Whilst I was in Memphis I became a reporter for The Daily Helmsman newspaper for one semester. The University print newspaper had daily editions in both digital and print formats distributed across the city.
The Daily Helmsman
The Daily Helmsman
Unity under one purpose: a city under the siege of music
By Luke Chapman
Fast forward to October 2018 and the news breaks, a comeback and a re-union, news outlets in countries over the globe jump at the life changing information that they’re back, the kings are re-uniting and the Swedes are taking Stockholm by storm. May 4th is the date, the Tele2 arena Stockholm will be hosting the hottest event for years to come, and tickets fly. A further two dates are announced on May 2nd and 3rd, selling out three dates, breaking records and attendance figures months in advance. Their presence was known, and after months of rumours, they were arriving in style to change the face of music once more.
Attendees flocked from all corners of the world and a spell was cast over those who resided within the Swedish town, truly gripped by one feeling, unity under one purpose. Stockholm was covered in billboards brandishing the star’s faces, posters across shop windows in every street corner, and the three crucial words “Swedish House Mafia” were being dropped into conversations in dozens of languages, a city under the siege of music. Herds of the masses began to descend upon one arena to witness the spectacle of three people.
As the subway rattled along towards the south of the city, crammed full of what the band call “their family”, the atmosphere could be felt miles from the venue, as if the concert had already begun in the early afternoon. Bars around the arena were filling, the electric atmosphere ricocheting throughout the surrounding vicinity of the venue. Pints were being pulled to the sound of Until Now, preparing the concert goers for an adventure they would never forget. As the doors to the Tele2 opened, so did the doors to a world of awe and wonder, 40,000 people in one night together in geography, and emotion. The intelligently designed structure allowed thousands more attendees to get their hands on the coveted standing area tickets, leaving those in the seats appearing miles from view, yet still included in the action. Arriving during the first support act allowed an easy spot in prime position in the second row, with well over 40,000 people soon to be fighting for the top spot to watch history unfold first hand. It was the perfect place for crucial musical legacy to unfold, and the ideal setting for a story soon to be told for decades to come.
As the second support act left the stage, the anticipation could no longer be held. Millions of dollars, untold hours in flights, endless queues for tickets, all this build-up was leading to one moment, one life changing moment to happen at any minute, then the curtain drops.
Accompanied with a breath-taking LED screen covering the entire span of the stage, the platform the EDM giants took residence in depicted them as the floating personification of an odyssey arriving to save the world. An ocean of intricate lights portrayed a level of detail sending the spectator through a new realm full of true euphoria. “We Come, We Rave, We love” was soon booming out the speakers, oxy-moronically chosen as the opener on this tour, in comparison to their final words at their break up concert. An immediate nostalgia was felt synchronously within every soul in the audience, and Swedish House Mafia were truly back together.
Both Steve Angello’s solo music was played alongside the duo of Axwell & Ingrosso’s, when songs such as “On My Way” and “Show Me Love” were strategically used to rile the crowd. Nothing hit quite as right as the trio’s original music including “One” and “Antidote,” until the moment the microphone was engaged, and an explanation was given to their adoring fans. “We got to a stage where we forgot why we even broke up, and he we are, we are Swedish House Mafia, and we’re back,” a full circle had been achieved and history was officially made in front of the very eyes of 40,000 witnesses.
A familiar sound was soon ringing out, and the pivotal moment had come. Quickly speeding up the hitting of a drum pad, the one and only sound resonated, as the very first note of the synthesiser on “Don’t You Worry Child” was left hanging in the air, enticing everyone with the moment they’d travelled thousands of miles for. The infamously recognisable eight note sequence was confidently played solo for everybody to bear witness too, accompanied with the stunning visuals on the LED screen, the bands most popular hit was perfectly delivered with a synchronicity only the true experts could convey. Some cried, some screamed, some smiled and some were speechless, with no grasp on the moment they were feeling, gripping every individual in a beautiful coalescence of emotions at once. A unanimous unifying feeling was experienced when the song hit its climax, an indescribable bliss pulsated through the crowd, the moment was there, everything was good, and life was okay.
Ending the set on the wisely selected dance ballad “Change The World”, the kings had arrived for real. The rollercoaster 90 minutes had sent the crowd through every emotion imaginable, specifically curated by the very skill of the show’s architects. The hometown gig for the three Swedish maestros clearly meant the world to them, which further fuelled the heat of the concert for the audience. A perfectly chosen set list allowed the group to intricately hold the show wherever they wanted, exhibiting the proven skill the songwriters and producers had harnessed over their years. This homage perfectly tied together the past, present, and future into a single, life changing moment in time. Those who attended the concert will never look back, only forward, as the lives of all who were there will never be the same again, beautifully impacted by three Swedish men named Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello and Axel Hedfords.
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Reminiscing to March 2013, when a 15-year-old boy sits on his bed at 3 a.m. watching a live stream from Miami, where three electronic dance music superstars take the stage in front of thousands of fans for the final time in history. “We came, we raved, we loved” resonating with millions across the globe, the final phrase pulsing through the united crowd, feeling a sense of togetherness that was to never be experienced again. Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello, and Axwell bid a farewell to the stage for the last time, leaving Swedish House Mafia behind. Being arguably the biggest name to have graced EDM, the chart topping and game changing trio left an immutable impact on thousands of lives, their ineffable fairy tale-come-legend emanating forever within the dance community.
The iconic setup wasn’t changed compared to 2013, the trio’s decks were the same, and their live method untouched. The Swedes expertly knew how to hold a crowd at their every whim, played at the end of their fingertips, banger after banger entranced every audience member. The first of their charting hits to be played came in the form of “Greyhound”, the seven-minute-long tune clearly caused a huge reaction as everyone in the crowd was soon emphatically bouncing up and down to the beat of the bass heavy drop. The exhilaration and elation energetically continued through songs such as “Calling” and “Miami 2 Ibiza”, the crowd religiously screaming every word of the rap and dance cross over smash.