Dancing the night away

After all the rumours and false alarms, Canadian progressive house DJ-producer ‘Deadmau5’ aka Joel Zimmerman performed at the Supernova Arena recently. Here as part of the ‘Sunburn Arena 2014’, the five-time Grammy nominee, gave a memorable concert as part of his debut India tour.

It was a long wait for the eager fans before the producer took to the stage. As is seen at most big EDM concerts these days, there were three opening acts before him. Two local acts — deep house DJ Praveen Achary and electronica producer Akshai Sarin — got the crowd grooving. The follow-up set by Dutch producer ‘R3hab’ was an equally smashing success.

When it was his turn, ‘Deadmau5’, who has given the world some of biggest hits like ‘Ghosts N’ Stuff’, ‘Strobe’ and ‘Raise Your Weapon’, played all of them and more. He also tried out a few ambient tracks from his upcoming album with the crowd, making it an exciting mixed set for the few thousands present. But it was his remix of Daler Mehndi’s Tunak Tunak Tun that really pumped it all up. The production was also commendable for an event of this scale. Between songs, the DJ interacted with the crowd telling them about his experience in India.

But while nobody had the chance to complain about the music, the duration of the set annoyed many. “The music was brilliant and production was awesome. But paying so much for a ticket and watching ‘Deadmau5’ play for only 90 minutes was depressing. We thought it would go on till 1 am with the new deadline,” said Harsh, a concert-goer.

Kirsten, who frequents EDM concerts, noted, “The facilities and organising were a lot better than the other EDM concerts. Also, I’m a big fan of his music and had high expectations, which were met with except for certain parts of his set. But the stalls were a complete rip-off — people had to buy coupons worth at least Rs 500, even if all they wanted was a bottle of water which cost Rs 50. Also, the water supply was over before the concert ended.”

However, most music-lovers were seen having a great time. “I bought a ‘Deadmau5’ mask for this concert and had a blast with my friends. It was a crazy concert and I still can’t believe that I got to see him live!” said Priyanka, who attended the show.