As I promised to my two friends JayCM and Pathos, here's a review with all the details I could remember (since the night started at 10:30p.m with HouseQuake ROOG and ErickE on the decks and ended around 7:30a.m with MAESTRO FERRY on FIRE!).
The gates to the stadium were opened since 9:00p.m, there was multiple entrance gates (but all of them leading to the main stage), there were two bars (oh and the system there to buy drinks is very different, you buy a card wich contains a certain amount of credits it could go to 20EU to 100EU, and each time you buy a drink, you plug the card in an ATM look alike machine, and the value of it is withdrawed from your credit. and the girls at the bar were definately HOT), also on the way to the stage, there's a lot of stores (sensation goodies, food, lockers if you have bags, sensation tatoos stand, etc...)
First of all, no comments about the amazing set up: the main stage had a great huge background wich looked like a "BigBen" psychadelic clock' (it switches colors with the mood of the music), the heart of the clock' was a big Screen on wich the acts , crowd, animation and Dj's Face were alternatively shown.
At the bottom of it there was a door from where the hosts (there were two hosts Mc GEE and B2B(I think), Dj's and Dancers were coming out.
Then in front of that door was a long alley (on which most of the acts used to be performed except those that were done hanged in the air around the deck or within the crowd). And at the end of the alley the spinning Dj boot, it looked like an upper face (ForeHead, eyes and nose) (most of the time you feel like those eyes are starring at you
), anyway there was two of them opposite to each others, and there were LCD screens hanged by the deck in between the 2 faces. Also the color of the faces used to change with the music. And finally there was a huge Screen placed at the other end of the arena (it showed the same images of the other screens). The lasers locations were covering all the stadium and there were also all kind of PyroTechnologies (fireWorks, and static flame throwers all along the alley and DjDeck). The stage was located at the center of the arena, so anywhere you're located in the stadium you have a clear view of every thing and on the DJ on his rotative deck (except the background, you have to be in a front view.
Anyway let's get to the main course, the main idea of the night was this "Dream Catcher" thing (I didn't get it quite well) but all I can describe to you (as you'll see in the images later on), is that in the transitions (between Dj's): Two green martians dressed chicks used to go through the crowd holding this "Dream Catcher" which is supposed to be a machine(it looked like a big fish bowl with lots of wires connected to it), they put it on someone's head (the person was randomly picked from the crowd and shown on all the screens), and they "catch" his dream to make it come true (so I'll let you guess that the dream is supposed to be: get me Dj XXX to play here tonight). So it was kind of a transition act to introduce the next artist; the act was musicaly followed with the classical melody "Le Lac des Cygnes" (for all you piano players or musician out there,you must recognize this song) with the tone of a MusicBox instrument, also the host used to shout out "Where is he? Where is he?"(the person who's dream has to be accomplished)...
Okay, let's talk music now: After the impressing intro (you know when the odd scary voice starts speaking for hours and the ambiance is quite Dark), I remember seeing on the screens, animation secenes where people are sniffing coke or shooting themselves with drugs... anway I was so excited and busy recording around that I couldn't get the idea of the speech...something about encouraging people to let loose and go crazy, whatever'... after the speech BAM! Smoke every where, everything went completly white, you could only see WHITE WHITE and WHITE (people, lights, white confettis falling from the sky...)
