The Queen’s birthday means party time and with a cornucopia of events to choose from, the inaugural HOLEANDCORNER was one of the most hotly talked about choices leading up to the weekend. Boasting top notch international and local acts, the new boutique party series kicked off in a big way with some big beats on both land and sea.
Hot Chip DJs led the charge of international acts for the day warming up the steadily growing crowd, followed up by Spaniard Henry Saiz with a stunning debut of his live show. With the help of a vocalist and a drummer, Saiz created a hypnotic wall of sound that was truly a treat. When the clock struck techno-clock Cosmin TRG hit the stage, pumping out an hour and a half of relentless techno. Mixing in both old and new, he elicited a particularly rousing response when the thump of Par Grindvik’s rework of Fusion of Thought’s The Persuader hit the decks. Arguably the most anticipated act of the night, Matthew Dear and his blend of funky beats definitely got feet moving.
In a move that set HOLEANDCORNER apart from other events of its kind, the Melbourne Star played host to a dance party at sea, departing four times throughout the day. Spread across two floors, the talent featured local DJs ranging from the Cutting Shapes to the Citipower crews while the highly buzzed about Xosar represented the international acts, capping off the evening with a huge set of her spacey sounds.
While the quality of the tunes was to be expected I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the setup. In what could only be described as ‘ultimate rave swank,’ couches lined the back walls and an abundance of bars meant that you didn’t have to miss much to grab a drink. In another impressive move, the Taco Track was waiting out back to serve up some delicious eats to those in need of some fuel. Back on the dance floor the enormity of Shed 14 meant that despite nearly reaching capacity, there was plenty of room to dance and the age old problem of dealing with the crowd pushers was virtually eliminated.
The hype was heavy leading up to HOLEANDCORNER and when an event advertises itself as an ‘extraordinary visceral experience’, it’s easy to fall short of the mark. But from the carefully selected talent to the dining and the decor, organisers executed creating an event that was fit for a Queen.
BY LAUREN GILL
Loved: All that space.
Hated: The next day.
Drank: Beers.
