With the dance music industry ever-changing, it’s interesting to conceive how one qualifies for inclusion in the Future Music extravaganza. With new-to-the-scene dance acts and legends of the ‘90s all getting a run in 2010, it seems the festival manages to be both forward-thinking and backward-looking.

With a larger area accommodating an additional massive stage to the previous year’s layout, it was obvious that Future Music Festival 2010 was going to supersede expectation. Not with all the experience and expertise behind them though, could Future Entertainment have predicted what Mother Nature had in store for us festival day. Nevertheless, sometimes it’s the unplanned and uncontrollable aspects that add excitement.

With the Lick It and Fuck Fluoro stages accommodating local artists, the Corporate Gallery rooms above the main grandstand of Doomben Racecourse provided all matter of protection from the extreme and harsh weather conditions of the day. Complete with bar and amenities, the indoor shelter was where many started the day.

The inflatable V Green Room Bar on the lawn inside the Winning Post also played host to local talent. It was abuzz with bodies at various times when refuge from the outside elements was required. Not to be outdone, the ever-popular Silent Disco, where punters wear wireless headphones and get down to the beats on two channels, was a fun sight for an outsider looking in.

This year, the Lawn area in front of the Grandstand housed the very special Above & Beyond stage, where DJs from the Anjunabeats stable captured many a trance fan for the entire day. Superstar newcomer Mat Zo – still in his teens and already a veteran musician – had the crowd Zoned in. Amongst many of his amazing tracks aired was Driving (us) To Heaven. I got goose-skin dancing in the rain to a remix of Faithless, with the crisp vocals of Cass Fox singing Music Matters.

I stayed only a little while to hear Super8 & Tab, who played exactly the euphoric reach-for-the-lasers trance one has come to expect of the duo. Later on, our own Jaytech – the warm-up favourite of the A&B – played a banging set, despite the very wet and muddy conditions. With the wonderful atmosphere created, Jono and Paavo laid down yet another Epic set (when don’t they?). Despite the already torrential rain, more flooding came from many a tear-duct with As The Rush Comes, and then later Oceanlab Vs Passive Progressive’s Sky Falls Down Vs Hideaway.

Inside the track, the largest of the undercover stages The Likes of You was without doubt the place to be for the lovers of deep progressive and techno. By the time Way Out West stepped up to their live rig, the heat was really simmering inside. Doing what they do remarkably well, Nick and Jody WOW-ed us with an amazing hour; bringing the front rows of fans to boiling point in the latter half with Mind Circus, Killa, The Gift and Domination_.

Their countryman John Digweed was on stage at the handover, creating a photo-opp of three prog legends on stage together. With his awesome array of tunes, Digweed put in a storming performance, with plenty of fans converging on the front to catch a glimpse of the master at work.

Dubfire brought things back down to a simmer, although by this time his dark and minimal sound was literally minimal – with the sound devoid of bass. Thankfully, when the ever-popular master of flamboyance Sven Väth took to the stage, the sound issues seemed to have resolved (leaving me wondering if Dubfire’s set was not intentionally bass-deficient?). Väth had us all under his crazy spell for a fabulous two hours of booming techno, playing up to the crowd the whole way.

I’m not sure if pink flamingos care much for the wet, but at Future Music Festival unfortunately the namesake Pink Flamingo stage was worst affected by the ill-fated weather. Operator Please and Does It Offend You, Yeah? both cancelled their performances, given the electrocution risk posed by the wind and rain. With a little relent in the weather, stage crew were able to modify the set-up for Spank Rock. The four-piece sadly didn’t have much of a crowd to play to, but that didn’t stop them performing like it was a packed arena in front of them.

As fate would have it, though, Empire Of The Sun was favoured by the weather gods, and their show could go on. With a limited discography perfect for a one-hour spectacle, Luke Steele and his backing band The Swiss delivered a magnificent standalone concert. With highly choreographed and energetic routines, Luke engaged with his versatile female dancing foursome. They were costumed in a magnificent array of colour, set against a kaleidoscopic backdrop.

As a longtime fan, I so wanted to see The Prodigy. Despite the unpleasant condition of the grounds to get there, the UK veterans delivered a blistering set of greatest hits. Poison exploded around the arena, with the crowd going ballistic when Voodoo People morphed into Omen. Newer songs like Take Me To The Hospital and Invaders Must Die ensured the energy never dipped, but the biggest responses were reserved for the likes of Firestarter and Smack My Bitch Up. It was a relentless show, and perfect to bring the festival home on a high.

I’m already looking forward to what the Future has in store for us next time…