Hardwick + Corsten @ Promise, Newcastle - 24/9/04

Not since Bert and Ernie shared a bath in Sesame Street has a relationship this close existed, but when Matt Hardwick came to Promise on Friday, the bond was obvious. The simple fact is that Hardwick loves Promise and Promise loves Hardwick.

Matt even said so himself in the week leading up to the event when he commented: “The crowd is amazing. It’s the friendliest, clued-up and up for it crowd in the UK.

“I also like the booming system and the quality of the line ups. I just love Promise, but I don’t need to tell you that.”

So, when the time for talking was over and it was time for the music to do the business, you just knew it would be a good night. And so did the people who queued half way down the street to get into Foundation to see Hardwick, Ferry Corsten, Richard Tulip and Anton Fielding do what they do best.

As a club, Foundation is a large building which is industrial, dark and smokey. The With a large dancefloor, seating down one side and at the back as well as a bar along the other side, the brickwork and pillars inside make it look like a warehouse. With a balcony and more seating upstairs as well as a second smaller room, it can fit a fair few people in. When it’s not at capacity, it can look a bit cold, impersonal and drab. Indeed, sometimes Foundation seems to be too big and open, this makes it look empty and ruins the feel when the place isn’t completely heaving, which has a snowball effect on the atmosphere. But, when it is full and the atmosphere is right, it is much more inviting. Even if it does get a bit too hot.

Attendances for recent Promises have been a bit disappointing given the quality line-ups so it was good to see Foundation brimming with punters once again for this one. Promise is undoubtedly at its best when the club is full, the anticipation is there, the atmosphere is just right and someone like Hardwick is on the decks.

Not that it was all about him though. To say that would be doing a disservice to the other DJ’s on the line-up. A warm up set from resident Anton Fielding was followed by a great set from another ressie, the much underrated Richard Tulip. Both residents played the sort of prog trance that was the perfect start to the night ahead. The fact that the dancefloor was nearly full by the time Hardwick came on is a testament to how good Tulip can be. Ending on a more banging note, his set helped set the tone for Hardwick.

And it was Matt who took the Promise faithful onto the next level. He has yet to disappoint when playing at the home of trance in Newcastle and this occasion was no different.

Personally, he played the set of the night and got Promise how it should be – busy, the right atmosphere and a crowd who were loving it. Trying to get on the dance floor by this time though was harder than finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. A testament to how much everyone was enjoying the music, even if it was boiling hot and you literally had to fight for your right to party. No one cared though because you knew it was worth it.

Tunes such as Rusch & Murray - I Believe, Dido - Sand In My Shoes, First Strike, In Silence, Autumn Tactics and Ernesto & Bastian - Darkside Of The Moon adorned his 90 minute set, sending the crowd into raptures.

Corsten and his three hour set had a lot to live up to and, although he was a bit slow off the mark to begin with, he soon had me back up dancing again. Dropping tunes like Sonar Methods - Echoing Waves, Matti Laamanen - Obsession (Luke Terry remix), Above + Beyond - No-one on Earth (Gabriel + Dresden remix)and William Orbit - Barbers Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten remix) was always going to help though.

Add to this crowd pleasers such as Punk, Rock Your Body, Binary Finary - 1999 (Gouryella mix), Thrillseekers – Synaesthesia and Veracocha - Carte Blanche and you really couldn’t complain at all.

Not even the Always room escaped as Pete Robinson and Luke Nixon played funk to a sizeable crowd upstairs too. In fact, there was little you could do to escape the flocks of clubbers. As I said before though, this is when Promise thrives.