Defcon 2009 – WOW – what else can you say? It took more twists and turns than the weather… read this review until the end as you won’t believe it! Featuring the best international trance line-up Melbourne had seen for 5 years, and on the hottest day in history at a great outdoor venue. It certainly was an epic experience to remember.

The heat for the 500m walk from Flinders St to Birrarung Marr was a bit too much, and with the Transport bar in between we joined another 100 or so revellers for an ice cold beer before venturing down to Defcon 2009. Now that the heat rant is out the way, we can move on. The event organisation was STELLAR. If you were there before 4pm you were a hardened dance fan, and no doubt the festival organisers will love you forever. Anyone who turned up early in the day bought into the whole Defcon marketing scheme… truly was like a battle zone – hell in the sun, heat radiating from the black tarmac walkway burning your ankles, swirling dust moving the sound around, desiccating you no matter where you stood, sat or sprawled. It was surreal. It was so hot at 3pm that seriously, you were MAD to be in the sun.

We saw Mike Nichol after we arrived, and he was upbeat about his set… but maybe he would have liked more people there. When Germany’s Alex MORPH was asked earlier in the week who he thought was the up and coming talent in Melbourne, he came straight out with “Mike Nichol”. By time we made it to the main stage Alex MORPH was on the decks, and we were faced with tragedy #1 for the day; great tunes you couldn’t dance to. We sat under the bridge where it was, err, not much cooler. Pretty soon I got a sore bum and decided some wandering was in order, so checked out Jody McLeod on the Academy stage. More tremendous tunes were on offer, and there were about twopeople braving it. The heat was just that intense. Then we wandered over to Platoon where Bexta was playing, and people were out in the sun giving it up. Hard dance fans scare me even more now, as they were dancing like it was 22 and overcast. Not my style, but clearly Bexta, then later Ben Jackson and Scott Alert, have their fans. Word up to anyone who braved it.

Kyau & Albert are one of my faves, and they were the tipping point that drew me near the main floor at 4pm in 46.5 degrees. I found shade near the left tower and the dude with the hose kept me and the ground cool as K&A got going, ‘Southern Sun’ definitely one of my faves. These guys are quality. By now it was clouding over and some sting was taken out of the sun while the colour changed in the sky. At 5:08pm the defining moment of Defcon 2009 took place; the wind changed and within 20 minutes the temperature dropped something like 18 degrees. A wind of revitalisation moved through the crowd and the party really kicked off. Only in Melbourne! People ventured onto all the dance floors and burned off the energy the sun had denied them. It was an amazing moment, and the smattering of rain drops that fell with it made it all the more epic. Indeed, it was heavenly.

The Thrillseekers were up next and continued in the same vain with more quality trance. There was danceable, awesome bass coming out of an amazing outdoor system, and it was loud enough so that you could hear it clearly anywhere on the main floor. For the trancer, it was heaven. For me, after 2 hours on my feet, I needed a beak and headed to the hill. Chilling in the lovely breeze, a cool drink in hand, it was divine. The hill gave a great view of the main floor and clear sound, so you were still part of the event. Then, unfortunately, some hell broke loose. Out of nowhere there was a scuffle. It was disgraceful to say the least. Even worse were the idiots who joined in; you have no place at parties I want to be at – no one wants this! We come here to dance and enjoy the day. People sat on the hill shocked, and I was worried it would kill the party. But, I decided to do what I came to do; dance.

The Thrillseekers were cashing in on a crowd ready to move, and the main floor regained some numbers. I found my friends, my rhythm and got back into it. I was glad I did. After a tremendous 2 hour set the handover was made for Solarstone to guide us through to the end. What does an experienced international DJ play in the day’s sixth consecutive trance set? Solarstone’s set was laden with beautiful classics like ‘Seven Cities’, ‘Megashira’ and ‘Waiting Here For You’. It was the perfect set for trance fans who’d braced for a hard day out. At the same time the Platoon Stage was going nuts as Hardstyle Mafia pumped it out to a massive crowd.

To congratulate the organisers; they gave 120% all day… you can’t plan for 47 degree heat, you couldn’t have erected shade as it was so windy that it would have been blown straight over. But they walked around handing out ice, depositing it to grateful punters. The setup and sound was awesome, and on a day where numbers were driven down by the elements, they cut no corners. The ice and water treatment were the sole reason why there were not hundreds of people seeking St Johns help. You turned an adverse day into an amazing experience and everyone (first aid, security, organisers, support staff) deserve kudos.

The music was spot on all day, every DJ I heard played what their fans wanted and in place with their set time and stage. Music wise, including Armin shows and Infected Mushroom, this was as good as I have seen for a long, long time. Everyone who came this year, apart form the odd disgruntled Leibling fan (absolute quality on a side stage will always draw criticism) will be there again. What a day; it had everything. Defcon threw a great party and provided they came close to breaking even, this event is here to stay. Get yourself there in 2010, it was epic.