Thousands of young people, including hundreds from Derry, packed Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on Thursday night last for a gig by DJ Hardwell.
DJ Hardwell.
It was an event which attracted widespread news coverage after over 100 youngsters were treated for the ill-effects of drug and alcohol.
The number of involved was small compared to the many thousands who enjoyed the event.
To many, DJ Hardwell is an unknown. So who is he, and why is he so popular?
Robbert van de Corput, better known by his stage name Hardwell, is a Dutch progressive and electro house DJ and music producer.
Born on 7 January, 1988 in Breda, Holland, he is currently the world’s number one DJ based on DJ Magazine’s annual Top 100 DJs poll and is widely known for his live sets at major music festivals such as Tomorrowland and Ultra.
His musical nominations include being shortlised for the World Music Award for World’s Best Electronic Dance Music Artist
The video streams of his performances on his personal YouTube channel have collectively garnered more than 70 million views.
Dutch DJ Hardwell.
He started playing the piano when he was four years old and when he was 13, he signed his first major record label and by the age of 14, he had begun DJing at reputable clubs across the Netherlands.
Hardwell’s remixing debut came in 2006 when his version of The Underdog Project’s “Summer Jam” hit the clubs.
By 2010, he had set up his own record label, Revealed Recordings and in March the following year, launched his own radio show and podcast, Hardwell On Air which is currently being broadcast on various international radio stations.
Additionally, the podcast has a spot on iTunes’ Top 10 Podcasts in several countries and his collaboration single with Tiësto, “Zero 76,” was one of the biggest club tracks of that year.
In July 2012, he performed on the main stage of Tomorrowland, a performance which has over 19 million views on YouTube.
His performance at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami is currently the most watched live DJ set on YouTube to date, with over 20 million views.
His set also broke all records for the most watched Ultra live broadcast with over 80,000 people watching his set online through a live stream.
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