Tickets to Heineken’s Sensation Ocean of White had been sold out for quite some time when I finally decided I wanted to go. Although it seemed impossible to get my hands on some I still told everyone I was going to attend this massive rave, even if it meant sneaking in as a performer.
On the day of the show I told my friends we should forget about going to the party and head to Khao San for burgers instead. I had given up on any prospect of finding a ticket. That was around 10am… but by 2pm my friends had found a ticket for me! That evening, after almost an hour in traffic through mini-flood puddles of rain we were finally at Impact Arena.
The jellyfish was where our friends planned to meet, not the best landmark since there were several jellyfish spread throughout the dance floor. The fact that everyone wore white also made finding friends nearly impossible. Yet with 15,000 people at the party, we still managed to bump into a bunch of familiar faces.
The music? It was perfect. All the DJs, Fedde Le Grand, Riva Starr, Mr. White were skilled at feeling out the crowd and supplying just the right sounds at the right speed and the right time. Electronic music that sounded like something from another world blasted through the speakers. We were teased with familiar remixes that sent everyone cheering when at the recognizable tunes. The DJs played with us like puppets, making us dance as hard and fast as the music, and then giving us a chance to take a breather.
The light show was mesmerizing. I felt like I was staring into a vortex, paralyzed by the beauty, and for a large portion of the night I just sat in the bleachers and stared. Seriously. Beams of light shone down from above and water fountains sprung forth from the stage. At one point some performers came on stage with half their bodies encased in a transparent bubble. Their movements were slow and steady, perfectly coordinated. Later they returned with jellyfish umbrellas over their heads, gently bouncing up and down the same way that real jellyfish float in an aquarium.
It seemed like all 15,000 people were dancing and having a blast, and it felt so good to be in such a positive place. You would think that fights would break out when so many people are sharing the same space, but we didn’t see a single unfriendly occurrence. If anything, people were almost too nice! I saw people apologizing for every accidental bump while dancing and buying rounds of Heineken for strangers.
The crowd was totally mixed. We saw the Khao San roamers in their torn oversized white tees as dresses, and the hi-rolling socialites in their semi-formal white cocktail numbers and stilettos. “Oh she’s definitely not going to last until 4am,” we giggled as we ogled at the beauties that seemed way overdressed for the occasion. We won’t be mentioning any names, but let’s just say sunglasses were a necessary accessory for those who had to protect their eyes from the increasingly sharp glare of L.E.D. rays as the party went on…and on… and on…
We’d only planned to stay until 1am or 2am latest, but time sure flies when you’re having fun. Before we knew it, the DJ was announcing his final song and it was 3:59 am.
It was time to wake up from the dream, but we’ll have visions of Sensation dancing in our head for some time
