If Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Axwell are the Swedish House Mafia, Thomas Gold is some sort of German house music Godfather. “You come to me, asking for a rager…” The guy has a hardcore and devoted following of fans who have seen him grow from a rising star in the Ibiza house music scene to the global superstar he is today. He’s truly one of the biggest names in the scene today, and this sold out show at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom goes to prove it.
The venue was absolutely packed from the moment the doors opened as fans shuffled in early to catch openers Feenixpawl and Nari and Milani. Each act kept the crowd pumping while they awaited Thomas Gold to take the stage. Before he did though, a complete marching band took to the stage – snare drums, bass drums, trumpets – and just sort of greeted the crowd. Then an awesome video package was screened, pumping up the crowd with a countdown before the music hit and Roseland Ballroom was turned into a giant rave.
Roseland’s production values are top notch, complete with more confetti than you could dream of, streams of lasers above the crowd, and constant blasts of CO2 that keep the crowd in a frenzy. The sound system and sight lines make it one of, if not the best place to see dance music in New York City. And that’s before you take into consideration the level of talent booked, where you’re getting guys like Thomas Gold spinning all night.
And he did seemingly go all night. From 1:30am to a little past four, Thomas Gold manned the decks, bringing that pure house music sound to the masses. Most of Gold’s contemporaries tap out at around the 1.5-2 hour mark, so seeing him push it farther is a testament to his skills and endurance. Beyond his own megahits and classic cuts, Gold manages to build a fantastic set by throwing in his own personal favorites and a mix of what’s hot right now. But in a world where every DJ is mixing in a little dubstep or trap music, Thomas Gold is pure progressive house magic.
Oh, and that marching band that greeted the stage? They came back at the end, dropping an awesome beat between the horns and drums while Gold spun behind them, before ripping into an absolutely incredible remix of Adele’s ‘Set Fire To The Rain’. Seriously, if Gold’s original remix wasn’t amazing enough, add a bunch of live musicians on the stage. By the way – trend alert – this is something that more DJ’s should bring to the table. We’ve seen traditional drummers with guys like Pretty Lights and Chase and Status, but the variety of different drums, and most surprisingly the horns, work so well.
Overall, such a memorable show. The whole production was top notch between the screens, on stage dancers and performers, blow up horns that fell from the sky – it was awesome. Just so much going on all over the place, it’s hard not to have an amazing time. Thomas Gold really went all out for this show, it’s clear that he thought this show was special – and it showed off in the overall product. New Yorkers will definitely be awaiting Thomas Gold’s next return to Manhattan.
Check out a video of Thomas Gold with his Drumline on “Fanfare”:
[Credit to Acoustic Space for the video]