Citizen M & In Qontrol 2010

It took us 3 hours to drive to Amsterdam and the weather over the weekend couldn't have been any better. Blue skies and sunshine. I even managed to run around with a singlet on for most of the day because the weather was so nice.

The night before i was frantically looking for an affordable room to stay at because the bed & breakfast we originally wanted was overbooked because of the volcano eruption. The previous guest was forced to stay another few nights because their flight was cancelled.

But i managed to get a room at Citizen M Hotel. And in order to make an online booking, you need a valid credit card. It's one of those self check-in places and once you arrive you can either pay by credit card or EC-card. No cash or traveller's cheques. Hotel facts here.

Citizen M Hotel was one of those modern designed hotels but considering how many awards it had won, it was surprisingly cheap. It was directly opposite the World Trade Centre and walking distance to the Rai. Definitely a plus point since our whole reason for being there was to go to the Rai. And to get to the city centre or Red Light district, you just had to jump on the #5 tram and it'll take you there in 15 minutes.

Instead of the pay-per-person policy that most places seem to have in Europe, Citizen M Hotel was a pay-per-room. And if you want to extend your check-out time, you just indicate that on the touch screen check-in screen and pay extra.

While waiting for the elevator you could even flip through an oversized picture book.

The room itself was relatively small but they utilized the space quite well. The room had an open concept with a 2 meter by 2 meter, massive XL King size bed with lots of fluffy pillows waiting at the end. It looked like the toilet was standing on the side of the room but it had frosted glass doors that would slide around you so you could have some privacy. There was a sheer curtain that separated the bathroom area to the bed.

The rain shower was impressive with its' slow changing colored lights above. Definitely a room for couples' or at least for friends who don't mind seeing the other showering.

Everything was thought through, even down to the hand soap. I liked how everything was typography-based and each piece had a story to tell.

In each room there was a touch-screen mood pad that you could change the channels, adjust the blinds and lights with.

So after fiddling around with all the gadgets, i was keen to look at the lobby again.

It had several lounge sections, where guests could watch some news or choose one of many design/fashion books on the shelves to flip through. There was a bar/restaurant where you could get a quick meal.

You could even use one of the i-Macs for free to surf the net or check your mail. Or if you have your own laptop, use the free WiFi in your room.

And i found this pen...

It was begging me to take it home. And so i did. *grins*

Parking in Amsterdam is generally really expensive. For 1 hour it costs 3 Euros and if you're directly in the city, expect to pay 5 Euros an hour. It's insane how expensive it is. No wonder so many people ride bicycles there. We decided to buy time by driving into the city and have a walk around. But after getting lost and eventually finding a parking space, we were only able to walk around for half hour before we realised we had to be back at the hotel so we could rest.

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Tickets for In Qontrol (Q-dance's Indoor Hardstyle/Hardcore event) courtesy of Supastar.

10pm and we're in the lift and on our way to the venue.

A quick short cut through the park and you're at the Rai convention centre. All you have to do is follow the bass, it was that loud you could hear it from outside.

Once you pass through the gates, they scan your ticket. Then up the stairs you go...

Turn the corner and this was the locker area where you could put your bags and jackets. The area was huge!

There were 4 areas you could choose from...

The floor plan and schedule was handed out at the door. I checked the timetable and i couldn't help but feel sad for Hoong and Nick who were scheduled to play at 11.30pm in The Imperial Greenhouse Institute Room but couldn't make it cause of the stupid volcanic ash cloud. Bass Agents was then replaced by Alphaverb :(

1 coupon = Beer = 2.50 Euros. The cheapest drink there.

But the venue was massive and to get from one end to another would take you at least 15 minutes. When we arrived Dock45 were playing. We ended up spending majority of the whole time at the Third Millennium Society [main stage] area.

But it didn't take long for the main area to fill up. J and i kept moving around to find a better spot.

Fausto & Artento Divini

Coone Vs. Isaac

And here's a Youtube vid i found of the intro to Coone and Isaac's set.

Saw DJ Stephanie for the first time. I don't have any photos of her because i was busy dancing but she really got the crowd going. I found this Youtube vid of her filmed from behind the decks. Check out the crowd and it wasn't even mid-night yet. I still can't believe i was actually there. Crazy shit.

But i have to say, i really liked her set! And would definitely make an effort to go see her again.

We eventually made our way back to The Imperial Greenhouse Institute where Bass Agents were meant to play at to see what it was like.

And spotted one of the guys in the crowd wearing a Bass Agents T-shirt.

I was feeling friendly and so i went up to him and asked if i could take a photo of him. I don't know what happened but i ended up taking a photo with him. I wonder if he thought i was weird for asking.

And if my ears served me correctly, i think his name was Bon.

By the time we got back to the main stage, the area was packed!

But i have to applaud Q-dance for such a top quality event. There were no long waits and everybody was super friendly. Drinks were affordable. The toilet cubicles were in decent condition considering the number of people that were there. And each time i went to the loo, there was toilet paper inside. Nice.

♥

Overall, J and i had an awesome time and it was probably the most fun i've had in ages.

Although at one point we lost one another because i went to the loo and when i came back the place had filled up so much, that when i returned to the place where i thought we were at, he was gone. Half an hour later, we eventually found each other and after that we never left each others' sides.

But during our separation, instead of panicking because i lost him, i just thought i'd have a bit of a dance before i continued on with my search. Then one of the camera crews who were filming the crowd, stopped beside me and filmed me.

*gasps*

OMG! I just hope i didn't look stupid. I wonder if that means there might be a snippet of me in the DVD or after movie?

Hmmm.

Anyway, Headhunterz and Noisecontrollers were insane. By 5:00 or so i was so tired my legs could barely function but i soldiered on until closing even though i couldn't dance anymore. Those hardcore fans were going crazy by the time Noisecontrollers came on. Seriously, where do they get their energy from!?

When it was getting close to the end, DV8, the MC for Noisecontrollers, managed to pull off the biggest sit down in Q-dance history. J and i joined in too, then jumped right up just as Noisecontrollers started up again. Truly a great sight to see for all those who were there.

By 7:30am we made our way back to the hotel. Exhausted and looking forward to some shuteye before our late check-out and our drive back home.

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Here are some links of some photos i managed to find of the event:

Q-dance

Mittnick.nl's flicker

And i also stumbled upon Phillow's video log of the event, which is far better than still shots. Watch it here.

I can't wait to see the official Q-dance after movie and i'm definitely going to buy the DVD when it comes out. Kudos to Q-dance for such a great event. Loved every minute of it!

Amsterdam, we will be back!