The Sound of Q-dance Sydney pictures and report

The pictures went online this weekend, so don't forget to check them out here!

Check out the full party report below:

The Sound Of Q-dance – World Tour: Sydney

Text by: Steven Annegarn

Q-dance is deliberately slowly introducing itself and revealing hardstyle to the world. With events stretching to Australia, Northern Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Germany and a cruise in Sweden, Q-dance has been touring for the most part of 2008. 2009 sees more countries about to encounter the experience of Q. The official 2009 Q-Dance World Tour visits countries like Poland, Scotland and France, not to mention Australia, which I was lucky enough to attend due to current travels made to the big country down under.

Loud cheers escaped my mouth when I first heard six weeks ago that Q-dance was visiting the Hordern Pavilion Sydney once again. The strong line-up listed on the website consisted of local djs Shayla and Nitrouz, some Italian flavour from Tatanka and Davide Sonar, with Dutch djs Luna, Pavo, Isaac, A-lusion, Scope DJ and Fausto. The young and talented MC V was hosting the night. I was not about to miss this opportunity and was so grateful to be able to reschedule my flight and excitedly got ready to party!

After withdrawing myself from hardstyle music for three months, listening to a single hardstyle track on my iPod gave me goose bumps. My cravings for hardstyle and the urge to dance my ass off with a massive appreciative crowd going wild was higher than ever! That tingly feeling in my stomach was building up rapidly throughout the day and I was ready to go crazy by the time it was 6 PM.
First up was an awesome tour throughout the city on the famous Q-dance bus. Together with fans, friends, djs and crew we toured around for about two hours, giving the whole city a taste of Q. The people’s reactions while we drove by were great. Some waved, some smiled, some took pictures, and others just started dancing right away.
By the time the bus arrived at the venue, everybody on it was ready to go!

Nitrouz and Shayla kicked off and played some really good shit straight away, holding back nothing. While the Hordern filled to a pleasantly large-sized crowd, tracks like ‘Southstylers – Jazeker!’ and Shayla’s compilation with Technoboy ‘Oh My God’ were pounding out of the speakers.

Being a Dutch regular party-goer back in The Netherlands, I know what to expect at these events back home, but in Australia I had no idea. Wow, was I in for a surprise! Watching the people walk in, weave their way to the front of the dance floor, and just show off their dance moves was amazing. Great outfits, piercings, colored hair, Melbourne shufflers, gabber, jump - it was all there. The crowd was a bit younger than what I had expected but that didn’t bother me at all. We were all there for the same thing - banging hardstyle!

Banging hardstyle is what we got – full pelt. Fausto was going a bit darker with his hardhouse records but A-lusion spinned those classic tracks every hardstyle-lover was anticipating. The start of his set coincided with the beginning of the light show. A massive amount of twelve multi-color laser units turned the dark hall into a brightly colored beautiful spectacle. I was drooling all over the place, it was amazing!
Isaac’s set was intoxicating. He played some great tracks from several different record labels and was strong as always. Every set had strength and power behind it. Luna showed he was back with a vengeance after laying low for much of last year and Davide Sonar played a fabulous set filled with several of his best-produced records to date. It was fantastic to hear ‘YRML’, ‘Reactor’, and ‘Techno Boheme’ all in one set! Pavo was amazing, spinning brilliant tracks like ‘S.E.X.’ and ‘Cold Rocking’. Interaction with the crowd was good and he was going as wild as they were, dancing his ass off. Great set, great performance. Hopefully we’ll be able to enjoy more of his sets in 2009.
I was surprised that I was somewhat emotional whilst these sets where being played with such intensity watching the mind-blowing laser show. What a great feeling and to top it off, people around me asked several times if I was ok, acting worried and concerned for me. The Australians are very sweet people! Everybody really cared about each other, just like the way it should be. Back in The Netherlands, people are a bit more individualized. You get a “sorry!” when somebody bumps into you, but the Australians say it a bit friendlier, really very kind. This positive attitude amongst the crowd infects the atmosphere and makes it electric.

The general quality of the event was very good as well. As I mentioned, the laser shows were incredible, equal to Dutch standards. The sound quality was good, not overly loud but powerful enough, and well balanced throughout the venue. The restroom facilities and bars were ok and there was even a merchandise stand with cool Q-stuff. Security was present but in a good way and I bet they didn’t have to do more than observe the crowd.

It struck me how much people were dancing, enjoying, not complaining and just having a good time. They enjoyed every minute, really got into it and there was a very upbeat vibe. In The Netherlands, there is always a bunch of people standing still, holding their beer looking around instead of dancing their asses off! They complain about that one record they don’t like, that bad mix, the sound being too loud, too soft or off-balance. In Australia, that doesn’t happen. The Aussies realize that not everything can be perfectly suited to every visitor’s preference: they accept this and just enjoy what does suit. Having said this, the opportunity to party every weekend at a large event just isn’t available so it plays an important part in this. The few events each year they get to attend, they want to enjoy and dance away every second of it. Now that’s the right attitude.
I was dumbstruck how well everybody knew the tracks being played. In The Netherlands, we tend to think of hardstyle as a genre bred just for the Dutchies, but the force of hardstyle is evident with the use of the worldwide internet. Those hardstyle fans on the other side of the world know the tracks and know the djs. Even the young up and coming dj Scope DJ was recognised through the crowd. He did a very good job, as did the young MC V. Both names are bound to be seen on many flyers in years to come!

I gave myself a three-month hardstyle detox break, which put me in a similar position as the Aussies, and damn, it works! I’ve had a blast, I even enjoyed those tracks from Showtek that aren’t my kind of hardstyle, and got goose bumps several times throughout the night. It’s been some time since I enjoyed hardstyle that much. I would recommend everybody who is spoilt with choice for events to take a little break from it all: it helps you enjoy it much more the next time. Or alternatively, go along to one of Q’s World Tour Events and experience the right attitude for yourself!
Q-dance will visit Northern Ireland and Scotland in April, and Defqon.1 is coming to Australia in September. I wouldn’t be surprised if more events are to be announced, so there’s plenty of opportunity coming our way for hardstyle-lovers.

Go for it! And enjoy!