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“Excited to announce a new @IamHardwell show in Dehli, India 26th Sept! Stay tuned, tickets will go on sale 6th Aug!” tweeted Hardwell on August 2.
It’s amazing how just a tweet brightened up my dull day. I read and re-read the tweet just to ensure I wasn’t lost in a daydream. Being a nightlife reporter, club-hopping and listening to trending EDM tracks form a large part of my life... a happy part. And when you say “top DJ”, only one name comes to mind –– Robbert van de Corput aka Hardwell.
A Hardwell concert is not to be missed, especially when he decides to make his debut visit to the capital city for his I AM HARDWELL world tour, which kicked off last year.
Tickets booked, after missing an early morning flight I landed in Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, after a two-hour drive from Delhi. Even on the highway, one could feel the vibe of the concert. SUVs and sedans packed with the younger lot had only one thought –– to get high on Hardwell.
Namaste India
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A levitating opening set by Kill The Buzz kept the ravers, dressed mostly in neon outfits with glow-in-the-dark accessories, on their toes. But my eyes –– and that of 20,000-plus ravers at the venue –– waited for a glimpse of THE man, Hardwell. With ‘I love Hardwell’ banners, fans chanted his name until the lights went off. Only the glow of mobile phones and an eerie silence wrapped one of the biggest concert venues, one that has hosted Avicii and Deadmau5.
Soon, the gigantic screen sprung into life with I Am Hardwell written on it and as part of his introduction, a deep, captivating voice announced: “Dear dreamers, this is I Am Hardwell”. Followed by a deafening cheer when THE man from the Netherlands took the mic and said: “Namaste India!”
It was probably then that I realised (and I pinched myself!) the World No. 1 DJ (DJ Mag 2013 ranking), was before me.... YES in front of me with his hands in the air! I stared at him like a little girl in a candy store and finally screamed out ‘Hardwell’ amidst the bright lights, confetti and captivating larger-than-life visuals that engulfed us all through the night.
I love you guys
After a soothing start, Hardwell wove his magic with Coldplay’s latest, A Sky Full of Stars, moved to mashups (one of which was a remix of Under Control by Calvin Harris & Alesso with W&W’s remix of U) and the chart-topping Bastille’s Pompeii with a mashup of W&W’s remix of Krewella’s Live For The Night. The high-octane performance kept ravers in high spirits as they joined hands, swayed and even lip-synced to If I Lose Myself... which being one of my fave tracks, I joined in. But the big moment was when he dropped Armin van Buuren’s Ping Pong, welcomed by loud applause and a roar!
Dressed in his signature black tee, hair perfectly set... I was stupefied to see his energy level. From constantly pepping up the crowd to that infectious smile and attitude, Hardwell won hearts with every track. Being able to play various genres has always given an edge to the Dutch DJ. And with tracks like Clarity, Ain’t A Party Without Me and mashups of Linkin Park’s Numb and W&W’s Jumper, he created a euphoric ambience.
Just when people thought the tempo was fading, Hardwell brought the house down with Dare You and got on top of the console with the Indian flag in hand! ‘India, I love you guys,’ he said and THAT was the soul-wrenching and heart-melting moment which reduced thousands of us to tears. Some recorded while others clicked, as he held the flag high, smiling and fist thumping!
Soon, Lana del Rey’s uncanny voice filled the beautiful autumn evening as he played Lana del Rey & Cedric Gervais’s How We Do vs. Summertime Sadness mashup and this left the crowd in a state of trance that only someone present can relate to.
The special three-hour set also saw Calvin Harris’s Sweet Nothing and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs Sander Van Doorn’s Welcome To The Jungle vs Project T being played among various other hits that made girls sit up on the shoulders of their friends. I was tempted to do the same but keeping the jumping and fist thumping of the crowd in mind, I decided to save it for next year when I will have the company of my friends.
The finale
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Following a drop in bass, I glanced at my watch and saw it nearing 10. I knew the concert was about to wrap up and wondered why Hardwell’s chart-topping numbers Apollo and Spaceman had not come on. A little disappointed, I decided to leave the arena to avoid the mad post-concert rush. By the time I had walked out of the VIP section, I heard the infectious tune of Spaceman growing louder by the sec and deep inside I knew what was coming our way –– Apollo’s mashup with Spaceman with firecrackers and confetti going up for the last time.
While some looked up in awe, some, like me, were teary-eyed. And many refused to leave, even long minutes after the concert, probably trying to soak in the mammoth event they had just witnessed. As I headed for my hotel in Delhi, I mumbled Never Say Goodbye and realised how his HARD work paid off so WELL.
the spaceman
Who: Robbert van de Corput
Known as: DJ Hardwell
Nationality: Dutch
Age: January 7, 1988
Tiesto and Hardwell hail from the same place in the Netherlands –– Breda. And both had entered DJ Mag in 2000 and 2011 respectively in position 24 and later became top DJs.
The name Hardwell was coined by his father and he started using it at age 12.
One of Hardwell’s favourite drinks is Heineken.
He is skilled in judo and martial arts.
He has his own radio and podcast show called Hardwell On Air which has topped many charts.
I love Hardwell because...
