The MDRNTY Cruise is not the only rave at sea these days, but it’s one of the most underground. The lineup speaks to that, and boast plenty of big names from Sven Väth to Jamie Jones, Mike Shannon to Martin Buttrich.
Soon as you arrive at the dock, you are struck by how huge the boat is. It’s 300 meters long and built at a cost of €547 million. It usually holds around 3,000 people of a much older average age than those piling on board to start this particular cruise. They come from all over Europe and are keen to get stuck into the booze as soon as they’re board. And why not, because the major plus point about this festival-on-sea is that all drinks and tickets and food are included.
There are great offerings from all over the world that mean you basically don’t have to eat the same thing twice. In all, 2000 people signed up for this first edition, and they are treated to 24 hours of music for the whole duration. As well as the music, there is much more to get into, such as a casino, a photo gallery showing all the pictures taken during the trip, a theatre, and a five-a-side football pitch. They all offer great ways to amuse yourself if the music gets too much.
That music comes on four main stages. The Ametista Stage saw the majority of the bigger names through the weekend and has a low ceiling holding the atmosphere in tight. Sven Väth played one of two sets here and dropped plenty of big tunes that got the colorful and crazy crowd moving all night long.
Elsewhere the likes of DJ Tennis played in Disco 32, his opening with Donato Dozzy’s ‘Cassandra’ a sure musical highlight of the trip. He played a deep, heady selection of house and techno and was a real standout. Other stages include the Outdoor Pool and Indoor Pool and were decked out with great lights, production and made for a fine looking spectacle.
Dana Ruh is worth a mention for her classy warm-up which kept the heads happy, and Mathew Jonson played the Outdoor Pool with the sky and sea extending off to an infinite horizon. It’s quite the unique backdrop and made for some great musical memories. Aside from a couple of first-year teething problems (ex. some of the bigger acts felt out of place on the smaller stages), the MDRNTY Cruise was brilliant — great tunes, great sound, great crowd, great vibe.
Photo Credits by David Holderbach
