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" Pupils fixed and dilated, 16,000 white-clad dance fans streamed down the escalator out of the Palais des congres at noon yesterday, as the 12th annual White Party was over for another year.
The partyers, many of whom had been grooving for the bash's entire 141/2 hours, were dressed in what appeared to be sex-shop chic: white micro-minis, hot pants, G-strings, white go-go boots, bra tops, feather boas, fishnet stockings and cowboy hats.
More than a third wore sunglasses, indoors, to shield their tender retinas from the light.
"It was unbelievable," said Vicky Coupal, wearing a white vinyl halter/hot pants ensemble, a multicoloured wig and little else.
"We'll be back next year, for sure," said her partner, Alain Joyal. "Now we're going to try to get some sleep."
Revellers were quick to correct a reporter who called the dance event a rave. No, it's a party, they said, although the use of ecstasy and speed to stay alert is part of both party cultures.
Marc St. Jean was experiencing his first White Party, also known as the Bal en blanc, and he said he'd definitely be back next year. "Was there ecstasy there? For sure," he said.
Aspiring DJ Sahar Cmet and her pals came from Ottawa to party. She bought her entire outfit - tulle ballerina skirt, bra top, white boots and silver wig - on-line at eBay. "This was the most fun, although the lineups for the bathroom were 30 minutes long," Cmet said.
"We came for the DJs and the music," said her friend, Robbie Jarawan. "This is the first time I've been to a party like this where I didn't use ecstasy but I did use speed," he said.
Organizers did a thorough frisking of all guests at the entry to prevent drug use, but some small amounts were still sneaked in.
If someone was caught with drugs, Jarawan explained, security guards would take them away, a police officer would "scare the crap" out of the offender, and the party-goer would be forced to purchase another ticket to get in.
At $125 for a VIP ticket, that's an expensive lesson.
Montreal police arrested four men and one woman for drug possession at the party.
Catherine N'gongo and her partner Danny Tremblay were first-timers to the White Party phenomenon, although with her thigh-high fishnets, cowboy boots and fur shrug, she looked like she'd been doing this for years.
"It was like Christmas in white in there," N'gongo enthused of the 14 hours she spent partying.
"How did I stay awake? That's confidential.
"Now we're going to go home and have sex," she said, grabbing Tremblay by the arm.
" (Courtesy of Montreal Gazette)
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(I didn't check, the sign said that) 
, but Armin finished with a type of dub version of Without You Near... 
