Salt on the Beach – possibly the greatest venue on earth. Okay, maybe a little bit overstated, but for the times it is used, it suits every event very well. It just so happens the venue was being used on Australia Day for a bit of a party featuring Laidback Luke, Zoe Badwi and other local talent.

Arriving at the venue, I was greeted with the usual inviting atmosphere I come to expect from the Limelite event. The main stage was thumping and the inside air conditioned area provided a second stage to attendees that needed a break from the sweltering temperatures outside.

Four thirty came around and Mel B took to the stage to the delight of the local Limelite faithful. Some uplifting house got the party mood going before the evening set in. The set was pretty fresh, with some tracks that sounded as good as the DJ looked.

Around this time I wondered to the cool room to check out something a little different and was met by the intriguing sound of DJ Mo Fly. Something funky was filling the room, mixing old ‘70s tunes with modern songs to create a great vibe to chill out (literally) and have a dance to.

Hearing the crowd in the main room roar, it was clear Zoe Badwi had dropped one of her signature tracks. Sure enough Release Me was being belted out to her followers. Her latest hit Freefallin’ closed the energy-filled live performance, with many members of the crowd following along to every note.

Mind Electric was up next, starting his mix with tunes that got the crowd into the evening mood, dropping his signature sound of electro-house. Generally the crowd appeared to enjoy his style, as the party vibe seemed to turn up a notch.

Finally the time had come for the man everyone had been so excited about. Laidback Luke took to the stage with large expectations and he definitely did not disappoint. The crowd packed wall-to-wall to see the Dutch-raised legend.

The rumours were true; the man can mix his ass off. Luke’s unique brand of ‘smash it out’ house rained down on the crowd. A bit of pop including Missy Elliot’s Work It loosened up the set and gave it an edge not expected. Switching and reversing kept the crowd bouncing and heaving through the night. Halfway through the set a man by the name of Nebat Drums took the stage beside Luke, bringing in bongos as an unexpected twist to the performance. A very nice surprise indeed.

Overall, an awesome venue and awesome acts created a real winner for Limelite. I could not have asked for a better Australia Day, and from the look of it, most people in attendance would agree.