On Saturday the 13th of December, we bore witness to something special with HSU’s latest offering, Knockout Circuz. Situated in Luna Park’s Big Top, this event represented everything good Sydney’s scene and it’s promoters have to offer.

Now, HSU’s last event had left me with very high expectations, especially after they promised ‘bigger and better’. I was curious how they were going to do that, I couldn’t begin to imagine how they could improve on something I considered near perfect. With the curiousity came excitement though, so it was with a smile on my face I passed through security and into the event.

Straight away, I had an interesting feeling of simultaneously experiencing the familiar and something new. The venue and the way the crowds moved through it all felt familiar, but unlike last time I was there, it was daylight. The mood was more light-hearted, more relaxed. The other punters still exuded the same excitement as last time though, it was obvious in the smiles and shouting around me. People were already dancing, even though they were only in line for a drink, or to cloak their bags.

On that subject, I feel like a special mention needs to be made to the staff who ran the cloakroom that day. Keeping track of one’s possessions at any event, let alone a rave, can be a stressful experience and good cloakroom staff can make all the difference. At Knockout Circuz, this rang true and I’m happy to say that for me, they made a positive difference. They were not only professional and polite, but also genuinely friendly every time I spoke to them.

The same goes for everyone manning the merch stand. It was clear sales were going well, I never once saw the stand without customers. A big congratulations is due to Adem, the man behind Live4This, the company that did merch for HSU. As I’ve said in previous reviews, his merch is always top quality and the number of sold out items at Knockout Circuz clearly proves this.

Satisfied that my bag was cloaked and I’d said my hellos, I headed into the main room. Now, this alone always has a certain impact on me. The main room of the Big Top is big (as the name suggests) and has a certain grandeur that’s not easily dismissed. What really blew me away though was the realisation that when HSU had promised ‘bigger and better’ after their last event, they weren’t joking.

The scale of the production was huge, to say the very least. The stage appeared to me like a glittering vision of lights, lasers and LED screens. Later in the evening we all figured out that the production arsenal before us also included some pretty impressive pyrotechnics. Combined with the pitch black, immense space of the Big Top itself, the entire event had a very ‘warehouse rave’ feeling to it. The entire spectacle startled me so much (in a good way), that I stopped in my tracks when I first saw it all and remarked to a friend ‘Fuck, it looks like Hard Bass’.

The true scale of the main room’s production became very clear as the night progressed. Each international act that played had a very special introduction, utilising multiple production elements like lighting , video screens and a voice that narrated the experience. For instance, when DBSTF, labelled the ‘Juggernauts’, were being introduced, the video screens show a clip of a stereotypical circus ‘strongman’ lifting weights.

The international lineup of Knockout Circuz began with the Ringmasters, Psyko Punkz. Opening with the Hard Driver remix of ‘Rock Ya Attitude’, the boys launched straight into a high-energy set with a carefree enthusiasm that was infectious. I felt a particular sense of happiness in listening to them drop their remix of ‘Arcadia’ because I knew that it was a favourite of theirs. Other highlights of their set included ‘Left With the Wrong’ and ‘Stay Up’, both tracks I personally loved. After awhile, I decided though to go explore the second room.

The second room once again boasted a fantastic local lineup, but this year it also hosted one of the internationals, UK Hardcore act Darren Styles. It’s a testamount to the UK hardcore scene how crowded that second room got when he played his set. Enthusiastic ravers packed themselves in, shoulder to shoulder, just for an opportunity to soak in the music. For all the crowding though, the vibe was overwhelmingly positive with friends hugging and dancing together whilst screaming along to the lyrics of well known classics.

There were so many moments at Knockout Circuz that made me smile or left me impressed. I think perhaps the best such moment that comes to mind was during DBSTF’s set. The dutch duo dropped ‘Digital Playground’ a huge track that’s been pretty much killing it from the moment it was first released. As the crowd registered what it was hearing, a collect roar of excitement and joy went up and at that moment, I got goosebumps. A similar thing happened during Minus Militia’s set when they played crowd favourite ‘Reign Supreme’.

These moments left me with a real sense of the power of music and the power of our scene. As I stood on the balcony overlooking main, I stared at the people below me and the two people behind the decks. I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling of ‘one-ness’ with the entire event. I realised that for all the different types of people in that room, in that second, music had brought us all together into one unified tribe. I feel like if ever there was high praise for me to give, that right there would be it.

Two other things that really made this event for me, feeling the sudden fresh surge of energy when hardcore acts Mad Dog & Anime started their set (seriously, it was like everyone in the main room had a huge ‘second wind’, myself included. Not going to lie, I may have popped a quick sneaky hakk), and actually meeting Psyko Punkz and speaking to them backstage.

Sven spoke to me about what they’d been doing lately, namely touring and playing non-stop shows. He admitted he’d been averaging three or four hours a sleep a night and was exhausted. It really dawned on me then just how hard the lifestyle must be when you get to that level. It was interesting listening to him talk about how he and Wietse do their best to stay healthy on tour and stay motivated. It was obvious to me though that despite how hard it got sometimes, they loved what they did and loved coming to play shows for HSU.

You know what? I understand why just from how much I love attending HSU parties. That’s why I am so excited that they has just announced their next event, Midnight Mafia, a 6,000+ capacity event that’s set to reinvigorate the Sydney scene with a return to the overnight rave. After experiencing so many special moments like what I just described, I honestly could not be more excited for Midnight Mafia.

If you didn’t attend Knockout Circuz, I hate to say it, but you did miss out on watching HSU once again set a new benchmark in the rave scene. That said, I have a gut feeling that Midnight Mafia is going to be something equally if not more fantastic. So keep an eye on HSU’s Facebook page, stayed tuned and prepare to experience what I did. Prepare to make some memories.