Anyone from Canberra can attest that over the Christmas and New Years period, the capital is a ghost town: with most residents escaping to somewhere (anywhere) else. However, on January 6 outside Academy Nightclub, a line had been forming since before 9pm to see the one, the only, Calvin Harris.

Canberra really isn’t the type of town that sells many things out and especially not the same day as the ticket release. But Calvin had managed to do just this, selling out merely hours after tickets went on sale and since November, many have been desperately trying to score a ticket – usually to no avail. As such, many had to line up for the limited amount of tickets on the door with the hope that they’d got there early enough to score one of these golden tickets.

Walking into Academy just before midnight, the line was still huge, but downstairs, the club was pumping. DJ Cheese had just finished his set for the night and the crowd was well and truly warm. Although I had missed the set, many commented on how awesome it was which made me instantly regret getting to the club late.

With more than an hour until Calvin was meant to be on, the dance floor was already packed with people gearing up for what they had been waiting months for. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the crowd, but they definitely made my night. In true Canberra fashion, it seemed as though anyone and everyone was there and were all having a brilliant time. Even the long drink lines didn’t bring down the positive energy of everyone in the club – everyone was just too pumped for Calvin.

The lead up to Calvin’s set flew by quickly and before I knew it, I was squashed on the dance floor with everyone else waiting for him to begin. I didn’t need to wait long because the man himself appeared on stage early, much to the surprise of the crowd who weren’t sure it was the man himself until a massive background screen began to flash “CALVIN HARRIS”.

Calvin started with a bang, dropping his 2009 hit I’m Not Alone, making the whole dance floor heave with excitement. He then continued to weave classic hits such as Praise You and recent club favourites like All My Friends with his own chart-topping music, which naturally got the biggest reactions. Seamlessly weaving each song into another, Calvin showed the Canberra crowd why he’s so popular. As the night progressed he slowly turned the tempo into a more electro beat appropriate for the mid am timeslot.

While it’s hard to say that anything could top Calvin’s performance at Foreshore 2010, Calvin’s appearance at Academy was an awesome night and a pretty damn good show.