Platinum Nightclub gave its beloved patrons a monster Christmas present, albeit a day late, as it brought international house sensation Fedde Le Grand to Platinum for a Boxing Day performance to remember.

In 2006 Le Grand exploded onto the international dance music stage when his single Put Your Hands Up For Detroit put Detroit on the map, for something other than being the ‘murder capital of America’. That single won the award for “No. 1 summer anthem of Ibiza” and shot the Dutch producer into the stratosphere on international house music artists. Since then, Le Grand has forged a strong reputation for being a top shelf producer with follow-up singles, The Creeps, Take No Shhh.., Just Trippin and Wheels In Motion.

Platinum Nightclub, who was voted # 1 Queensland club night at the 2008 InTheMix Awards, has forever been at the forefront of bringing the world’s biggest and best artists to the Gold Coast; and Fedde Le Grand was no exception. This event was certain to bring some Christmas cheer.

Arriving on the stroke of 11, we made our way through the friendly door staff and into the decadent nightclub. Perfect timing as the Gold Coast’s finest exports, the Stafford Brothers, were starting their two hour set. The effervescent duo pulverized the audience with a pulsating set of electro fused house music. The Brothers, who were recently awarded #2 in the 2008 ITM Top 50 DJ Poll, reveled on their ‘home track’ of Platinum, with an array of up-tempo house anthems. I’m yet to see a DJ, live act and/or performer who can match the tempo and energy that the Stafford Brothers CONSISTENTLY deliver. They had the crowd in the palm of their hand and as the clock struck 1am, you could’ve headed home (already) a happy man.

Although the clock had struck 1am, and we had seen a damaging performance, it was time for the ‘headliner’ Fedde Le Grand to grace the decks. Prior to his performance I had single-mindedly pigeon-holed Le Grand into a Ministry of Sound DJ, with expectations of most tracks to come fresh from the latest 2009 Annual. That may be harsh, but when you produce one of the biggest Ministry of Sound house styled anthems of the 21st century, you’ve got to expect to be stereotyped.

Le Grand moved into his work effortlessly, with some of the freshest cuts slabbed in and around sharp edits, samples and intros. His sampling of Clocks and Infinity were clear standouts in a slamming two hour extravaganza. Surprisingly, he did at times head off the well trodden MOS house track, yet within a couple of songs he was back to the cheesy house safe haven, due to a lack of response from the crowd. The obvious peak of the set was Put Your Hands Up For Detroit, which brought the crowd to boiling point.

3am and the Gold Coast. Doesn’t really go hand in hand considering the lockout laws. Yet there was two hours of power left and one of Australia’s finest up n coming DJ’s to play, Raye Antonelli. Antonelli, a Gold Coast local who has developed into one of Australia’s leading DJ’s after placing #4 in the 2008 ITM Top 50 DJ Poll, took the night to a whole new level. With a bone-crushing set that was as complex as it was well constructed, Antonelli put on show proving why he continues to rise through the DJ ranks and was this year granted a disc on the 2008 Ministry of Sound Clubbers Guide to Spring album. As partygoers continued to punish the pavement on the Platinum dance-floor, Antonelli took the adoring audience right through till stumps, with all punters left at 5am sent home with tired dancing legs and ear to ear smiles of content.

In summary, Platinum Nightclub ONCE again delivered and it ONCE again showed why it was awarded Best Club Night in Queensland in the ITM Awards for 2008. Platinum Nightclub is the only place to party on the Gold Coast.