Original subtitles

Hardwell has been voted the number one DJ by over one million people.

Do you need to get anything? –No, it's just the...

Excuse me? –Let's see. I don't know where...

Maarten has your bag.

How do you feel? –Insane.

It was incredible. –I couldn't perform...

...the beat killed my phone.

I completely freaked out. I tried so hard not to cry.

It was so beautiful. I got it on tape. –You did?

Your parents and Anna's reactions. –This rocked.

I'm so proud of you. I mean it.

Really proud. –This is unreal.

Are you okay? –I'm fine.

Here are your coffees. There you go. –Coffee.

The mint tea is coming up. –Thanks.

What about tomorrow? –Don't. That's disgusting.

His friends always played outside after school.

He went to his room, turned his computer on, and made music.

So I used to say: Just go play outside. It's healthy.

You need fresh air after a whole day at school. But I couldn't make him go.

Then he wanted to play at parties so he could buy more expensive equipment.

So he charged 50 guilders for a whole night.

He saved his earnings and then he bought even better DJ gear. That was so cute.

By the time the bookings came he simply lacked experience.

And too many records were still missing in his vinyl box.

So all of a sudden he had a lot of buying and downloading to do.

And then he would practice like mad, for days on end.

And in order to improve his skills, he would always ask us...

to pick a number of records at random. Give them to me, I'll mix it all together.

And after a while it sounded flawless.

Over the course of the years we saw his music grow, it got more complex.

Eventually his hobby got out of hand and turned into an obsession.

When he started out he was lucky he got the chance to go on tour with DJ Chuckie.

He was a big name at the time. He looked up to him.

So he was very happy that he got him on the fast track.

Scratching was one of Chuckie's best skills.

Clyde would start using his elbows, and even his nose.

Of course he was impressed.

And I remember one time when he was playing vinyl records upstairs.

Suddenly he came running down the stairs, saying: I'm bleeding.

It turned out he'd had a go at scratching and cut his nose on the vinyl.

And there were times when a couple of older DJs who were in their thirties...

saw him coming up to them. But they wouldn't give this kid the time of day.

They ignored him when he wanted to shake hands.

I thought that was such a callous thing to do.

But in the meantime they wondered how he did it.

You could tell by the look in their eyes. Where did he get this?

How can this kid make this crowd go nuts in this joint and I can't?

There we go again. Stop it.

Over one million people world–wide were asked: Who is the world's best DJ.

This weekend Armin van Buuren's successor was announced.

At 25 he's the youngest best DJ ever, he's from Breda.

Yesterday he won the Breda Cultuurprijs.

Tonight at this table the king of dance, DJ Hardwell.

How are you? Still alive? –And kicking.

Did you get any sleep? –Not much these last few days.

We have a clip of you at sixteen. At TV Breda, that's a local TV station.

You were on their show, it was your first TV appearance.

And they asked about your future. Let's see what you told them.

Good morning to our youngest guest Robbert van de Corput.

You're also known as DJ Hardwell. –That's right.

What's your dream for the future? –To become the number one DJ.

That would be so cool. –I hope, in ten years from now...

to play in the same venues Tiësto is playing now, to a packed arena.

He's a true master DJ and role model in our world.

They just laughed at you. –I really hope they're watching this.

Do you know who he is? –We just met. But he seemed very nice.

I saw your picture is all over the place.

But you have a problem being number one. –Where do you go from here?

I guess I had it coming.

The problem with dreams is what happens once they've come true.

What happens when you're there?

I had been on tour with Tiësto before.

So I had witnessed the magnitude of the number one DJ shows.

But what would it be like to actually do this with your own people and crew...

and tour the world with your own solo show?

To me that's the ultimate thing for a DJ. You're no longer a DJ, you're a popstar.

The I am Hardwell show is the ultimate Hardwell experience.

It's more like a concert than a normal DJ gig.

It's the only show where I play for three hours.

Every track has its own custom visuals, its own build custom stage.

I was involved with the whole process.

As I said, I think this is definitely the best show I've done so far.

The first gig I went to was an Eminem concert.

That's when I felt it. I was about eight.

There was this magic energy.

Everyone came to see him and people sang along with his songs.

It's not like listening to music at home. You get such an amazing feeling.

Concerts are the ultimate thing.

Everyone goes to see his or her idol. That's the beauty of it.

You create a sense of togetherness. Nothing can beat that feeling.

Sure you can watch the show on YouTube or listen to a live set.

But you have to be out there at the venue to feel it.

To see the lights and experience it all.

