While we are still buzzing from this year’s amazing outdoor festival season, we need to face, that the indoor season is now taking over. Huge halls, expos and soccer stadiums open their doors for thousands of visitors, But we should not forget where we all come from. Where it all started. Afterwards quite a while we were finally back in a nightclub last weekend. Musical Madness celebrated their 10 year anniversary with a massive Madness XXL #2 party! The event was simply insane and I asked myself why? What makes a club party a good one? Let’s try to find out.
If you’d ask DJs for their ultimate club experience, and therefore probably the point, which makes a club party a sick club party, is the interaction with the crowd. The feeling that you can almost touch the crowd gives the party a completely different feeling – for the crowd and the DJ. So was Musical Madness’s XXL #2 party. DJs were playing on three different areas, from euphoric in the main hall to classics and raw in the second and third room. In all areas the DJ is just a few centimetres ahead.
This gives a party and the DJ and personal touch, no indoor or bigger event could ever reach. What I like in the Bootshaus is the fact that the artist has still some sort of small glass cover, so people can’t touch the players and mixer. But still, especially when the artist jumped on the table next to the mixer, you could look into his eyes, see him smile, see him partying and he gives you the feeling of being involved in the set.
Credits: Digitized Reality – https://www.facebook.com/digitizedreality/
Generally, I’d say the location place an important role when asking what defines a perfect club party. Let’s be honest, some clubs are just shit and seriously feel like they are just a “money machine”. But not the Bootshaus. The club gives this special underground feeling we all love and what was pretty much the roots of hard dance music.
Besides that, the club offers lots of space, with a big outdoor area, some sort of balcony in the main hall itself, two more areas and bar areas. One of the most important things in my opinion: On the sides of the main hall there are two huge doors to the outdoor area. The doors were opened the whole night – fresh air the whole night!
The point is, Musical Madness knows how to use these benefits of a club, they know how to use the location perfectly! On a scale 1 to 10 I’d say, the comfort factor in the Bootshaus is surely a 10. No matter if parking, air, space, the feeling, the atmosphere and even the fucking show, it was great and could not have been done better!
Besides the location the music should of course be the main focus. For Musical Madness’s second XXL party they had artists like Atmozfears, Noisecontrollers, Frontliner and Sounic in the main hall, Isaac and Josh & Wesz in the classic area and even opened up a third area with Sub Sonik, Sub Zero Project and Amentis.
Credits: Digitized Reality – https://www.facebook.com/digitizedreality/
Starting with Scale & D-Liciouz at the main floor around 10pm, the club started to get filled. Around 11pm the club was packed at its maximum! Unbelievable! After a 1.5h set of those two, Airtunes teamed up with D-Liciouz and delivered 30 minutes set, packed with just the best euphoric hardstyle.
Finally, the first headliner. No one else than Noisecontrollers hopped on stage. The crowd response was amazing! I remember the moment he dropped Down Down as one of his first tracks. The crowd started singing, clapping and screaming. Noisecontrollers turned around to his manager with just the biggest smile on his face!
Time for harder music, as we went to Sub Sonik in the third area. Damn, the place felt like a sauna. The ceiling was sweaty, the room filled with smoke. The rough tracks of Sub Sonik were blasting through the place, the people were going crazy! Even here the crowd’s response was amazing. Sub Sonik played a 1,5h set. He started with some softer tracks like his edit of Heaven, Raise your Fist or Maluas edit of Green Stuff. With every track he went harder, playing tracks like Fuck you all if you doubt me, Go Fuck Yourself or his edit of Oh Fortuna.
No time to stay until the end, as we rushed to the classic area, to catch Isaac! The set reminded me of his insane Qlimax opening in 2015. Many great classic passed by and the atmosphere was … you guessed it – amazing!
Back on the main floor, where Atmozfears was about to play. We heard the last beats of Frontliner, finishing his set with his hardcore edit of Melody Man. But we also heard some new tracks, Summer, Loud or his Defqon.1 anthem – the classic Frontliner set right?
Credits: Digitized Reality – https://www.facebook.com/digitizedreality/
We didn’t listen to Atmozfears whole set, but what we’ve heard so far was really good! We actually heard some new tracks, but also solid releases like Release, This is Hardstyle or his Qlimax anthem Equilibrium. We’d instead like to underline the last 30 minutes of his set. Out of nowhere Sub Sonik, Isaac and Sub Zero Project joined him on stage, playing one of the most insane 30 minutes so far this night!
Utterly sick. After 20 minutes they started dropping some fat hardcore beats like D-Fence’s Wazz Up, Pompen or Mad Dog’s classic Agony. The event ended with a one hour set by Sounic. The crowd stood its ground till the very end! Around 6am, the atmosphere was still really good. Sounic did a great job here! Besides the DJs, MC DL did an amazing job as well. He’s in for alot of Musical Madness events since almost three years now – he kind of grew to an important member. He exactly knew how to party, how to keep in touch with the audience and especially when he had to shut up!
What I actually desire to point out is the crowd’s reaction this night. The crowd was 100% dedicated and gave their absolute best. It was just insane. During all common hardstyle tracks the crowd sang along, clapped their hands together and just had the fun of their life. We know an organizer can’t do anything about the crowd, but if you have a great crowd, the event automatically becomes better!
Credits: Digitized Reality – https://www.facebook.com/digitizedreality/
Another important aspect is, surely, that the DJs do identify themselves with the event and are happy to play as well! No matter if it was Noisecontrollers, Atmozfears, Frontliner, Sub Sonik, Sub zero Project, Josh & Wesz, Isaac or all other artists, they all had the biggest smile on their face while playing. If the DJ enjoys the show and party as much as the crowd does, it gives you a huge boost, to keep up partying with him.
By referring back to what I said about the location. Using its possibilities is significant. Musical Madness managed to use the whole location for their show. 5 additional lasers, fire and Co2 made the show, besides all the 16 beam moving heads, 4 strobes and visuals, complete. The show on the main floor was absolutely stunning, as I didn’t expect such a variety of effects and elements.
Can we give an answer to my question what defines the perfect club party? Perhaps, let’s some summarize some points I’ve brought up. Objectively, the organizer can actually do a lot to make their party people feel comfortable. The right location and especially the right use of the location with all its facilities is the key to deliver a successful club party. Keep in mind the locations are smaller, there tend to get foggy and sweaty, try to compensate it. If the event sells out, make sure people still have space to move and to dance.
Credits: Digitized Reality – https://www.facebook.com/digitizedreality/
Subjectively, there is a lot you cannot really plan. The music, the people, the atmosphere. But you can try to do your best with previous said points to make the crowd happy and feel comfortable. Do this two times in a row and people will start enjoying the effort and the smaller things, which makes their party experience worth it, the ticket price they paid worth it!
Musical Madness did everything right in their last 10 years! Bringing hardstyle to Germany is their mission and I’d say it was more than successful. Musical Madness’s XXL #2 party was off the hook. It was the perfect club party. Starting with their fresh marketing and design, by using their opportunities the location offers, by booking the right DJs, by delivering a kick-ass show, even in a club and made us all feel like “Yes, the ticket price was absolutely worth it!” When talking about quality hard dance events in Germany there is no way around Musical Madness. Happy Birthday guys, happy fucking birthday to 10 years Musical Madness! You seriously deserve the crown for Germany’s leading hard dance event organizer – keep it up!
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