What is Thunderdome (music Festival)?

Thunderdome is a famous concept in Hardcore techno and Gabber music, and is mainly used for an ongoing series of parties and CD-albums.

History

The Thunderdome concept began with a party held on 20 June, 1992, that was called . This party was the first attempt to bring hardcore and gabber to a wide audience. The concept was started by the record company ID&T, also behind other dance music events such as Mysteryland, and Sensation White, and Black. In 1993, ID&T also started a Thunderdome compilation CD-series with popular Gabber music. They also sold other kinds of merchandise such as t-shirts, bomber-jackets, caps and even an energy drink (Thundertaste). The Thunderdome concept was considered very important to the popularization and spreading of Gabber music during the 1990s. Though it was undeniably the biggest and most popular concept in the scene through most of the 1990s, that title is now being rivaled by other events, such as the ones organized by Masters of Hardcore.

In late 1999 ID&T took a break from the Thunderdome concept and stopped producing the parties and CDs. The break lasted until 2001, when they resumed throwing parties and producing CDs, which continue presently. Since the re-start, the parties have been held annually. In 2002 the concept for the party was the ten year anniversary of Thunderdome. A CD that was recorded live at the party and an anniversary DVD were released, both entitled Thunderdome a Decade. (The CD at Discogs.com) (The DVD at IMDb)

The Events

In The Netherlands

• Thunderdome: The Final Exam 20 June 1992
• Thunderdome I - Thialf in Heerenveen - 3 October 1992
• Thunderdome II - Frieslandhallen in Leeuwarden - 13 February 1993
• Thunderdome III - Statenhal in Den Haag - 13 March 1993
• Thunderdome IV - Thialf in Heerenveen - 3 April 1993
• Thunderdome V - 'The Final Thunderdome' Martinihal in Groningen - 8 May 1993
• Thunderdome - Martinihal in Groningen - 9 October 1993
• Thunderdome - Jaarbeurs in Utrecht - 27 November 1993
• Thunderdome meets Multigroove - Amsterdam - 25 April 1995
• Thunderdome vs. Hellraiser - Amsterdam - 26 August 1995
• Thunderdome - '96 'Dance Or Die!' Fec Expo in Leeuwarden - 20 April 1996
• Thunderdome - '96-2 Sportpaleis Antwerpen - 26 November 1996
• Thunderdome @ Mysterland - Jaarbeurs in Utrecht - 22 February 1997
• Thunderdome - Thunderdome 97 the southern edition - Sportpaleis Antwerpen 27 March 1997
• 3 steps ahead @ Mysteryland- Bussloo - 4 July 1997
• Thunderdome - Global Hardcore Nation - Sportpaleis Antwerpen 18 October 1997
• Thunderdome - Global Hardcore Nation the cosmic journey - Sportpaleis Antwerpen 7 February 1998
• Thunderdome - Fec Expo Leeuwarden - 28 November 1998
• Thunderdome - Thialf Heerenveen - 2 October 1999
• Thunderdome - Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam - 25 August 2001
• Thunderdome - RAI amsterdam - 12 oktbober 2002 [Thunderdome a Decade]
• Thunderdome - Jaarbeurs Utrecht - 25 October 2003
• Thunderdome - Jaarbeurs Utrecht - 4 December 2004
• Thunderdome - Jaarbeurs Utrecht - 3 December 2005
• Thunderdome - Jaarbeurs Utrecht - 2 December 2006
• Thunderdome - RAI amsterdam - 15 December 2007 [Thunderdome XV]

In other countries

• Thunderdome - Keulen Sporthalle Koln in Germany - 11 July 1994
• Thunderdome - Oberhausen in Revierpark in Germany - 13 May 1995
• Thunderdome - Midland Railway Worksops, Perth Australia - 1 October 1995
• Thunderdome - Sportpaleis in Antwerpen, Belgium - 16 November 1996
• Thunderdome - Sportpaleis in Antwerpen, Belgium - 29 March 1997

