Welcome to the Hammys Zeds Dead!

Written and Photographed by

How do you explain going to a rave for the first time to someone? The music, the lights, the colors… for me, it was the energy! Deadbeats hosted Second Contact at the Hampton Coliseum, in Hampton, Virginia, Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15, starring Zeds Dead as the headliner both nights alongside over 10 other artists. I was lucky enough to be able to document the entire show Friday night!

Walking into the arena, all you could hear was the excitement from fans. The merch line was longer than the eyes could see. Fans had on bright colors, space attire, mushrooms galore, fuzzy boots, and millions of bracelets to trade called “Kandi.” The security at this event was hilarious, even letting fans give them trinkets and place sprout hair clips on their hats.

At 5:45 p.m., Phrva opened the show, playing songs many would know, including a remix of “Hi Bich” by Bhad Bhabie! Fans started to gather in during his set and claim their spots at barricade. By the time A Hundred Drums and Zen Selekta came out, the number of people in the crowd had tripled. The visuals that these ladies had blew me away! I was most excited to see their set because women are underrepresented compared to men in this industry. Hampton, Virginia, LOVED them! They introduced Caspa next, and even explained how he inspired them in the dubstep world. He’s been doing dubstep since dubstep was conjured. Caspa, a producer from West London, shook the crowd! Not only did he bring the most chilling beats, but he had beautiful lasers and lights. At 8:50 p.m., Nero brought the heat! The GRAMMY award winning U.K. electronic music trio features producers Dan Stephens and Joe Ray, and vocalist Alana Watson. Fans gathered around, jumping back and forth, hands in the air, truly feeling the music!

The arena filled as the countdown began for Zeds Dead’s arrival! When 10 p.m. hit and the room when dark, you could feel the energy in your soul. The crowd was electric! I had never seen a laser production like this before! It was captivating and had every fan looking up towards the sky. They played one of their hit songs, “One Of These Mornings,” from their album Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness – by far my favorite Zeds Dead song! You could tell the attendees were not just fans of the Canadian duo, consisting of Dylan Mamid and Zachary Rapp-Rovan, but that they resonated with the music and felt it deeply.

I couldn’t believe the show these guys put on. It was truly an experience I will never forget as a concert photographer, one that has transformed and changed my view on the EDM world, and has got me looking forward to my next show!

Follow their socials to stay up to date on upcoming events!!

DeadBeats Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deadbeats?igsh=N2hkd2RkMXBuenA0

DeadBeats Website: https://deadbeatsofficial.com

Zeds Dead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zedsdead?igsh=OXcwY29keHBvd2hz

Zeds Dead Website: https://www.zedsdead.net

Zeds Dead Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/67qogtRNI0GjUr8PlaG6Zh?si=J4t0748YSx-MmCCNeCXfOg

Phrva Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phrvabass?igsh=MWYxcG0xb2V0N285Mg==

Phrva Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2gUjbFSv34ZRVw5qkwKTO7?si=48kOQu73TQWHjA8TUMVncw

A Hundred Drums Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahundreddrums?igsh=a2EzOHNteXo2Z3o2

A Hundred Drums Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dUCaUhp2RZRXrwOyUnHxQ?si=MY41CZerSyacscpJ3MT_Kw

Zen Selekta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenselekta?igsh=MXgxZ3ZkZXVtYTI0dg==

Zen Selekta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/35U1RcBFdxNezzySMgVVd3?si=f21vyxj-RoWdpYbRmlfRvA