Chilly rain turns out to be Nasty weather

The biggest beneficiary of Friday’s Halloween downpour? Possibly London techno DJ Billy Nasty, who had the good fortune of being on the main stage during the sixth annual Monster Massive dance-music gathering when the rain started coming down hard around 10 p.m.

With organizers scrambling to reconfigure the setup at the Sports Arena and move the outdoor stages into sheltered areas, Nasty found himself spinning before an Oakenfold-sized crowd that turned the floor of the Sports Arena into L.A.’s biggest superclub until order was restored and all five of the stages were simultaneously up and running.

Halloween is the dance community’s grandest night of the year, and with this year’s Monster Massive lineup including such seminal DJs as Roger Sanchez, DJ Spooky, Todd Terry, Derrick Carter, DJ Irene, Felix da Housecat, AK1200 and more, the more than 13,000, mostly youthful concert-goers were not going to let a little rain stand in the way of their celebration.

While fans outside groaned about the long lines and the chilly rain, costume-clad attendees dressed as everything from “Alice in Wonderland” characters to injured entertainer Roy Horn (complete with a stuffed white tiger doll) embraced Nasty’s hard-edged techno and progressive beats under a sophisticated laser light system and multiple video screens.

It’s likely that only a few people knew, or cared, who was behind the decks at the time, but it was still a nice moment in the spotlight for Nasty, who’s been spinning for more than half his life and is a prominent figure on the international scene, if not in the U.S.

DJ Spooky also took advantage of the rain, as a large crowd packed the “Phantom Chamber” to watch him lay down a wicked set of funk and R&B; grooves, including James Brown’s “Sex Machine” and a mix of Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” with AC/DC’s “Back in Black.”

The roster of established acts provided for plenty of high-quality, if expected, sets. Sanchez’s fluid flow of tribal, house, progressive and trance tunes united into a continuous mix by his percussive backbeat, and Carter’s winning blend of house, marked by warm, deep grooves, and sultry, soulful vocals, stood out in particular.

But the DJs are only a portion of the Monster Massive experience.

What’s made this event one of the preeminent dance parties of the year is the combination of the Halloween spirit and a large venue, with the respected DJs a bonus for the knowledgeable fans.