The CD albums

• Thunderdome 1 - F*ck Mellow This Is Hardcore From Hell
• Thunderdome 2 - Judgement Day
• Thunderdome 3 - The Nightmare Is Back
• Thunderdome 4 - The Devil's Last Wish
• Thunderdome 5 - The Fifth Nightmare
• Thunderdome 6 - From Hell To Earth
• Thunderdome 7 - Injected With Poison
• Thunderdome 8 - The Devil In Disguise
• Thunderdome 9 - Revenge Of The Mummy
• Thunderdome 10 - Sucking For Blood
• Thunderdome 11 - The Killing Playground
• Thunderdome 12 - Caught In The Web Of Death
• Thunderdome 13 - The Joke's On You
• Thunderdome 14 - Death Becomes You
• Thunderdome 15 - The Howling Nightmare
• Thunderdome 16 - The Galactic Cyberdeath (1997)
• Thunderdome 17 - Messenger Of Death
• Thunderdome 18 - Psycho Silence
• Thunderdome 19 - Cursed By Evil Sickness
• Thunderdome 20 - XX
• Thunderdome 21 - XXI
• Thunderdome 22 - XXII
• Thunderdome - Hardcore Rules The World (1999)
• Thunderdome - Past, Present, Future (1999)
• Thunderdome 2001 a.k.a. Harder Than Hard (2001)
• Thunderdome 2001 Part 2 (2001)
• Thunderdome 2002 (2002)
• Thunderdome 2003 Part 1 (2003)
• Thunderdome 2003 Part 2 (2003)
• Thunderdome 2nd Gen Part 1 (2004)
• Thunderdome 2005-1 (2005)
• Thunderdome 2006 (2006)

Special CDs

• Thunderdome The Megamix 1-5
• Thunderdome The Best Of (1995)
• Thunderdome The Best Of 2
• Thunderdome The X-mas Edition (1994)
• Thunderdome '96 Dance Or Die - Live (1996)
• Thunderdome '97 - Live (1997)
• Thunderdome Live Presents: Global Hardcore Nation (1997)
• Thunderdome The Best Of 97
• Thunderdome The Best Of 98
• Thunderdome Live (1998)
• Thunderdome The Essential '92-'99 Collection (1999)
• Thunderdome - a decade CD (2002)
• Thunderdome Turntablized : Mixed by Unexist (2004)

The vinyl releases

• The Dreamteam - Thunderdome (Dreamteam Productions)
• Thunderdome 3 (Arcade)
• DJ Dano - Thunderdome 4 EP (Dreamteam Productions)
• DJ Gizmo - Thunderdome 4 EP (Dreamteam Productions)
• DJ Buzz Fuzz - Thunderdome 4 EP (Dreamteam Productions)
• The Prophet - Thunderdome 4 EP (Dreamteam Productions)
• The Dreamteam - Thunderdome Remix EP (Dreamteam Productions)
• Thunderdome 4 The Megamixes (Total Recall)
• Thunderdome 4 The Megamixes -Picture Disc- (Total Recall)
• Thunderdome 5 The Megamixes (Total Recall)
• Thunderdome 6 Sampler (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome 6 Megamix (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome 7 Sampler (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome 7 Megamix (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome The Winter Edition (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome 8 Sampler (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome 9 Sampler (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome 10 Sampler (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome The Unreleased Projects (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome '96 - The Thunder Anthems (ID&T Records)
• Thunderdome '98 - Hardcore Rules The World (ID&T Records)

Songs that make references to Thunderdome

Because of the popularity of the Thunderdome concept, some artists have made tributes to it in their songs. These are some well-known examples:

• 3 Steps Ahead - This is the Thunderdome ("This is the Thunderdome")
• 3 Steps Ahead - Thunderdome till we Die ("Don't you believe we're in Thunderdome till we die")
• DJ Dano - Welcome To The Thunderdome ("Welcome To Another Edition Of Thunderdome")
• DJ E-rick & Tactic - Meet her at Thunderdome (Samples obviously taken from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome because they contain the word "Thunderdome")
• DJ E-rick & Tactic - Hardcore Rules the World ("Welcome to Thunderdome '98")
• DJ Promo - Feel the Thunder ("We never stop give you what you want, we never stop give you what you need, Thunderdome, under makes me wonder, feel the bass, there will be no escape, check it, Thunderdome")
• Gabbaheads - I'm a Thunderdome Baby ("I'm a Thunderdome baby, so now you can hear me")
• Gabber Piet - Gabber Mack ("Shave your head down to the bone, raving at the Thunderdome")

See also

• ID&T
• Gabber music
• Hardcore techno

External links

• The official Thunderdome website
• The Thunderdome largest fan-site and Portuguese Gabber Portal
• The official ID&T website