What We Took Away From Pendulum’s Ultra Performance

Live performances were definitely a big part of Ultra this year, and Pendulum’s return was only one of many. Pendulum’s drummer, KJ Sawka, pulled double-duty over the weekend with his live band Destroid, alongside bass mavens Excision and Downlink. Also performing live sets were NERO, AlunaGeorge, Bob Moses, Tycho, Purity Ring, and Thomas Jack. Truthfully, the EDM scene has almost become repetitive, and its growing popularity sometimes doesn’t allow new fans to appreciate the fact many of the artists have a rich musical background that extends far beyond their laptop. Many people seem to forget that artists like Skrillex came from a rock band long before they were DJs.

Pendulum’s reunion really couldn’t have come at a better time. With EDM quickly becoming one of the most popular music genres in the world, the live performance reminded us there’s much more talent involved than just having the ability to use a computer. Pendulum took control of a stage typically reserved for the usual EDM headliner format. Take away the lasers, lights, and pyro, the performance would still have been one for the record books. Do the same with a DJ and we may not have a similar performance. Have we lost sight of appreciating the artists for their musical talent? Are people attending these festivals because they have grown to expect huge producing and massive drops?

Photo: Rukes

Taking a look at another genre’s past may also help better understand what we’re experiencing now. Take Hair Metal from the 80s for instance, with its massive stages, pyro, and global fanbase. Once reserved for the underground or small venue and clubs, it grew into a genre that swept across the US. Over time the trend fell off, and hair metal broke off into several sub-genres, stages got smaller, and the fanbase diminished. So is EDM doomed for that same fate? If we look to prevent this fall from grace, we must look toward the future and understand that live performance needs to become an integral part of our scene moving forward.

With Pendulum, we needed a rock thrown in the otherwise calm pond that is the EDM music scene. Things have subsequently been shaken up, and fans new and old will hopefully begin looking at festivals a little differently. As our own esteemed owner and CEO put it…

“We’re going to look back at this 5 years from now and wonder how we ever allowed 15 years of EDM to progress haranguing DJs as ‘festival headliners’ and ripping them out of the club setting where they can truly thrive and show their craft. Festival stages are for performers.” –Glen Sears, DMNW Owner