Arriving at HiFi Bar just on midnight, I got in quickly after a tight security check. It was great to see the venue keeping it safe for party people. It was a mixed crowd with plenty of fellow ravers and a few seemingly unsavory and edgy individuals mingling. Downstairs, the side stage with a booth next to the bar and a sitting area overlooking The Main Room through glass, Little Johnny had started on a housey trance set. This area was quite small; more a place to chill and watch, rather than a place to dance. The bar never did get very crowded and service here was particularly quick.

Down the flight of stairs to The Main Room, was the front dance floor with raised tiers all the way to a second bar at the back. A massive RGB laser topped the booth which had brilliant LCD screens behind and spotlight and projectors in front of it, surrounded by numerous strobes. It was quite a good setup, with visuals especially well done. The large space allowed the laser a massive spread, with the room becoming steadily smoky throughout the night. Half the main room was carpeted though – which proved frustrating to dance on. The front area however, had saturated tiles, allowing for much better movement.

The place was already quite packed with an energetic crowd. Funky costumes abounded with many turned out in full rave gear. Dr Willis opened with the classic rock song You’re The Voice. Playing relatively melodic trance, his tunes were complimented by incredible visuals in full colour HD. Another classic Quench Dreams, and an awesome remix of Stranger to Stability was also pumped out.

Then ASYS came out. Opening with a Boyz Noize tune, the crowd went mad! Following this, his acid buildups took the night in a darker direction, and the main room became steadily turbulent as the music, mood, and lighting deepened throughout his set. Hard and fast tunes with red and purple searchlights created havoc, and he finished with rocking guitar chords and bass beats.

The crowd began to spread out as the night went on, making dancing much easier. Master and Slave also known as Frisky & Proteus introduced an electrifying set. Purple visuals and lime lasers cast an eerie glow on their crazy costumes and hairstyles, with Proteus resembling a Roman General with his tall mohawk falling down his head. Their show had the crowd well and truly warmed up for Hellraiser’s upcoming set.

On this night, Hellraiser played one of the hardest, fastest sets I have ever heard, though he is well known for his insane shows. His set ended with his torso silhouetted against the LCD screens, as though he were playing us into a virtual rollercoaster ride from hell He definitely ended the night in classic Pharmacy style, leaving me absolutely exhausted.

The venue didn’t quite match up to the expanse and scale of previous Pharmacy venues, causing a few complaints. Poor air conditioning kept the air stifled and with the venue stopping passouts to the outside smoking area and thus encouraging people to smoke indoors, the air became even harder to breathe. Overall, while punters were saddened by the end of Pharmacy, they did get a good fix of banging hard music with stunning visuals to carry them through until the next one.