Confusion Events leaves a lasting impression – Review Of ‘Fatality!’

**Disclaimer – images are by by Vincentvandenboogaard.nl & spanhof.info**

Written by: Marloes Bovenkamp & Mike Damen

On Saturday the 2nd of January and after the buzz of all the New Year’s Eve events, the very first edition of Fatality had finally arrived! This new concept, hosted by worthy contenders Confusion Events, took place at Club Monte Carlo, which is formerly known as the notorious Club Matrixx. Boasting a line-up with some of the most eminent raw hardstyle heroes, this event was not to be missed and we were pretty damn excited to say the least!

Upon entering the venue there was a huge queue, giving us the feeling that some shenanigans were right around the corner. For us, the legendary XXlerator nights felt like our second home and it was so good to be back on this holy ground! After the standard entering, unwrapping, locking and toilet visiting, we flew beneath the huge doors that led us to the dance-floor.

The first thing we noticed was the lovely, open space; it’s always nice to have enough room to dance and this was only a good thing. Behind the DJ-booth there was a huge LED-screen, constantly flowing with awesome graphics and lights, amplifying our experience. Of course I must mention the setup of the bars, which was conveniently a few metres away from my favourite dancing spot – making it easy enough to buy a cheeky beer (or 10) without missing any of the action!

To kick things off, Mythix, one of the many local talents, provided a lovely opening for Fatality and very soon the place was flooding with crazy party people from all over the globe! We ran into hard dance fanatics from Germany, France, Sweden, Ireland and even the United States! It was so awesome to see a small concept gaining its credibility amongst international fans. Although NYE had come and gone, you could still feel that “Happy New Year” vibe lurking in the air; literally everybody was wandering around with a smile, already making the most of 2016.

Just off on a little mentionable side note here; the sound system was fucking awesome! It’s rare to experience such a clean sound that lets the pounding bassline and demolishing hardstyle kicks shine, so big ups to Confusion Events!
After Mythix’s great opening, excitement grew as we realised that some incredible artists were still yet to bless the decks. Right before our eyes we were about to witness the spectacle of Jack Of Sound, Requiem, DJ Thera, Jason Payne, Radical Redemption, Warface AND Partyraiser… Jeez…

As this sensational night went on, the club evolved in some kind of epic pressure wave with constant energy exchanging between the DJ booth and the crowd. You could easily see that all artists were enjoying themselves and from the left to the right, from the front to the back, this event was on fire! The crowd was filled with dedicated raw hardstyle lovers and although a few may have been battling a hefty NYE hangover, everybody united to fully immerse themselves in this great first party of 2016.

In addition to the already awesome vibe, there were also flawless dancers on stage, who moved to the hard beats and peered around the venue almost seductively. Besides that, flames were constantly blowing up the heat (literally) and made the show way more epic! Oh, and did I already mention the epic lasers?

After savage sets by Jack Of Sound and Requiem, something magical was about to happen. Mister Theracords himself DJ Thera and his grade-A ‘student’ Jason Payne took the stage and suddenly the front row filled up with dedicated party people. Shit was about to get real.
The transitions, the tracks, the stage performance, EVERYTHING about that set was legendary and the floor boiled up to a point where the club had to turn on the air-conditioning. Besides that, DJ Thera played 4 new tracks, including his new collab with Regain called “Never Say Goodbye.” If I could best describe Thera’s new music in one word it would be ‘emotion.’ For those who have already heard them can vouch that they’re next-level and for those yet to experience the magic, I can assure you that shivers will run wildly through your spine!

Fully blown away by Thera and Jason Payne’s performance, the perfect artist was next in line. The leader of the One Man Army took control of the desks and man, there is a reason why Radical Redemption sold out the entire Heineken Music Hall. Bass-on-bass transitions were banging in your face constantly, not to mention the amount kick rolls that passed by. It’s always a pleasure to rock out to tracks like “Suicide Bassline” and “Piece of Shit.”

After that incredible set, things only got better when Warface took it to the decks! I had only just scraped by surviving the other sets and it seemed logical to sit down for a while but no, this was no time to take a break! Witnessing Warface’s performance and music live are amazing; I’m always amazed by how many great tracks he’s come out with since the beginning of his career. One big track to look out for is definitely “Sanctuary” together with High Voltage.

After all the raw madness had come to an end, Partyraiser asked us for that last ounce of energy we had. Partyraiser is undoubtedly one of hardcore’s biggest icons; with performances at the most exclusive events like Dominator, Qlimax, Defqon.1, Decibel and many more, it was a pleasure to also see him tearing apart small-scale events too. His mixing skills drive us crazy everytime and it’s really a pleasure to watch him cast his spell all over those Pioneers. Speaking about shivers, knowing that “Sound Becomes One” alongside Destructive Tendencies came in at #1 in the Hardcore Top 100, Partyraiser (of course) played it and the reaction the crowd gave was simply epic! Lighters, phones and even shoes were lifted into the air. Whilst looking around, I even saw somebody shed a tear. I was simply left speechless at the fact that music has the power to cause these tides of emotions.

To conclude the night, I can confirm that IT WAS EPIC! Everything from the overall vibe, to the sets and venue was beyond perfect and it was a great way to kick off 2016. Confusion Events set the bar high and I’m looking forward to the second edition of Fatality, which will take place on the 20th of February in Club Monte Carlo. This second edition will mark a grand takeover by Theracords Attack, which is something that I’m particularly curious about after Thera and Jason Payne’s immense set!

To find out more about Confusion Events’ second edition of Fatality, check out their FACEBOOK EVENT.