EDM has replaced Auld Lang Syne brand of goodbyes in Goa forever — this state that thrives in the spirit of the carnivalesque. Goa, the land of the sun, sand and sea was aptly full of merry makers who came to bid the year goodbye, but also to attend the year-end EDM parties that kept traffic to a standstill. EDM festivals dotted the beaches of Goa, and one of the major draws happened to be at Candolim Beach, where VH1 Supersonic was taking place for the third year, curated by celebrated DJ Nikhil Chinappa. The festival went on for four days, from 27-30 December, and featured over hundred artists who performed on the three stages at the venue. Needless to say, the festival attracted over thousands of happy music fans, who had come from all across the country, indeed the world to catch their favourite acts. Since around eight years now, every December thousands of music fans descend upon Goa, each and every one of them making their way to live an experience of a lifetime that is Vh1 Supersonic! The Box Office, which opened on Day 1, still had people lining up to buy tickets, as hoards of dance music enthusiasts made their pilgrimage towards the venue. When the line-up screamed of awesome names such as Axwell, Disclosure, Adam Beyer, Zeds Dead, Zedd, Nervo, Norman Doray, W&W, Deorro and many more, how could music lovers stay away?
The big names headlining the festival included Axwell, Grum and Netsky + MC Script, but there were many Indian and indie international acts who also made the venue worth a visit. The stage had been done up in a neo-gothic style with industry inspired imagery such as a giant mechanical heart, the giant bust of a woman with cogs instead of eyeballs, bathed in golden colour. This right here pretty much sums up what Vh1 Supersonic 2015 was all about. The festival ended up being a music and dance experience worthy of an international audience that had come to attend it. It was brought to a close by some world renowned masters of dance music – who struck the final beats for the festival on their respective stages – the iconic steampunk megalith ‘Iron Heart’, the bass experience ‘Laboratoire Supersonique’ and the techno kingdom ‘Spectrum’.
The evening was alive with pulsating rhythms and exhilarating beats, and the simultaneous movement of thousands of bodies gyrating in unison. It was time it seemed to let go all of all worries and cares in the world.
There was no other place fans of true electronic dance music wanted to be on these breezy evenings of December as legends of dance music descended upon the soft beaches of Candolim in Goa to belt out their best hits ever. Since the stages were divided into three, each stage specialising in a type of dance music, the crowd managed to choose what they wanted to groove to with hoards of variety. Theatrics was high, and the stage burst into smoke, streamers descended on the audience, DJs would climb onto the consoles as the crowd gyrated in unison, their fervent behaviour reminiscent curiously of a religious gathering. The evening was alive with pulsating rhythms and exhilarating beats and the simultaneous movement of thousands of bodies gyrating in unison. It was time it seemed to let go all of all worries and cares in the world and simply surrender to the vibe. The organisers had left no stone unturned to ensure a magical experience for the third season of Vh1 Supersonic 2015, that will definitely go down in collective memory of all the party goers as a dance experience to remember. The organisers, Viacom 18’s Senior EVP and Business head- LIVE Vicomm18 Jaideep Singh, said, “Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing ‘YOU’, the fans of dance music truly losing yourselves to the music. And being able to provide an experience of a lifetime through Vh1 Supersonic is something, my team and I are always striving towards. To us, success looks like those thousands of hands raised in the air hailing artists and their music. And Vh1 Supersonic 2015 saw all of that and much more. And we couldn’t have done this without the unwavering support of each and every one of the music fans here we were indebted to you all, because it is ‘YOU’ who made Vh1 Supersonic a success.”
Chinapa, the man behind the festival, did not only curate the artist line up keeping in mind true lovers of dance music, but also made sure that the audience was having a good time by dropping into the stage to check up on the audience. While the artists and the music took centre-stage, the festival wowed with its use of special commission lasers, light plays, trippy graphics, smoke and fire displays and beautiful fireworks, making the festival all about a complete experience in itself. The festival also had interesting installations and brand engagements on the festival grounds. A modest but well stocked food and beverage stalls that had national brands as well as local stalls putting up shop at the venue kept the audience happy and well-fed. The safety measures in place were airtight to avoid any instances of illicit drug consumption that has soured the name of these parties, and the festival managers kept special emphasis on women’s safety. The festival also had free water at the venue to make sure people stayed safe, hydrated and energetic.
Artists such as Deorro, Paul Ritch, Culture Shock, Luigi Madonna, DJ Zinc and W&W took to the stage in the late hours of the evening today. The night was aglow with every colour on the spectrum and fireworks that lit up the sky. It was a fitting end of the year and attracted a crowd that were verterans to this kind of an EDM experience.
A fitting finale to a spectacular show, Vh1 Supersonic 2015 has clearly made a home for itself as a dance music experience that is here to stay, and puts up a challenge to the other big names looking to attract the end of season tourism spike. Amidst such stiff competition, it is but natural that the show being put up is worthy of itself.
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