After a sixteen hour drive, our busdriver finally parked the bus next to Elmia. Our usual spot was, as always, ready and available for us.The numbers on the clocks read 6:30, so we were early. Very early actually as it would take another hour before our wristbands would arrive on site. While some of the Packers just kept on sleeping, others got out in a hurry to play with the Intel Kite we got in our goodiebags.
Wind was blowing like crazy and soon after a few kites went up in the air. Not soon after, the wait was over and we finally got our bands. One by one our Packers came out of the bus, after which they went on the get their stuff out of the storage. Eighty bands, a groupphoto and half an hour later it was time: DreamHack opened their doors and the event had started.
While the Media Team started on their edits, our other Packers all started setting up their gear. Facebook statuses were updated, the first games started and others just dropped their gear at the tables and went for a quick walk around the premises. The halls slowly filled themselves with Swedish gamers, long after the Dutch row had setup. A few hours later, the clock said 15:30. Time to open this event.
Some of our Packers went to the D Hall, the ‘main’ hall of DreamHack where the Mainstage is, the stage where WildStylez and Dixz would play their sets later that evening. The Opening Ceremony is always the same, but gives you a good idea what kind of lights, lasers and sound they have brought to DreamHack this time. And to be honest… holy f*ck what a wall of sound. Again DreamHack surpassed themselves.
After the opening it was time for some to catch up on some sleep, and for others to game a bit more. The wait for everyone was actually for that upcoming night, when WildStylez would play his set at 12 o’ clock. By that time most of us were more then ready for some good hardstyle music. Others however gave up their fight with sleep and went ahead to the sleeping halls. But a big group of Dutchies was more than ready.
Red, White and Blue flags in tow, we went to the mainstage and a surprise awaited us there. Besides WildStylez another guy climbed up on the stage. MC Villain! It did not take long for him to make the Swedish crowd go wild, even performing an actual sit-down on DreamHack. WildStylez’ hardstyle blasted out of the speakers and we all had a good hearth-to-hearth with our feet.
After his set we had only an hour to get back to life. Our own DJ, Dixz, had to play at 2:30 and this was going to be another epic hardstyle set. Most of the earlier Packers came out to support our Dutch DJ, and while they were the only people in front of the mainstage in the beginning, the Swedes quickly drove to the front of the mainstage to show us their dance skills.
One hour later, with our feet, legs and arms basically broken, and the Mainstage being moved 2 centimers to the back due to the enormous bass, Dick turned off the volume. Finally we could go to sleep, much needed after an crazy first day. Today we’ll have more fun!
