Review has been posted here
UPDATE:
Photos are up Here

After spending a VERY busy week around Asia, It was time for me to relax in HITEC Arena listening to my fav DJ and Producer, Armin van Buuren.

Little did I know HITEC Arena is hard to find! I took a cab there, well 5 actually, the other 4 couldn't find anything close to it. Once I was in the Hotel/Lobby center it was time to find where he was playing. I couldn't hear any music, but that wsa OK, I sort of wanted to get there before it opened as I didn't have a ticket. HUnting around and asking security and being told nothing due to the language issues, I finally found it by chance. Seeing it was still being setup I thoguht I may have a chance of buying a ticket and getting in. About then the police started setting up. I stayed on what I hoped was the inside giving me free entry. I realised I'd have to kill an hour, which I got to about 15 mins to go and thought bugger it and went up to the entrance. I just walked in with my camera and started taking photos pretending as if I was a photographer. Knowing what goes on locally at clubs, no 1 knows who's who, so I tried my luck. I hid out in the toilets for a while and came out and the place was PACKED with police. I played it cool, and stayed in....The advertised start time rolls around, and nothing happens. I race to the toilets again, hoping it'll start soon, as there's only so many photos you can take of an empty club. 1130, still no music. I'm packing it now, and pretend I have diarerha to escape all the police eyes who weren't letting up and knew I didn't have a media pass, but let me around anyhow. 12pm, music starts, I walk out.....music stops....I'm farked as I'm just there, and there's no music and I'm still the only non police person in the venue. I race back to the toilets clutching my stomach.....5 mins later the music is constant and the lights are off; I race past the police and head into the crowd, never to be seen again for the evening. I stood @ the front for 6 hours; before and during Armin's set. I was wearing The Armada Tee Shirt, from his label, He recognised it and we had a little chat over the stage (just points and winks and stuff).

Looking around crowd, it appeared to be more so just an event for people to go to, not many people at all knew who armin was, most appeared to smacked to even move at all, regardless of track selection. Armin tried to coax them into moving by playing a very techy set, overall I felt, very different to the set he played in Zouk a mate told me. I did my best to ID the set, but tech isn't what I enjoy or know.

Armin appeared to be in good form stepping up on the stage an hour early for about 10 mins chatting. Off he went and back he came when his set started with a very familar intro track who's name has slipped me (and I'm over in Hong Kong with no music access) just getting into things. His first mix was on, and he wasn't sniffing so it appears he wasn't sick this time, so I could see a REAL Armin (coz last time I saw him he was sick, but still killed it).

HE was bouncing around and interacting with the crowd and the guys he was here with. He was playing tunes really well up until the 1.5 hour mark where he lost it for about 3 tracks, but I doubt any1 other then him or I heard it (I hear beats slipping VERY quickly). After that it was all back in form. Track after track, EQing after EQing, Armin was dishing it out, but only about 50 people really cared, really annoying. Armin was getting into it and those @ teh front were, so that's all that really matter

I got told Armin was playing from 2 till 5. 545 Armin finished played. That's what I like to see After a few screams for one more Push - Strange World was dropped whilst Armin signed stuff.

Tracklisting (it's in order, but missing A LOT! - 1 TA doesn't really do much ;( )

1 Elevation - Clear Blue
2 Track out of ASOT 125 part 1 with Spanish soudning breakdown,
3 Nathan Fake - Outhouse
4 Vocals go "deeper into the vibe"
5 ?
6 ?
7 ?
8 Track I can ID when I get home, sounds like a Luke Chable melody/remix
9 ?
10 Techno track with 909 for breakdown
11 new Airwave track
12 Binary Finary - 1998 (Ronski Speed mix)
13 ATRC
14 Blue Fear 2003
15 Born Slippy Oakey Remix
16 Music is life Jono Remix
17 track off either ASOT 123-4
18 Air horn in track, with a delayed vocal of I
19 Old school melody with 808 sound around it
20 ?
21 ?
22 Minds In Motion B side
23 Relooped
24 ?
25 Breathing 2003 Breaks Remix
26 Define Form B side
27 ?
28 ?
29 Signum Dub (on universal religion)
30 Live Another Life

Encore Strange World.

The TL is what I had in my phone, a lot of the ones with a discription I can ID in about 3 weeks time when I'm back home. Just getting something out now.

Photos will be up hopefully next week, when I get a faster connection.

--djway

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