guetta on my level

A few weeks ago, my roommate and I were strolling around Khan Market when we spotted a sign that said, "David Guetta. HUDA Grounds. March 8. Buy your tickets at Turtle Café in Khan Market." We ran to the café and -- after doing our due diligence by asking about the price of the tickets and checking our syllabi to make sure that we were going to be in town on that day -- purchased two tickets. Unfortunately, none of our classmates wanted to Guetta on our level, so it was just the two of us.


Today was the day we were scheduled to Guetta it on, and we were pumped but also a little frightened. We had heard stories of a fateful Metallica concert on the same grounds, but it got cancelled because the crowd was too rowdy and aggressive. We had been getting e-mails about what not to bring. One of my favorite e-mails said, "Well-practiced dance moves and well-rehearsed lyrics will also contribute greatly to a better festival experience, for all." The "festival" started at 5PM and went on until 10PM, but there was no easily available information about who was performing between 5PM and 8PM, when Guetta went on. So really, I didn't know what to expect.


Let me tell you, folks. It was awesome.

Picture by the ever lovely Sarah Rose.

First of all, there were two DJs on before Guetta. One was an Indian guy with an electric guitar who did this cover of Skrillex's "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" that included some interesting beats behind it. That was sort of weird, but I also hate Skrillex after a traumatic experience at a music festival that included losing my car keys in the mud and many, many false drops of "Cinema." He also played that Etta James sample that's everywhere now but was featured prominently in Pretty Lights's "Finally Moving." All the Indians in the audience could totally sing along to that riff, though. Overall, this guy's set was less than notable.

Grainy, over-saturated and small photo of Guetta. Do you Guetta it?!

Next was a DJ named Nucleya. Never heard of him before, but he's apparently based in New Delhi. He ruled. Like really played some danceable beats and dropped a new song that was simultaneously dubby (as in dub, not dubstep) and chill and dirty. But he also dropped "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites." Twice. Nucleya made up for it by playing "No Beef" by Steve Aoki and Afrojack, which is one of my all-time favorite songs. However, I was apparently the only on in the audience who knew that song -- which is a real shame because it's a banger -- and was the only one singing or dancing. This is probably part of the reason that he started getting booed off stage and chants of "Guetta! Guetta!" started.

David Guetta made his triumphant entrance onstage and started his set. In the interest of full disclosure, I should say here that the only David Guetta song I know is, "Sexy B*tch." Embarrassing, I know, but it brings back such fond memories of freshman year nights out in fraternity houses. The main reason that I really wanted to go to this concert was to see what a concert was like in New Delhi and because it was David Guetta's first time (ever) performing in India. Basically a music milestone, akin to the Band's Last Waltz or that time the Beatles played Shea Stadium.

Everyone else in the crowd loved David Guetta. They knew all the words to every song and all of the names of all the songs. Even Guetta was surprised saying, "I didn't think people in India liked my music." But everyone was grooving, hard and fast, for the hour and a half that we stayed of the two hour long set. He played "Sexy B*tch," and we bounced.

Here's how the concert-going experience differed from what I'm used to in the States. The guy to girl ratio was way skewed. It was probably twenty men for each girl in the crowd, which was a little nerve-racking for Sarah and me. But there's also something deliciously ironic about being surrounded by dozens of sweaty Indian college boys who are all singing, at the top of their lungs, "Where dem girls at?!" when you know the answer is, "There really aren't that many here." Also, the festival was sponsored by a liquor company but they didn't serve any alcohol at the venue.

Overall the crowd, despite the weird ratios, was surprisingly tame. We definitely didn't have to deal with Metallica 2.0. We left a little early to be on the safe side and made it home at a reasonable hour. We're now studying for our Hindi oral midterm tomorrow, and I drank two Red Bulls before the concert so I'm probably not going to bed anytime soon. Hopefully I have enough of a voice to say anything tomorrow, least of all in a foreign language.

Even if I don't have a voice, I can say that my chakras feel realigned after this concert. My giardia is pretty taken care of at this point, which is great and I have more energy than I've had in weeks. Going to concerts also always helps me re-orient myself, cheesy as that sounds. It's always fun and cathartic about live music, and I've really missed just going to shows with friends.

P.S. In the interest of shameless self-promotion, I'm going to hype my articles and concert reviews on the WMFO Blog. My primary hobby is going to concerts, and I write about them often. If you liked this post, you'll probably enjoy what I have to say over there, too.