One look at the crowd and it was clear that Zedd’s Mumbai gig was EPIC! Here is The Sherp’s take on this mega event!
Think of the best possible way you could start your month, now multiply that by 100 and you have got the collective feeling of the 2000 odd people that was present at the Zedd gig in Mumbai that happened on June 2ndΒ at the equally groovy βKitty Su Pleasuredomeβ!
UNDER THE DOME OF PLEASURE
Kitty Suβs Pleasuredome which is a completely covered and fully air-conditioned rectangular space that under normal circumstances is used as a convention center/marriage hall was for this concert, converted into a pleasure paradise fit for the prince of EDM – Zedd. The hall was retro-fitted with large bars on either side, a VIP section (for the fancy lot) on the left, private tables (for the really fancy lot) on the right, a huge led covered stage in front and the grooviest disco-lights along the roof. All these elements combined together created, what we think, is the most amazing location in Mumbai for a gig of this scale. Except of course for the many potholes (literally) that appeared in the ground (referred to as Death Traps by the people who became their victims), as a result of the hardcore, full-power raging of the public.
THE WARM UP
The evening began withΒ DJ MashΒ who warmed up the crowd with a super set, magnetically drawing in the masses that arrived early. He was followed byΒ Nawed KhanΒ who belted out some killer tracks including a phenomenal remix of ‘Get Lucky‘, Eric Prydzβ ‘Every Day‘, Alesso’sΒ ‘If I Lose Myself’, Sultan & Ned Shepardβs ‘Walls’ & ‘Centre Of The Universe‘ to name a few. As the clock got closer to 8, the vibe in the Pleasuredome started gathering momentum and as the sun set, full-on insanity kicked in. The secondΒ Nikhil ChinapaΒ announced the words βThe next two hours will change your lifeβ, the crowd went absolutely mental and rushed towards the stage to catch the first glimpse of the man of the moment, and it seemed like somewhat of a calling with a slight drizzle coming down from the heavens, forcing everyone to rush inside in a frenzy. The venue was considerably packed upfront with quite literally no room to move a muscle. Finally at around 8:30 PM HE arrived and was greeted with the loud chants of βZEDD! ZEDD! ZEDD! ZEDD!β at decibels that shook the socks off this massive venue.
AND THE PRINCE OF EDM TAKES THE STAGE
ZeddΒ opened his set withΒ Gregori Klosman’s remix of ‘Spectrum‘Β followed by ‘In My Mind‘ by Axwell. With the sweltering heat in Mumbai youβd only expect him to drop his thumper ‘Breaknβ A Sweat‘ which had everyone going mental with the word “Thatβs good” flashing on the LED screen. The highest point of the night would probably have to be when he dropped everyoneβs favorite ‘Clarity’. Mid-way through, Anton got on the mike and said βHey Mumbai, can you sing along to this song?β and within seconds all of the people in the venue (yes each and every one of them) started screaming out the lyrics, the sound of which filled every corner of the massive hall with an almost heavenly echo (See video below).
He mixed it up expertly, varying his style and playing tracks that the crowd adores including his remixes of ‘Save The World’, ‘Donβt You Worry Child’, ‘Greyhound’ by Swedish House Mafia, Baauerβs ‘Harlem Shake‘ (with a video playing in the background that had everyone in splits). He even droppedΒ Mike Candy & Jack Holiday’s remix of ‘One More Time’Β by Daft Punk andΒ Dada Life’s remix of Kaskade’sΒ ‘Llove’.
Zedd kept the crowd waiting sometimes for a few transitions, maneuvering the console like a boss, keeping everyoneβs gaze fixed at him in expectation of the next drop. His entire set was characterized by a euphoric aura which kept everyone energized from start to finish.
THE TOPPING ON THE CAKE
His set was also graciously sprinkled with a healthy dose of Dubstep influenced mash-ups, which the crowd willingly took in, busting out some moves β ‘Don’t Slam The Cinema‘Β during which weird shapes were being made in the air , ‘Apologize vs. Million Voices’Β which had everyone singing in sync and bashing the floor with some moves,Β ‘Follow You Down vs. Reload’Β to which the crowd sang along gleefully, ‘Niggas In Paris vs. Internet Friends’Β which was totally unexpected and had the crowd rapping (Literally), ‘I Like To Shave It‘Β and ‘Coming Home vs. Aerodynamic vs. Quasar’Β summed it all up. And at the end of a 2 hour set, Zedd being Zedd, didn’t just wrap it up in style, he gift-wrapped it with his original mix of ‘Spectrum‘, capping off the night leaving everyone gasping for air.Β We then saw Nikhil Chinapa coming up to the stage and yelling – “Why do you need Miami, when you have Mumbai?!“, which was greeted by a collective cheer from two thousand people present there.
WORD TO THE ‘BEHIND THE SCENES’ CREW
As epic as the Russian maestroβs performance was, it wouldn’t have been as spectacular if it wasn’t for the superbly efficient Kitty Su management and staff, who did an exceptionally good job at keeping everything in order. At no point was there a line β either at the bar or the ticket counter or even the rest-room! There was a manager/security person stationed at every 10 steps, outside and in the venue to make sure everything went off smoothly. Itβs this kind of production, safety and discipline that keeps you coming back for more.
An amazing gig, an amazing venue and an amazing crowd, that is what the evening of βClarityβ was all about. And this amazing evening would have never happened if it wasn’t for the good folks at Kitty Su, Submerge and WMS. A big shout out to them for making this one of the best nights of The Sherp’s life.