Armin van Buuren has been voted worlds’ number one DJ for the past two consecutive years. Given this and the vast fan base he has accumulated through his gigs and A State of Trance (ASOT), the most listened to radio station in the world, I almost feel compelled to review him favourably. But is it possible that even the best DJ in the world can occasionally miss the mark?

In the short queue for the entrance to The Met the ticket window was closed for business indicating that it was firmly a sell out. As it was only sold out in the final weeks prior, credit to the club and promoters for doing the gig justice by ensuring this. It was a gig that was to be The Met’s biggest yet.

When I got inside for Armin’s fellow Dutch DJ Matthew Dekay the main room was filling quickly. He was playing a groovy set of progressive house, with the final minutes blending with progressive trance in preparation for the headliner. The set was so arousing that I would have been content had Dekay kept going, if it were not for the prowess of Armin. Fans were scurrying for a suitable vantage point and if you were granted access, the side balconies or the spy bar were certainly the picks.

With the introduction of Armin van Buuren, the flawless and youthful complexion of his face was visible under the soft blue lighting. His headphones were reflecting the light that was shadowing his face as he slotted an SD card into each of the CDJs. This is one of the few times I’ve actually seen DJs use that feature, yet unsurprising given the number of cue points and loops Armin would power through in a 4 hour set. As he spun his first CD, the crowd was a dense sea of mobile phone and camera screens with Armin responding with his iconic handmade love heart. From this point it was clear the crowd were completely under his trance (pun intended) and were going to love wherever he would take them. It wasn’t long before he spun the first of his own tracks Rain. Keeping the set BPM’s in the low-mid 130’s, it continued through melodic and euphoric trance tracks, most without vocals.

It was inevitable that his local ‘protege’ Tydi would get a spin and when his track featuring Audrey Gallagher You Walk Away began, it received an astounding response from the crowd. Continuing to give the crowd what they desired, Armin maintained an energetic set with Unforgivable and In and Out of Love giving the crowd a chance to milk their voices. In addition to touching briefly on his studio album Imagine, his 2009 A State of Trance release was sourced from only intermittently with Armin choosing to sample and rework sourced loops. Armin finished half an hour earlier than scheduled, but no one appeared too upset as Baby Gee assumed the stage to continue with a progressive trance finish to the night.

Although we didn’t see any of Armin’s brother Eller on his guitar, which would have added a different dynamic to the set, the crowd remained glued to the main room for the entire four hours. This proved that Armin has the incredible ability without the assistance of big tunes or names, to keep a dance floor packed. Yes, sometimes even the best can fall short, but the Met crowd loved Armin and his set confirmed his spot in Brisbane at No. 1.