Ten years: the length of time the city of Paris and French Swedish House Mafia fans have had to wait. Ten years since the last time Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso, all set foot in the city of lights. Back in 2012, when the SHM fans gathered, it was to say goodbye to the trio, and no one in the crowd back then would have bet on a comeback.
Fast-forward a decade later, and here we are. Swedish House Mafia made a comeback, released a refreshing state-of-the-art album, and with their Paradise Again Tour, they were back to reclaim their fans’ hearts and the scene in the capital of France. And it all took place at one of the country’s biggest venues, Accor Arena in Paris, on Monday, October 10.
Swedish House Mafia, with what they already accomplished, have already made history and have their name written in gold in the history of Electronic Dance Music.
That being said, it did not keep the trio from having a far-from-perfect comeback suffering from the long COVID pause when the hype was at its peak, and then a series of production problems and some shows cancellation later. For this Parisian show, the fellow Swedish giant Alesso was announced and then removed from the warmup acts. All this resulted in some level of skepticism by the scene and some fans regarding this comeback and tour.
In pure monochromatic, dark, and minimalistic Swedish House Mafia style, all lights were off in the room, the intro started playing and the hype was over the roof. At 10 pm, white lights began flashing all across the arena, and once the first drop came, Can U Feel It resonated in the room, and the black veil dropped from the ceiling revealing Swedish House Mafia and the iconic round decorative centerpiece hovering over the stage.
The staging & production was truly world-class. The stage was made of a huge concrete-looking structure along with light rings, all moving in space during the show. The light rings had different elements mapped and controlled in an impressive and creative way, resulting in different patterns and giving off euphoric sci-fi vibes. Heavy fog continuously pumped on stage, giving the impression that the trio was standing on a cloud or playing from Paradise. Along with the main signature elements, the crowd was treated with lasers, indoor pyro, flame throwers, and an overall world-class inventory of light shows and special effects.
The challenge that Swedish House Mafia was facing as they were planning out their performance was how they were going to deliver their countless classic songs, and at the same time present a new and exciting feel to the show. But without a doubt, Swedish House Mafia rose to the challenge and masterfully threw down a set that featured their timeless classics as well as their best tracks from Paradise Again. The crowd was beyond electric, and the trio delivered a true sub-genre blending set that did a phenomenal job of pleasing old fans with their old sound, but also new fans. The show was definitely darker, more minimalistic, and faithful to the 2022 SHM identity with bangers such as ‘Red Light‘, ‘Don’t Go Mad‘, and ‘Turn On The Light‘.
Classics were played. Some were edited into 2022 versions, and nostalgic fans got what they were looking for with tracks such as ‘Reload’, ‘Calling’, and ‘In My Mind’. The unity of the crowd throughout the show was unforgettable as the French crowd showed love and sang together the classics such as ‘Don’t You Worry Child’ and ‘Save the World’.
French fans waited for a whole decade to witness Swedish House Mafia graze the stage in Paris, and the wait was very much worthwhile. Everyone at Accor Arena last Monday agreed that there is no doubt, Swedish House Mafia is officially back and if you are a dance music fan, this is the one tour you can not miss this year. The tour is still ongoing as the Paradise Again tour continues to make its way around the world. Make sure to grab your tickets to their stop closest to you here.
