Famous feat. Axwell @ QBH, Melbourne (02/02/08)

Alright, first up we need a bit of disclosure. I looooove Axwell. Not in a healthy, “I really respect the music he makes” kind of way, but in a mildly deranged, chase him down the street begging him to sign my baby way. OK, maybe not that bad, but seriously, the man is a genius. His 2007 Summadayze set is still referred to in almost religious terms; even Axwell himself describes it as the best set of his career. Tracks like I Found U, Watch the Sunrise and Feel the Vibe are modern classics, and he’s remixed the hell out of everyone from Madonna to Deep Dish. His third Australian tour in as many years generated huge buzz in the house music community, with clubbers across the country clamoring for the opportunity to see him again.

Heading into QBH at around midnight, Goodwill (who was Axwell’s mixing partner on the Ministry of Sound Clubber’s Guide to 2006, for anyone after a bit of fanboy trivia) was mixing up a storm, with a tougher set than I would have expected for that time of night. The dancefloor was already filling, and the crowd was really getting into it. Suckily for me, my wallet went missing about five minutes after we walked in, and I spent the duration of Goodwill’s set on the phone cancelling my credit card. I heard very good things about him from other punters, and was only slightly less bummed about missing him than losing my wallet.

Apparently Jeebus doesn’t totally hate me though, because I got off the phone with seconds to spare before Axwell started. Racing down the stairs to the opening bars of Axwell’s remix of Let It Go by Melbourne’s Dirty South, the roar that came out of the crowd was amazing. It was the kind of sound you would expect from 15,000 people, not 2,000. The dancefloor was absolutely packed; you couldn’t get within twenty metres of the stage. The crowd did not stop bouncing for the entire two and a half hours he was on, and at times you couldn’t even see the stage for the sea of arms in the air.

Next he dropped the new ‘Swedish House Mafia’ track, Body Crash from Buy Now, mixing the original into the Dirty South mix. This is a lesser known track than what he opened with, but the crowd loved it. His set was packed with massive tunes – including Australia’s own Potbelleez Don’t Hold Back which got another huge reaction from the crowd. His own mash-up of Be and Show Me Love was huge, the familiar piano sound of the latter track sending the crowd into a frenzy. John Dahlback’s Everywhere, his own Feel the Vibe and Buy Now’s For Sale were also highlights, as well as mixing Arno Cost & Norman Doray’s Apocalypse into crowd favourite Watch the Sunrise.

He worked his remix of Hard-Fi’s Suburban Knights into Da Funk from Daft Punk and got the entire crowd chanting between bars – it was just utterly mental. A better writer than I could properly describe it for you, but those who were there know what I’m talking about – one of those rare moments in clubbing when the entire room is on exactly the same wavelength. Axwell is incredible to watch – he gets right into it, jumping around and revving up the crowd. He spent a lot of time on the microphone, inciting the crowd to go crazy (like they needed it).

My favourite comment was “You guys are crazy… You need help Melbourne! And I’m gonna help you! Let’s do this!” Cue another massive roar from the crowd and a dancefloor that looked more like the inside of the D-barricade at this year’s Big Day Out during Rage Against the Machine. The music got a bit darker and a little minimal towards the end – the kinds of sounds he’s been playing in Europe recently. It was great to hear him play something a bit different, and personally I would’ve liked to have heard more of it. He wound up with a triple header of Umbrella, It’s True and Sweet Genesis, the latter a deliciously tough track to wear out what was left of the energy in the crowd. When he took off his headphones, the crowd screamed for more, but tragically, it was over. Axwell hung around on stage to take photos with the faithful who had waited either side of the stage for his whole set. Bless.

There was a mass exodus as soon as he finished. It was unbelievably hot in there, and the crowd was justifiably exhausted from jumping around and screaming for over two hours. We hung around for a little while to catch Derek {K}, who put on a tough and dark set, which was quite a change from the house-y, energetic sound Axwell had played, but still good. The half-full dancefloor lapped it up. Eventually sore feet and shrinking cash reserves got the better of us, and we headed home. No words were exchanged in the cab, just satisfied smiles, as we basked in Swedish house glory all the way home.

It was a spectacular set – energetic, technically excellent (I’ve never heard so many acapellas in one go) and most importantly, fun. He had the crowd eating out of his hand the entire time, and not one person in the room had had enough when he finished. Axwell is nothing short of a phenomenon. His ability to read a crowd and pick tracks that are going to send them crazy is something that sets him well apart from his peers. Give him a few years and he’ll be joining the legendary ranks of DJs like Carl Cox, Tiesto and Roger Sanchez – and he’ll deserve every bit of it.