Passion vs Storm New Years Eve - 31/12/03
Review by Muzik
Photos by Boss and Robbie M

New years eve is a time of the year I despise more so than anything else. As far back as I can remember something has always gone wrong which has hindered my night out. From a common cold to flu, from weird men stroking my hand whilst slumped in a corner to arguing with girlfriends miles away from home with know way of getting back. I'm not fond of New Year at all! Even the added attraction of Rank 1, my favourite Dj’s/producers still had me weighing up the pro’s and cons of a night out at Passion, my favourite club.

In the end my decision to join the festive fun in Coalville came down to the amount of female friends whom promised a good old snog at the turn of the year, shallow but hey, that’s me all over!

I started off the evening at the local just across the road with friends. We caught up and waited anxiously for the doors to open whilst a small queue formed. Peering out the bar window the queue soon disappeared so we took the opportunity and waltzed in avoiding the cold.

Marc West and Andy Bagguley were warming up to a decent sized crowd for this early in the evening, both were playing blinding tracks in a bid to out do each other in pure warm up style. Tracks that shone out above the rest were Andain – Beautiful things and a very tame down tempo mix of Rank 1’s Symsonic, apparently a tranceaddict forum users own work, good effort!

By the time the two residents came off the club was closing in on capacity. The atmosphere was up to the usual Passion high standards, everyone appeared on cloud 9. I can’t remember for the life of me who was on next but never the less it was nice background music whilst I caught up with everyone prior the big moment.

The red room played host to Storm this New Year, an idea put forward by users of the Passion and Storm forums some time ago. To be honest I expect this to flop. Passion has sold out every new year for some time now, changing a working formula was risky, however they pulled it off. The storm troopers were bouncing off the walls one after the other on a natural high. In fact many a moments I thought I was in the main room, these folk could really go for it, so much so the entrance to the Redroom rained sweat. Far from attractive but a small indication as to how up for it they were.

Midnight was fast approaching and JFK was banging em out in true Passion style. Almost as if he’d been building up to this one moment all year J knew exactly what the crowd wanted to hear. Agnelli and Nelsons Holding Onto Nothing stuck out amongst the crowd, this track is such a blinder! Back in the Redroom the UK’s number 1 female Dj was boshing out ridiculously paced noise (noise? I meant music) to a heaving crowd. I made my way over to the Dj booth for my New Year hug n kiss and waited for that elusive moment.

Bit of an anti climax if you ask me. I expected the lights to come on and a count down followed by fireworks and naked lady’s, instead some one announced 2004 over the microphone, Lashes played a hard house classic 99.9 and after a big cheer everything returned to normal. And no I didn’t get my kiss either, gutted isn’t the word. I speedily made my way into the blue room in hope of capturing some of the magic however another blow to the system. I suppose really the disappointment was caused by my expectations being shattered. I’d expected Jose Amnesia – Eternal or Ratty – Sunrise (Here I am) but instead JFK played Ascension – Someone like you. Appalling effort. Sorry, my personal taste in trance is far from terribly written trance sang by a vocalist with no talent what so ever. Never mind, it obviously had meaning to some as the crowd were lapping it up like a hungry cat at a bowl of milk.

The next hour or so was spent celebrating the New Year with friends in the white room. The music from the blue room entertained our ears whilst we sat/stood around with a beer in hand and smile from ear to ear.

To be honest I can’t really remember the order of the night. I know at some point I found myself as close to The Thrillseekers vocalist as humanably possible embraced in Synaesthesia, an all time classic that isn’t played out half as much as it should be. At some point Hidden Flight by Windslider (Tiesto’s Flight 643 and Kosheen’s Hide U) was played by Guy Ornadel and the reaction was phenomenal. Unfortunately this moment was ruined later on by an appalling bootleg of Paul van Dyk’s For an Angel vs. Delerium’s Silence.

I wondered round The Emporium and bumped into Piet of Rank 1, he was about to play an old skool set in the Green Room so I trundled off for a few classics that were nearly as old as me. I can’t say a knew a single track played however the classic old skool sound was nice and cheerful and had a few dedicated surrounding the speakers boshing away. God bless his soul our Piet dedicated his last one to me, cant remember who it was by but the track was called White Line, I have no idea why on earth that would have anything to do with me but there we go! Ha-ha!

Back in the blue room Kid Vicious was knocking out the heavy tracks one would expect from the man. Surprisingly even this late in the evening (4.30/5ish) The Emporium was still pretty rammed! I took my perch during the high light of his set) Marco V – Loops and things relooped) and boshed away. It wasn’t till about halfway through the track I realised I was seriously tired. For the remainder of Kids set I was to rest up in preparations for Rank 1.

The white room now played host to clubbers as far as the eye could see. The time was certainly taking its toll on people as the walls were lined up with people resting on them to catch a break. The green room focused on the same scene, bodies lined the walls with tired faces all grinning from ear to ear whilst Andy Bagguley and Dan Platten relaxed my senses with some fantastic chill out music. This is what Passion needs more of, chill out music in the Alternative rooms. It’s nice to have back ground music on whilst relaxing and this fits the bill perfectly. Well done to both lads whom kept me entertained till Lord Almighty came on.

At 5.30 I dragged myself to the front podium unwillingly for Rank 1’s performance. Well what do you know, a new lease of life lifted my body and I was able to dance as though it were 9pm! I was quickly joined by friends and there we were bouncing away on a natural high to some of Holland’s finer moments. Just as things couldn’t get any bouncier Piet pulled out the gem of gems, Rank 1 – Awakening. An all time favourite of mine, me and those surrounding me completely lost the plot to this baby, and to follow it up he played his own track Conspiracy (Nice to see this has been pressed!)

Unfortunately this was where my night ended. I was whisked off during my favourite duo so as to get home (I can’t drive, wo is me) without resorting to walking! Overall was it worth it? Being the night of the year I so dread more than life itself I was really nervous about the whole thing. Would it be too rammed? Would I get to drunk and fall asleep/be sick? Would the ceiling cave in and I get squashed? There were some points during the night which hindered my overall opinion, the midnight tracks, loosing £30, having to go home early being the main ones but overall it was easily the best new years I've had. The Dj’s played to my expectations, the crowd were as lively as ever, the tunes were perfect, I'dd say as far as nights go, this was up there with my favourites. Well done Passion, you’ve restored my faith in New Year.