The night was opened by HouseQuake Roog en Erick E ,they played a very nice set of Tribal House (I guess so, I'm not sure it's tribal), but the sounds had lots of percussions and was followed by a percussion live act (actually there were two on the decks and one on the percussion , I think it's erickE)... then after the first transition the host started to talk about fighting AIDS and about this DJ who's within this campaign, and guess who showed up... TIESTO that's right baby , himself, with "Rain on me" to start the show, followed by "Tell me why" (SuperMode) and then his In search of sunrise5 tracks ,I recognized "MoonLight Party" (Fonzerelli), the crowd was euphorically happy (so was I) to see him joining the sensation tribe also dressed in white like all the rest. Then David Guetta (or Mr. I wanna show my Biceps, the poor guy was pushing so hard on his arms to keep his bicep shown... )anyway I rembered he played 3 very nice songs like "Walking away Vs. Love don't let me go" (the same played by PeteTong at BIEL), the ambiance was so awesome during that song , I got also very euphoric as well! "Love Sensation" and "Insane Man", and of course his typical "The world is mine" but the mix he played was very "transily" working out (it was followed by a very soft female voice)... After him, Benny Rodrigues took the control (I'm not really sure it was him since I've missed the transition, 'caus I ran out of Batteries so I went back running to the lockers to replace them stupid lame batteries and by the time I got back David Guetta was gone). He played a very nice selection of typical/classic rock songs housily remixed (Without Love, Song2-Blur, and other rock songs we all know 'caus we hear them on daily basis but we're never really sure of their real names. Oh and during his set, we got a live performance of the song "Fight for your right!" (I don't know if it was the Beasty Boys themselves who were performing , but since they were dressed pretty weirdly I thaught it could be really them)... so as you see (or hear in your head) the ambiance got kind of a ROCK attitude for a while, everybody was like HeadBanging. Next stop: "MEGAMIX" in the mix, his style was very electric and hard (we needed some hard stuff at this moment 'caus people started to feel down a little), so nice timing. After the "transition" act, Mr. Steve Angelo came back in control with a trippy-electro style (sorry if I didn't put much details for MEGAMIX and Steve Angelo, but during this time I was kind of distracted/busy with a girl... but I can assure you the music was great 'caus I was very happy enjoying my time in this moments , if you know what I mean
).
Now the most interesting parts of the finale (it was around 4:30a.m , and still jumping and jumping and dancing in the moonlight waiting for the sunlight who started to show up in the sky of the arena (the roof of the arena was closed but transparent; actually what was very impressive is the soundproofing system of the arena, I don't know how they could contain all the sound, 'caus once you step out of the arena (and go through the stores and stairs), you can't hear an ounce of sound... anyway lets get back to the finale:
PART I: Mr. Sander Klinenberg (main host I guess, since he's the composer of this year's senstaion anthem which is the song "This is Sensation" (same as "This is not MIAMI", but the words change a bit), so as soon as he took control of the deck, he played the song, then when the Part "This is Sensation!" of the song arrived, everything calmed down even the music, (only the words could be heard).... EXPLOSION of Fireworks with the BassLines... incredible moment! Then his electrosounds took us on trip 'til the next and final "transition"...
PART II: When the "Dream Catcher" finished his work, MAESTRO Ferry Corsten, finally showed up in the rythm of "Fire"(Goatus' Flashover Reconstruction), during the song , the flame throwers machines didn't stop making out a hot and warm Fire that envelop your whole body and since you're hearing the song you don't feel like resisting the fire but more like letting it go through you... the context was so perfectly fitted together (FIRE and FIRE) , and on the screen we could see the clip of the movie as well (you know the girl frozen in a big ice cube block melting down as fire is blown through it...), so MAGICAL entrance by Ferry (thank you again for this wonderful night!), but the best is yet to come after FIRE! No it's not water... it's Galaxia2005 in a LIVE Act with 8 violonist players standing all around the Dj boot playing and taking you away with their strings as you close your eyes and have goozebums (chair de poule! in french)... and when the song explodes back again with the rythm: man you're so happy that you feel like crying of joy hearing this Melody with all those white angels around you smiling and jumping and screaming, you don't want this moment to end soon... Unfortunately my night had to stop there (it was 6:30a.m) beacuse my train back to Paris was at 7:30a.m (and I couldn't risk to stay much longer), but it's okay since Ferry is coming back to leb soon and I'll see him in 2 weeks at the DanceValley, so no regrets...
And finally I forgot to mention the great friendly loving attitude of the people there, I mean WOW, you talk to them once and then you feel like you know them from long time ago and hang out with them and their group of friends... (you'll see in the pictures as I'll post them soon).
So here's my review of the best night I ever had in my entire life, I hope it was clear enough for you guys, sorry for the english mistakes sometimes and for my personnal reactions but you know, I still feel like I'm there and that tomorrow I'll wake up and see those people (mostly girls) again... Anyway next year we all know where it's gonna take place, and in this manner I invited all the people I met there to come to Beirut next year (you just have to find the right arguments, but since they know that you're lebanese they're already half-conviced to come
.
:D
