Duke Dumont
22nd September 2017
Studio, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Daniel Lee.
First things first, the best way to get a great workout is to see Duke Dumont Live, it was an hour and a half of non-stop dancing and boy am I feeling it today! So, thank you Duke for not only pumping out some great tunes but also giving me the workout of a lifetime.
The atmosphere was on point from start to finish. Kiwi duo Chores, made up of Thommy Simmons and Sam Saunders, kickstarted the night with a bang! Their electronic blend followed by American artist Jai Wolf’s unique sound brought an unreal energy to K Roads Studio. Indian Summer and By Your Side were two of my favourite tracks and certainly prepared us for what was to come.
I was a little apprehensive that after the boys played the atmosphere would drop as there would be a long wait for Duke to enter the stage, but I was completely wrong. The entire evening was smooth running and as we waited in anticipation, Duke entered drink in hand and a wide smile on his face. (Que Screams)
If I am honest I’m not too sure where to begin as each song rolled off of the next (which is a good thing) Starting the night with Need U, hands were immediately thrown in the air and screams of excitement filled the Studio. Each person in the room was wishing that Duke was the one they could call every day and night (I know I was)
Each song was a crowd pleaser so it’s difficult to pick favourites but if I had to I would say I got you featuring Jax Jones was up there, the atmosphere was just incredible for this song as hands were raised clapping simultaneously to the summer pop track.
The Giver and Ocean Drive followed but Duke changed things up by adding new melodies to each track. He even pumped out some Destiny’s child lose my breath, which of course worked in his favour, the crowd went crazy! He constantly surprised us throughout the night and by far the biggest surprise was his rendition of Katy Perry’s Swish Swish – which was accompanied by a projection of the ‘dancing backpack kid.’
The British producer had a host of bangers up his sleeve – he would play his classics that didn’t contain lyrics but who needs lyrics when the underline beat is so sick. He knows how to work a crowd, to keep them engaged and entertained he would also revert to tracks with lyrics as he knows everybody loves a good singalong.
What caught my eye was the fact there was such a diverse age range of people. There was a guy in front of me who was having the time of his life and he must have been in his late sixties, how amazing!
It still baffles me how one person can command a stage and a room of over 1000 people like how Duke does. Basically, Duke killed it. He’s a master on the decks and his ability to seamlessly mix tracks is just something else. I think there are no words to even describe fully how great this guy is.
I think a name change is in order, he should be re-knighted as King Dumont!
Until next time Duke!
Were you there at the Studio for this house extravaganza? Or have you seen Duke Dumont perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!