After ten years, ID&T set out to ‘conquer the world’, bringing for the first time to Australia, their premiere and globally renowned trance event, Trance Energy. Fresh from the annual production in Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Holland, ID&T brought an eclectic array of trance and progressive artists, from old-time ground-breakers to the new school scenesters. With a hectic schedule playing four states over the Easter long weekend, the Brisbane leg was finally scheduled at The Met. With the event hailed ‘as much about quality music as it is about the spectacle’, Brisbane punters held great expectation wondering if the unique ‘Club Edition’ would see The Met transformed with ‘epic set pieces and jaw dropping production never before seen in Australia’.

With 16 of the 17 International guests playing across only 2 stages, to a very tight schedule of hourly sets over an eight hour period, given the two main rooms were in close proximity, time wasn’t wasted traversing between rooms to catch each and every artist perform, if one so desired. First plus! With unpleasant outdoor weather preceding Saturday night, and reports of the day event in Melbourne lacking visual impact, securing an indoor venue was a fundamental win. Second plus! Although not ideal for any event, many factors influenced pre-sales among the Brisbane massive, which with an under-capacity crowd meant ample dancing room. Third plus!

Arriving much later than intended, my entry inside to the Main Stage where Fila was already ten minutes into his set was very swift indeed. Two hours after TyDi’s opener followed by Sied Van Riel, and the atmosphere amongst the thick crowd in front of the DJ console was already exhilarating. With digital panelled screens behind and either side of the equipment desk, a strobe light at waist level on either side of the screens, and Intellabeam and laser lights all set up in close proximity over the Main Stage, from the lower level the visuals looked amazing going back over the crowd; however at times the brightness coupled with the strobing was a bit too much to bear at times. With Fila playing amazingly emotive and euphoric trance akin to what Aly & Fila die-hard fans would expect, the captivated floor was swaying with all hands in the air. The transition to BT’s ‘Laptop Symphony’ was ever so smooth. From his dubstep opener, I hoped he’d segue into Fibonacci Sequence; whilst he didn’t my brief disappointment passed really quickly as he took us on a magical journey playing old time favourites including Break My Fall, Love Comes Again, Dreaming, Flaming June, and Godspeed.

Swapping the originally published play times, punters were extremely gutted when they entered the main room to hear the finale of BT, realising they’d missed the whole set. For many with no forewarning notices posted any where throughout the club, one was not to know of the change, for many a huge minus! But with an amazingly intro from Marco, you instantly got that rush the gear was about to change. By now the harder-driving trance coupled with high volume and out-of-balance levels in the red, the distortion was uncomfortably sound piercing, and depending on where you were positioned actually hurt the ears. With some argument to his mixing skills of late, Marco V delivered a solid set dropping plenty of hard-driving bombs that got the crowd well and truly stirred.

Come 1am and the heat emanating from the Main Stage was a perfect time to head to the side stage for the start of Matt Darey. Entering into the small area, lined with inviting booth coves, the room was in complete contrast to the Main Stage; it was alluringly cooler, rather dark with very minimal lighting – with the DJ in almost darkness, and the volume was significantly quieter – too quiet in fact, in that with the scant bodies on the floor, totally lacked atmosphere. Nevertheless, taking over from the young mischievous Breakfast, in true professional form the rather bronzed Matt played as usual a solid and sweet trance set with plenty of electro for good measure, as he tends to these days. Yet another legend, though of the harder trance style, John Askew continued the melodic trancey flow from Darey for the first part of his set, before seemingly increasing the volume as he upped the anti, throwing down the harder tunes in the manner he’s better known for. Next, in true Agnelli & Nelson style, the act brought the harmonious trance feel back to the room for the duration of the second last hour.

Back in the Main Stage, with Sander van Doorn taking over from Marco, for the 3rd time playing locally in as many years, Van Doorn pulled the crowd to pack the lower floor, the raised area, and both mezzanine balconies of the Main Stage. With his distinctly unique sound, there’s no mistaking Sander when he takes to the decks. With his brand of driving tech-trance, Sander really did have the dance floor firmly in his grip. Judge Jules on the other hand is probably one of the most famed names and recognisable voices in the business, love or hate him, you never know until he takes over the decks, whether he’s in form, or completely off. We were lucky in Brisbane tonight, as Jules was switched on and fully fired up. Interacting over the microphone, gearing up the crowd, it was like the party had just started over again, with Jules throwing down many an old-time familiar track, with plenty of cheese to boot, and surprisingly with spot on segues too; with Ratty Sunrise (Here I Am) being the highlight.

With his remix of AC/DC – Thunderstruck, Sean Tyas laid down the first track of his and Simon Patterson’s back-to-back emotive, charging, and tough as nails tech-house set. By now the sound distortion was as ridiculous as Tyas’ self-indulgent attitude, to the point where I hoped they’d blow the speakers to teach them a lesson. There was too much looseness from behind the decks for international so-called professional artists while performing, in my opinion. Not to be outdone though, and just as people were clearly beginning to tire, Richard Durand the Bootleg King himself, known for many high-impact remix works, launched the final hour with For An Angel, taking the crowd a while to recognise the anthemic bomb. With his ‘tight as’ mixing, his skilful layering of many a known track, teasing with only a few chords and riffs here and there, Richard skyrocketed The Met to another dimension, I certainly wasn’t expecting. Blowing everyone out of this world, with his antics of dancing on top of the console whilst signing paraphernalia, he did not miss one beat amongst his over the top use of effects, chopping and stopping. His closing hash-up mix of 1998, Carte Blanche, Meet Her At The Love Parade, and Born Slippy, was the absolute pinnacle of the night, and perfect way to end a mighty fine array of the most diverse and energetic styles of trance I’ve ever heard under the one roof! ID&T and Trance Energy downunder – brilliant!