Jul. 22, 2008 - inthemix.tv heads to Sensation Amsterdam - episode now live!
As promised, we've gone through all the footage shot on the recent trip to Amsterdam for Sensation and put together a special episode of inthemix.tv! The clip is now live, and you can watch or download now, so if you can't wait for Sensation NYE in Melbourne be sure to check it out and get an idea of what's in store.
The inthemix Festival Page for Sensation is HERE and it'll be our one-stop shop for all things Sensation in the lead-up to NYE. Keep it bookmarked for all the latest details as they're announced. Bring on December 31st!
Here's a few videos I shot on my camera that I've uploaded to YouTube. We'll have a full HD shot episode of inthemix.tv coming next week that'll be a visual orgasm, so this is just some stuff to tide you over until then. Make sure you check the full episode out when it goes live on Friday July 18th!
The calm before the storm... a quick pan over the main stadium the day before the event when I was given a walk through of the stage setup:
If memory serves correct this was just as Felix Da Housecat started - if you look closely you can see tiny dancers dressed as 'pearls' making their way up and down the stage!
Much later in the night, I think during Tocadisco. As the party wore on things got really hectic with the light show - as you can tell by this clip!
A quick look out onto the crowd on the centre-stage area - note the massive water fountains/cannons (it was a little scary being up there, thought I might get knocked over by a jet of water at any second haha):
As promised, here's a few pics - will also have some YouTube vids up soon.
Set up photos (the day before the party). Gives you a good idea of the size of the production. Was breathtaking to walk into the stadium when it was empty and see just how big a place it is.
Some pics from the event. Apologies for my exceedingly shit photography skills. It's not my forte - some better pics will be coming soon though, I promise!
It’s not too often you find yourself completely lost for
words. But, after Sensation White in Amsterdam
I have been really struggling to express how immense an experience was. Having
heard so much about the event for years now, it was great to see it go off with
such a bang in the city where it all began.
Things kicked off slowly with Dutch local Chuckie. Although
not a recognised name to me, I’m told he’s fast rising star in Holland and as the first act of the night he
understandably kept things low key. This, when combined with the initial chaos
of first arriving (getting yourself orientated in a venue the size of Amsterdam
Arena took some time!) I thought that perhaps it was a bit too much to take in.
It wasn’t until Felix Da Housecat took the reigns that things really started
moving, and so by the time local legend Fedde La Grand stepped up the party was
in full swing. Each DJ carried with them their own theme, with costumed dancers
and unique elements of the light and production show taking place. While the
long spoken intros often seemed dramatic – often bordering on cheesy – they really
set the scene for what was to come and had people cheering. Epic is a term that
continually sprang to mind.
The DJ booth was situated in the centre of the stadium floor
and it rotated slowly so everyone got a chance to see who was playing no matter
where you were in the arena. There were two long catwalks running out from the
DJ booth area and down the length of the floor, meaning the full stage ran the
whole length of the stadium. There were water jets situated along on these
longer arms of the stage, and they’d spray out long columns or curtains of
water with lasers projecting pictures onto them. The Mega Mix (the night’s
crescendo) was a visual orgy. Lights, lasers, pyro and performers, all of it
timed to perfection with the musical soundtrack. It’s often said that Cirque Du
Soleil and Sensation bear similarities because of their complex and theatrical
stage approach. Seeing the full Sensation White experience with my own eyes, I can
understand how the parallels are drawn.
After the Mega Mix it was Laidback Luke’s time to shine,
before Tocadisco took control and moved things into harder territory. Marco V
ended the night, giving perhaps the closest glimpse of Sensation White’s
trancier past (although with a definite tech influence). A few years ago when
Sensation White shifted its musical policy towards house and electro there were
grumbles from trance fans that it wasn’t a style of music conducive to a
stadium show. After seeing 40,000+ people all have the time of their lives to
‘mainrom house’ – it doesn’t get much more mainroom than a stadium, right? –
I’d have to disagree. While initially the dress code had me feeling a little
awkward, the sentiment had dissipated entirely by the time we reached the venue.
It had you feeling part of something much, much bigger than yourself.
As we left the party, the sun beginning to rise, we were
handed lanyards promoting Sensation’s forthcoming entry to the Australian
market; Melbourne
on NYE. The first details are coming later this month, so be sure to stay tuned
to ITM as we’ll be reporting on it closely. Now that I’m back in Oz I’ll be
able to upload some pics and YouTube videos in the next few days, and be sure
to also stay tuned for our next episode of inthemix.tv (online Friday July 18th)
as it’s a special episode on ITM’s journey to Amsterdam. We were given behind
the scene’s access and also admitted onto the stage during the party, so
there’s some pretty goddamn amazing footage to see!
Jul. 5, 2008 - Last minute shopping for white pants
The reason for the 24 hour flight to the other side of the world is here; tonight we’ll head to Sensation White at Amsterdam Arena! The anticipation for the party was palpable when walking around the city today, with people already decked out in their white clothes in preparation. I took a last minute shopping expedition to find some pants after I’d decided the ones I’d brought with me weren’t quite white enough... In Australia I can’t say I’ve ever really looked for white pants before, but in Europe it seems like every second person is wearing a pair. Cultural difference, obviously. They clearly don’t attach the same ‘Supre stigma’ that we do back at home.
