3 weeks ago today I saw Swedish House Mafia – I still have withdrawals😭 – Around The World In 80 Raves
Picture the scene, Saturday night, Stockholm, Tele2 Arena, thousands of Swedish House Mafia fans, all there for one reason – to see their favourite DJs, Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello reunite on stage. I was there, 3 weeks ago today…
I was there in Paris in 2012 on their One Last Tour.
I was there in Miami in 2013 at Ultra Music Festival for their ‘last ever’ gig.
I was there in Miami in 2018 at Ultra Music Festival for their ‘surprise’ reunion – closing the festival.
Now, I was there again, seeing my favourite DJs in their ‘home town’, Stockholm.
As the lights dimmed before the gig there was a certain sense of excitement, but also apprehension, would all the hype be worth it? My husband and I had travelled thousands of miles to see them, first in Paris, then Miami (x2), now Stockholm, and we’d never been disappointed. Of course there was no need to be worried, of course they would be worth it, of course it would be a set to remember – seeing them in Sweden of all places.
And so, there it was, the floating stage, that I had stupidly had a sneaky look at from posts on social media from the first two Stockholm gigs, just a couple of days before I saw them. Still, even though I knew what to expect it was amazing, with a giant LED screen and a floating stage, complete with pyro, what more could the Swedish House Mafia fans want?
Well, of course an amazing gig wouldn’t be complete without their great music, fantastic mashups of old favourites and a couple of a new IDs dropped in for the fun of it. We danced, we cried, we loved every minute, especially when Axwell said, “We are… the Swedish House Mafia!”
But that was just one night, and now, three weeks later I still wish I was there, hearing the cheers echo around the 45,000 capacity stadium, I’m already counting the days until the next time I’ll see them – which will be at Ultra Europe in Croatia in July.
They’ve already played another gig since I’ve seen them, in Mexico on the 18th May, from what I saw it looked amazing (of course), outdoors, again with a massive screen behind them – however this time there was no floating stage.
I know I can watch this, and their Stockholm gigs over and over again, but nothing compares to actually being there and experiencing what Steve Angello once called a “musical orgasm” as told by Sebastian Ingrosso, when interviewed for the Leave The World Behind documentary.
https://youtu.be/hnMV-DTTXbE?t=127
While the waiting till Ultra Europe continues, so does the raving. It might not be at the huge capacity stadiums, but there’s always a night out somewhere. The next one will be Back to the 90’s & 00’s Launch Party with DAVE PEARCE, in Evoque Preston on the 31st May.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @aroundtheworldin_80raves
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