David Guetta Finally Comes To India

Hipsters cringe at the sound of the word mainstream, and some even get close to violence. But that’s only their expression of dismay, their passion for music undying, almost warrior-like. A name like David Guetta, in that sense, is the representation of the word mainstream to such an extent that hipsters want to cry. Yes, there are such fans of music out there, for all those wondering and asking the question, ‘what happened to good music?’ At a time when the term indie is being overused, and prefixed with every thing related to music, French DJ and producer, David Guetta has topped DJ Mag’s popularity charts, ranking numero uno as the world’s most popular DJ. This could only be a good sign for lovers of EDM, specifically dance and house music in the country, as David Guetta plots a three-city tour to India – hitting Gurgaon, Pune and Bangalore in the second week of March.

At the time of writing this, it had been little over a day since the big night of the music industry had ended – Adele had won a lot of silver and dubstep bro Skrillex had beat Guetta in two categories taking home a total of three awards, while Bon Iver were party to the share as well, with Justin Vernon making an uncomfortable acceptance speech – all making for some excellent television airtime. Guetta performed with Chris Brown and Lil’ Wayne at The 54th Annual Grammy Awards, posed for photographs with Skrillex, and smiled the evening away. He did not take any silver home, and he didn’t need to. He’s sold over three million albums worldwide, and over fifteen million singles worldwide. These, of course, are official figures that exclude all the pirated copies floating around, and all the music you listen to in the local trains, or in the form of customised ringtones in crowded markets or silent classrooms.

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Headlining the second edition Eristoff Invasion Festival, bringing down David Guetta seems to be a masterstroke by the organisers on two fronts. If rumours are to be believed, various promoters of dance music in the country have been pitching to bring down the French DJ for over two years now, but unsuccessfully. About his India tour, Guetta says, “I'm excited to finally get to play in India. I know my music has been heard and supported for many years, but until now it’s been impossible to get there. This will be a very special tour, I’m sure." From a business perspective, organisers Only Much Louder and UKNY Live seemed to have answered the demand that thousands of fans have been waiting for. With international DJs such as Avicii and Paul Van Dyk having toured the country recently, David Guetta was the only logical next step.

Guetta’s fifth studio album Nothing But The Beat charted in several countries, topping the charts in no less than seven countries. Going by the way things are looking, the 44 year-old DJ’s shows in India seem to be heading towards something bigger than what festival-goers in the country have witnessed yet. Music lovers in the country, especially Delhi NCR have recently been let down by the Metallica fiasco, but the organisers are careful of their endeavours having successfully executed the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune just a couple of months ago. Talking to people about the show, we’ve learnt that a lot of people are interested to see how this one goes.

Hipster or not, there’s no denying the magnitude of the event and the headlining artist in question at this year’s edition of the Eristoff Invasion Festival. The only disappointment that fans of the DJ are experiencing is the Mumbai leg being shifted to Pune owing to “licensing issues.” A die-hard fan of Nine Inch Nails, a stark contrast in musical choices, even told us, “I like some of Guetta’s house stuff. The show is going to be huge, undoubtedly, and I’m not going to shy away from saying I’m looking forward to it.” In a way, this is a summation of the magnitude the show is possibly expected to take, and not let down fans. Owing to the number of music festivals cropping up around the country, it’s best to trust those who know what they’re doing; and who better than the most popular DJ in the world right here.

David Guetta is headlining the Eristoff Invasion Festival in Delhi on March 09, Pune on March 10 and Bangalore on March 11. Tickets available on http://nh7.in/store/invasion/

From the March 2012 issue of FHM India.