My heart was racing, but I had to keep going. Sweating from head to toe, I knew I couldn’t stop. The sound of reggae dance was all that was fuelling me to continue. This was my mind-set as I raved away to Jamaican dancehall project Major Lazer at Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium this summer.

Not only was their set the perfect fusion of remixes and their own tracks, but their energetic carnival-style performance was something I had never experienced before.

With DJ/producers Diplo and Jillionaire at the decks sipping Malibu, Washly Fire getting the crowd going and two dancer ladies oozing with swag, it made for an exciting visual display.

A video of their signature cartoons formed the backdrop, including Major Lazer himself – a renegade Jamaican commando who lost his arm in a Zombie War and had it replaced with a prosthetic laser.

Inflatable crocodiles, flamingos and dolphins sprung around the tent, as their electro-dancehall tracks erupted.

Walshy Fire eased us in with a bit of stage diving before hopping in his hamster ball for some extreme zorb surfing. I didn’t think it was possible but he literally rolled all over us!

Everyone went crazy as ‘Original Don’ played, with its stomping bass, distorted horns and chanting vocals.

Next was ‘Jump Up’, and of course, we obliged. I was among the hundreds of sweaty festivalgoers bouncing in a tent in scorching hot weather. Sweat dripped from our eyes and sprayed about as we jumped and clapped.

We didn’t care that we were bathing in our own sweat and exhausted from the constant bopping, the music just kept us going. That’s what I call in-tents.

Just when we were thoroughly bounced out – they got us to partake in a dance routine involving hopping to the right and back to the left. Being tightly packed together this was quite a challenge, but it was still a laugh.

Up next was my personal favourite ‘Keep it Going Louder’. Seeing that we were on the warm side, Walshy Fire told us to take off our shirts and swing them around our heads to the music. Such a beautiful moment.

They then asked for a volunteer male who was ordered to lie down on the stage. ‘Pon de Floor’, sampled in Beyonce’s ‘Run the World’, was the soundtrack for an erotic lap dance from the dancers for this lucky member of the audience.

Another great track from their first album ‘Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do’, was ‘Hold the Line’ featuring Santigold. By this point we were pretty exhausted and lively bouncing had turned to gentle bopping.

Diplo was wiping his forehead, and the girls were dancing with towels. Walshy was topless by now and went for a last crowd surf to their final song ‘Get Free’ from their upcoming album ‘Free the Universe’. Confetti shot into the crowd as the beat dropped.

Hats off to Major Lazer for maintaining a good show despite it being over 30 degrees. I think that’s why it sticks in my mind as the best band I’ve seen, we all went through so much in that gig – searing heat, amazing music and an incredible performance.

– Published at This Festival Feeling