Last night I went to dinner with a few of the other Australians over for the week, including some representatives from the venue selected for NYE and other media. We were joined by Duncan (the ‘D’ in ID&T, who put the Sensation parties on), and it was interesting to speak with him the night before such a massive and important event for the company. I know I’d have a stomach full of vomiting butterflies thinking about everything that could go awry, but he seemed to handle it all quite well. Presumably a calm perspective is second nature after you’ve put on as many of these events as ID&T have.
So I’ve got my white outfit ready to go, and tonight we’re collected from the hotel and taken to the venue for a special pre-event dinner with many of the other international guests. With Sensation having successfully launched now in more than 15 countries (with more to come over the next year), there’s quite a diverse range of nationalities here. Countries as close as Denmark and Germany, and then as far a field as Chile and Australia; it’s a multicultural bunch to say the least!
My next entry will be post the event, so no doubt I’ll have a lot to say on the spectacle of the production and how the music played a part in it. I’ve been madly snapping pics and had every intention of adding them to the blog, but it seems I brought the wrong camera cable with me so can’t get them onto the laptop. It’ll have to wait for next week. Derrrr. To make up for it, here's a YouTube clip of Sensation Germany's 2008 megamix:
After 24 hours or so in transit we finally arrived in Amsterdam. I caught up with the ITM comp winners Daniel and Scott at the airport in Sydney before we left, and throughout the journey also tracked down a couple of other Aussies who were making the journey over. There’s quite the contingent heading over this year!
It’s Friday afternoon now and I’ve spent today having a wander around Amsterdam city, before heading out to the Arena for a quick look at the setup for the party. Entering the stadium (the same place the legendary Dutch soccer team Ajax play) it was absolutely breathtaking to see the size and scale of the production. Without giving in to the hype, it really does stand head and shoulders above anything else we’ve ever seen at an Australian dance event.
This weekend’s Amsterdam party launches the new ‘underwater’ theme which will tour for Sensation throughout the next few years (eventually making it to Australia for NYE 2009/2010). This year we’ll see the ‘oak of love’ in Melbourne (the setup that featured in the artwork for our recent ‘win a trip to Amsterdam’ competition), which made its debut in Amsterdam last July. Regardless of the theme we’ll have down under for the first Sensation party, from seeing a little on how things gone on behind the scenes today we are definitely in for a treat.
I got a tour of the stage setup by one of the event’s producers, James. I had the video camera on hand to film everything for our special episode of inthemix.tv (will be online Friday July 18th – be sure to check it out!) James is an Australian who came on board recently with ID&T (the people behind Sensation and a stack of other massive dance events). He’s been given the responsibility of looking after production of the Melbourne party, so he’s in Europe at the moment seeing how things are done here for our first event on NYE!
The thing that stands out most about Sensation compared to a lot of the dance parties we see happen in Australia is that the focus is really put on the ‘experience’ (as horrifically wanky as that sounds!) While most parties or festivals we go to in Australia concentrate their energy primarily on the music and the line-up, for Sensation it’s not the chief ingredient. That’s not to say it’s not an important element of the party, it’s just viewed equally alongside the other aspects of the production.
The lineup for this weekend’s party is Felix Da Housecat, Fedde Le Grand, Laidback Luke, Tocadisco, Marco V and some dude I’ve never heard of called Chuckie. In the middle of the night the famed ‘mega mix’ will take place, and although initially it was a little hard to overcome the connotations it had to cheesy hi-nrg Wild FM mix CD intros, from all reports it’s a mind-blowing spectacle that’s the most precious jewel in Sensation White’s crown.
I think I’ll be heading back to the Arena tonight to see some of the rehearsals, and while I took a stack of pics and video today I’m under strict instructions not to reveal anything until after the Amsterdam party as the specifics of the production always remain a closely guarded secret until the event takes place.
The hype and anticipation for Sensation in Melbourne this NYE has been pretty phenomenal so far, and we're still 6 months out from the event (and no official details have even been announced!) It all bodes well for it being one of the biggest parties Australia's ever seen - and what better way to get into the spirit than by checking out how it's done at the event's spiritual home of Amsterdam.
Sensation White Amsterdam takes place this weekend on Saturday July 5th, and recently inthemix gave away the trip of a lifetime to one lucky ITMer and a friend; return flights to The Netherlands, hotel accomodation and VIP tickets to Sensation White! I'll be heading along with the winners to document the whole journey for a special episode of inthemix.tv, and I'll also be keeping things updated with this blog and photo galleries.
Click 'Subscribe' on the right under 'Links' if you want to be automatically notified of new entries. We'll be posting videos, pics and words - you won't want to miss a thing! In the meantime, check out the official trailer for the 2008 Amsterdam event. Talk about epic!
With Sensation hitting Australia this NYE, this July inthemix is heading to The Netherlands to see the main event take place in the city where it all began; Amsterdam! We'll be following the lucky ITMers who won our 'Trip To Sensation White' competition, and reporting back on all the action as it happens.
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