The day started at Heathrow terminal three, staring at the arrivals screen waiting for VS010 to touch down. An arrival from New York, Crystal, our Stateside friend was joining RicoP and the team for the two hour drive up to Birmingham, and a night of hedonistic trance mayhem at the mercy of Above and Beyond. Alongside the trio’s four hour set, appearances from Jon O'Bir, Mark Eteson and Richard Durand guaranteed the night would be epic. Even more so for some, after a seven and a half hour flight, a five hour time difference, and an all night event, Crystal had been up for over thirty six hours!

Jon O’Bir warmed the crowd perfectly, with his uplifting yet energetic display, combining instrumental and vocal tracks that teased us all. The highlight of the evening, the four hour mix from Above and Beyond didn’t disappoint. The longer than usual set time gave the trio (for this night duo, Jono was absent!) the opportunity to experiment with tracks from their label subsidiary, Anjunadeep, before building to classics and future anthems from Anjunabeats. Tracks showcased first on their increasingly popular ‘Above and Beyond TV’ episodes were played, building the anticipation behind their forthcoming debut compilation release on Anjunadeep, entitled Anjunadeep:01. Signalrunners’ ‘Meet Me in Montauk’ being the perfect example, opening their set with its’ tranquil euphoric break, before Shane54 and Myon’s ‘Not a Lot Left’ and Komytea’s ‘Professional Killers’ confirmed – this was going to be a set to remember.

The confetti explosion on the breakdown of Above and Beyond’s Club mix of ‘Breaking Ties’ was an awesome sight, although the club itself, Air, left a lot to be desired. Despite the rather mediocre surroundings, Tony and Paavo managed to construct a superb set that left any aesthetic concerns far behind. Richard Durand impressed us all with his technical ability and composure behind the decks. The balcony overlooking the DJ booth provided the perfect vantage point to witness said ‘turntablism’. The evening was completed by a friendly chat with Paavo about Empirical Symphony’s upcoming night Solace at BabySimple. The night closed an exhausting experience for all, non-stop dancing and ‘hands-in-the-air’ moments merely an indication of just how brilliantly the DJ’s performed.