. Having now been to some European events, I can see why international DJs get such a rush out of performing on our shores. When MC DV8 started pumping up the crowd, five and a half thousand voices responded, loudly, hands thrust into the air, the enthusiasm palpable. Opening with Brain Crackin, the first tune released on their Dutch Master Works label, Showtek gave the fans a blistering first hour filled with tunes from Brennan Heart, Wildstylerz and The Hose. They were followed by perennial favourite Zany, along for the ride courtesy of his involvement in the Donkey Rollers. No longer the purveyor of party hardstyle, Zany let loose with rough as nails tracks including the Noisecontrollers remix of Thugs, easy singalong Nothing Else Matters, and more obscure tunes from Abyss & Judge.

This all left me wondering how Walt, a man more comfortable at 130bpm than 150, would keep up the pace. He did it in the best way possible: by playing 7 of his most loved productions. From Ctl-Walt-Del to Let The Music Play to Expansion, the crowd was in raptures. They were helped along the way by the extraordinary production Q-Dance brought to the party. 12 multicoloured lasers shone into the crowd, fire leapt above the stage, and spotlights searched the arena. At one stage I counted 13 technicians in the sound & lighting booth, definite proof that Q-Dance were committed to ensuring the Sydney punters got their money worth.

With a cheeky rap intro dedicated especially to Sydney, Dutch Master brought back the hardstyle flavour. Opening with his own upbeat party hit, Get Up, Dutch Master joined Showtek in providing some golden oldies ( Party Lover ) and lots of newer hits ( Apologise, Copies Are Faking, Floorspin ). By 0245 the crowd was well hyped, not least because set times showed Southstylers as on stage next. Let me set the scene… Southstylers, aka Zany & Walt, play together…ohhh…maybe once annually. And always in Europe. Their appearance in Australia has been on the wish list for many years now and 19 December 2008 saw the fans finally rewarded. Firstly dishing up some new stuff in the form of Crystal, the guys teased the crowd with Pwoap and E-Town, before ending with all time fav Pounding Senses, their first tune (released in 2003), only this time they played the cracking 2008 reedit with its chainsaw-like opening.

Australia can finally say we have our own Q anthem. It’s called Down Under. It’s by Showtek. And we heard it first at the Hordern. It also started another Showtek set for the night which, given it included Technoboy’s Aussie accented Oh My God, had a patriotic flavour embedded. Donkey Rollers are repeat visitors to Australian shores. We love them, they love us, and a ‘DonkeyTek’ set (as MC DV8 cleverly labelled it) was always going to be a guaranteed success. Proving their mixing skills, the formidable team of DJs behind the decks managed to mix 20 tunes into a mere 60 minutes. Donkey Rollers dished up Atrocity, Hardstyle Rockers, Immeasurably, and Followers. Showtek responded with Colours of the Harder Styles, Dominate and, for a festive giggle, It’s The Santa. With all light-heartedness over for the evening, Sydney boy Nitrouz joined DJ Duro on the stage for the final ‘go hard or go home’ hour. Max Enforcer’s latest Loudness, served with Duro’s Cocaine Motherfucker, and polished off with Evil Activities Nobody Said It Was Easy, had those left standing expending every last ounce of energy. The wild cheers at 6am (yes, Sydney crowds can still pack a dance floor come sunrise) attributed to the success of the night. X-Qlusive Showtek was a brilliant Christmas present, let us hope Q-Dance have an exciting 2009 event on the horizon for their legions of Australian fans.