There was no time for rest or recovery this morning with the Ultra Music Festival kicking off from 11:00am. By mid-afternoon those in search of their ‘bigger is better’ fix were already streaming through the gates of the Bayfront Park Arena, hoping to catch a host of some big electronic and rock names. From the eccentric festival kids through to the loud but distorted sound in some areas, Ultra was quickly in full force.

The benefits of hosting his own stage paid off again for Carl Cox, with both punters and DJs noting the superior quality of sound and stage production in his arena, and once again his line-up proved to be the pick of the Ultra litter in 2006.

Overall, this year's Ultra seemed to run much more smoothly and was enjoyed by the usual tens of thousands of punters. Melbourne’s Infusion boys did an impressive job closing the main outdoor stage.

Saturday night during conference week is typically one of the busiest nights and this year was no different. Deep Dish continued their love affair at Space, attracting the proggers and the WMC traditionalists while the second instalment of the ‘Burridge Barrage’, which had the illustrious honour of being the first WMC 2006 event to sell out weeks in advance, saw Lee Burridge further hone his reputation as one of the most musically diverse DJs on the circuit.

Although Burridge struggled with some technical difficulties on the night, he debuted a selection of fresh new music to the keen punters and fans who had monopolised the floor space at BED by well before midnight. Keeping things in check for the first few hours, Burridge built the night up naturally before releasing the bombs after 11. He destroyed the dancefloor with a huge range of underground tracks even the best trainspotters would struggle to identify, culminating in a Northern Exposure classic which saw the intimate, packed crowd thrusting their hands skywards as the distinct vocal thundered through the newly installed Integral Sound System. Certainly not a typical sight for the sophisticated, and usually R&B venue, BED and a moment to remember.

Come the regulatory (and rather painful) South Beach closing time of 5am, Lee left the crowd wanting a whole lot more and although he couldn't oblige, it did prove to be the perfect launch pad for our next outing...Pawn Shop 101: Sunday School for Degenerates.

WMC Photos - March 25 – Saturday
AM Only Afterparty feat Hawtin vs Beyer
Ultra Music Festival 8 at Bicentennial Park
SOS with Desyn, Omid & Demi at Cafeteria