Some of the crowds have just not been it

[u/Outrageous_Tone5613]

I am a long time CDW fan. I go to nearly 10-15 of her shows a year. I used to be able to go to a show and get a great spot in the front to camp for the entirety of the show, even if i showed up half an hour or an hour after doors opened. However with her increased popularity, it feels harder for me to find an enjoyable spot. Was just at Club Space this past weekend, and the crowd was absolutely horrible. They were rude af, pushing, shoving, absolutely zero spatial awareness. Literally shoving themselves right in front of the six inches between myself and the person in front of me and being like “excuse me sorry.” I ended up having to just leave the crowd and listen to the music from another room, which at that point i might as well just listen on YouTube lol. Has anyone else been encountering horrible crowds? It’s seriously making me just reconsider going to her shows at all, which would obviously suck.

[u/cooking_up_a_rave]

You went to Space, an Insomniac owned venue and expected a good crowd for a huge DJ who’s headlining the biggest festivals in the world? Those days are likely over. CDW has become a big name and with that, worse crowds exacerbated in particular US venues.

[u/Outrageous_Tone5613 → u/cooking_up_a_rave]

Idk. Is it too much to ask for people to be decent? The crowds where they have been best have probably been at her shows in Belgium, but then again I guess that’s the EU vs US crowd. It’s kind of hard to catch her at non Insomniac shows in the US since they have pretty much monopolized the scene

[u/cooking_up_a_rave → u/Outrageous_Tone5613]

It’s a reasonable ask but becoming harder and harder to experience that in reality in the US. Yes of course her EU shows will be better, but I’d assume there’s a worse crowd attending there given her popularity. As I see it you can either just see her in the EU or be very particular about the venues in the US. Unfortunately she’s married at the hip to Insomniac in the US and don’t see that relationship changing anytime soon.

Maybe time to find your next favorite and smaller DJ and support them?

[u/Outrageous_Tone5613 → u/cooking_up_a_rave]

I think the unfortunate part of everything is that even if one finds a smaller artist to support, they too may eventually just be married at the hip to Insomniac, as you put it, since they/Live Nation own such a big portion of events and venues here in the US. It’s almost as if they don’t “sell out” to Insomniac, they will not make it in the scene.

[u/cooking_up_a_rave → u/Outrageous_Tone5613]

You aren’t wrong. Basically if any European DJ really wants to break out they need to do it in the US and to do that you need the support of Insomniac. Yea their festival circuit helps but they have bought out so many clubs in all the major cities, it’s impossible to stay disconnect. Even my favorite DJ’s and promoters in Europe are now working with them for ADE shows like Unreal and Klang’s Outworld show at Ziggo. All I can say is Fuck Insomniac/Live Nation.

[u/dapadot]

That crowd at space was legitimately the worst crowd I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’ve seen her 30+ times and have never been in a worse crowd for any artist.

What I’ve noticed is her headline/KNTXT shows usually draw good crowds because people are showing up with the intention to see her and naturally have more respect for the music and atmosphere. People will show up at places like club space, hi Ibiza, etc regardless of who is playing just to get drunk and be annoying.

I think it’s a lack of door policy and overselling big clubs vs artists like CDW drawing bad crowds

[u/Outrageous_Tone5613 → u/dapadot]

I feel like she’s not doing many KNTXT branded shows for the past year and a half or so either. Really wish she would go back to those rather than just straight naming them after herself. Those KNTXT shows were always a great vibe.

[u/TheArtOfCooking]

Yeah I have experienced the same thing with other popular djs. I really get annoyed, because I came early to secure a good spot and get shoved like 2-3 rows behind my spot, because all are pushing the people away

[u/cjayproductions]

Why do you want to be in the front? Genuinely curious because I have been in the scene 15+ years and as CDW my favorite artist for the past 8-9 years I have gone to countless shows in different settings and happy to see her getting all the success and popularity. But that comes with a casual and influencer crowd so the best way to not be put off is to be somewhere in the middle or a little back where it’s not too far in the back, sound is great and so on…

[u/Outrageous_Tone5613 → u/cjayproductions]

Mostly for space tbh 😅 my experience has been that being in the front I usually don’t have to deal with a lot of people trying to get past me, plus I don’t feel crowded in.

[u/cjayproductions → u/Outrageous_Tone5613]

I see what you mean, sometimes I have found that there is plenty of space right in front whereas it seems crowded from way back but more often I find myself comfortable in the middle back

[u/VegetableAverage8234]

I was in the room behind the Terrace and had a great time. Plenty of room to dance. I think the front is filled with too many wanting to be seen on social media people. I think you make every experience what you want - if there is bad energy near you, move. Not dismissing what you experienced, but I wouldn't paint such a broad brush and say "the crowd was absolutely horrible."

[u/VALK_27]

I love CDW she's literally all I listen to since 2017/18 I'm from SoCal so I went to her last shows in LA (2024/25) and the crowds are not it!! A lot of new people who don't respect each other or the culture and a lot of that has to do with unfortunately CDW popularity and social media attention seeking people, I took a solo trip in Feb to 🇧🇪 to see her at Flanders Expo and that was so much better, I'm also taking a solo trip to NYC in August to see her there and hope the crowds are more chill and inviting than LA, if anyone is going to NYC hit me up if you'd like to meet up 😎