here’s nothing quite like the feeling of waiting anxiously in a packed out crowd, pumped with excitement, and seeing your favourite producer step out on stage.

Like damn, they’re really here. In real life. Right in front of me.

If you’ve been to your fair share of shows, you’re bound to have walked out of a few feeling absolutely invincible - giddy with excitement and full of happy energy.

Sometimes though, you can’t help but walk out of a gig thinking to yourself; “Well that was just shit”.

We’ve all been there, and it got me thinking - What is it that makes a set so good?

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I thought about it for a while, and started to develop a list narrowing down the key factors that make a set just so damn enjoyable.
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Take a look and let us know what you think.

The Energy
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When you’re paying to watch someone perform, you expect exactly that. A performance. You don’t want to see their head down, staring at the decks for an hour, you want to see them having a good time.

You’re there for more than just the music, you’re there for a show, and the best performers will make sure they give you one.

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Virtual Riot spent an hour shooting finger guns before jumping on stage to pull off a Zumba routine. Ekali sprinted in front of the decks to start a mosh. Kompany let people jump the stage and danced with them.

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Showing that kind of energy is invigorating, and the crowd will always repay you kindly.

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The Music

Never forget, people hate surprises.

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People don’t go to a dubstep set to hear house, and people don’t go to a house set to hear dubstep, and it’s clear that a performers song choices can greatly impact the overall experience of their set.

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Spending an hour listening to the same 50 tracks you’ve been hearing for years, or spending an hour listening to a set full of ID’s, unreleased collabs and big tracks. Which one sounds more appealing?

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The best performers will find the right balance of tracks, keep people guessing, and deliver enough fan-favourites to keep the audience engaged right to the end, rather than opting just to play ‘Like a Bitch’ for the 97,000th time.

The Crowd

Big or small, lively or dead, a crowd can massively impact your overall experience, and I’m sure you can agree that when they’re not feeling it, you aren’t either.

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If 3000 people are stood still on their phones, you can’t help but be dragged down by the lack of energy. When everyone is hyped and going crazy, you can’t help but feel boosted.

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In my experience smaller single headline shows have the best crowds, as bigger lineups often result in people watching acts they’re disinterested in, which can cause a slump.

More intimate crowds are more energetic, and being part of that perfect crowd always enhances your experience.

The Performance

You don’t watch NBA to see James Harden trim his beard for an hour, you watch it to see dunks, half court shots, alley-oops - a performance.

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When you pay to see someone perform, you don’t want them to come out and just press play on a pre-recorded set, or fail to beat match, you want them to deliver.

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There’s more to live sets than just the music.  A DJ’s mixing, their song choice, the flow, production. It all adds up, and the best performers always keep you on your toes.

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A little hip-hop here, some trap there, maybe a cheeky double drop every now and then - it’s all about finding that perfect balance, and when they do, you can’t help but be swept along for the ride.

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It might not be comprehensive, but this list covers the general points that have created some of the best live sets I’ve witnessed.

Everyone deserves to get their moneys worth, and it’s up to the performers to make sure the crowd leaves that show with the perfect afterglow.

As always, thanks for reading. Party safe, stay hydrated, and we’ll see you next time.