My set takes three hours.

I take the crowd on a trip and give them the time of their life.

That was totally awesome.

Fantastic set. I'm so proud of you.

You never played like this before. I swear, it was super.

I got so many compliments tonight, you won't believe it.

I started to notice the crowds got bigger and bigger.

We started selling even more tickets.

And it wasn't because suddenly Hardwell was this top DJ.

It was because you were all over the media.

That made people want to see and experience the best DJ in the world.

Which attracts a different kind of audience.

Then you get this whole other vibe on the dance floor.

I saw it happen a few times. And then Robbert is like: What's going on?

Why can't I get these people to go along with me like I'm used to?

So I explained to him what had changed.

Because now people came to see the number one DJ of the world.

But they don't know your music. They are not the fans who know all your tracks.

Hardwell, this Friday at Antwerp's Sport Palace.

In 2013 he was voted the best DJ of the world.

Now he is here to prove it to you.

I think we should do a separate campaign.

So what's the plan here? Antwerp's Sport Palace.

We have 12,800 tickets with 11,500 sold, so we're almost there.

We're still not sure if we should extend it to the upper ring.

But you can't see much up there, and if we sell it you're at 18,000 to 19,000 people.

I think we should do it. We'll fill up the stadium.

Back when Tiësto was a headliner here Hardwell was one of the support acts.

So we go way back.

Plus there was great demand from the audience for a Hardwell solo show.

We host four or five shows a year, so it made sense to go for Hardwell.

According to DJ Mag you are now the number one DJ.

How does it feel? Do you feel the pressure?

There is some pressure involved, but take tonight's show.

It's awesome we're able to do this. So many people want to see the show.

I try to enjoy it and not focus on the pressure.

Because that won't stop. For some people it's never good enough.

Your kick–off was at the Heineken Music Hall.

Will you change your set compared to that show?

Because I presume you'll probably mix your stuff up.

I never play the same set, not even in this show.

Of course I selected a number of tracks. I have to play my own music.

When I was the up–and–coming talent back in 2012 and 2013...

people liked whatever I was doing.

Now that I'm number one they get disappointed.

How did you succeed in becoming the number one?

How hard did you work to get there?

Outsiders often wonder how I got to be the number one. But that's the down side.

The bigger you are the harder you fall. The number one will get the flak.

You're in your twenties, the world's best DJ.

You can't get any bigger than this. What will you do next?

They say it's way easier to get to the top than it is to stay there, which is true.

From up there the only way is down.

The pressure rises. People expect you to perform even better, more, bigger.

Suddenly everything about you has to be larger than life.

If there was a hack for that of course I would have used it by now.

It doesn't exist. I'm still the same guy who plays his sets like he used to.

I hurt myself really bad on the edge.

Right here. I tore my sock when I jumped.

Robbert's biggest weak spot...

and this goes for all artists and people in the industry, is his music.

When you get attacked personally by people saying you made a shitty record...

while you put your heart and soul into it...

then that's bound to cut you to the quick.

Wow, it's coming down in sheets.

Where are we now? –Ho Chi Minh City, the capital.

Today the chance of rain is zero.

What website is this?

Stop, stop.

Hear those fans roar.

Three, two, one... Go.

This was insane. I can't believe it.

You know what I love? An open–minded crowd. I just finished my three–hour set.

But no I Am Hardwell show is identical. I have plenty of space to improvise.

I tried so many revealed stuff and tracks from my album today.

People picked it up. It didn't matter what track it was, they just dig it.

That's the ultimate feeling for a DJ. I absolutely loved doing this show.

Over 15,000 Vietnamese people went out of their minds tonight.

It's never been done before out here. This was a first.

The whole army came in one hour before the show.

But we still rocked it! This show was amazing.

Really, fantastic. Fantastic.

Belfast knows how to party. They rocked the place.

It’s not over yet. I have one song left to play.

It’s the Headhunterz remix of Spaceman. Just building up the tension.

The strangest thing happened. We were inside and having a great show.

The atmosphere was good, nothing weird going on.

We have a group messaging app for all of the crew.

And at that point I got a news flash: Hardwell Belfast gig out of control.

So I looked around, thinking: This is crazy. It's fine.

The next morning I happened to stop at a shop that sold magazines.

When I walked in I saw all of the morning papers...

literally each and every one of them, had our event on the front page.

I thought: What the fuck is this?

We were all over the news.

And because of that a show planned for the day after in Edinburgh was canceled.

You're helpless, there is nothing you can do about it. That got him furious.

Then the negative comments on social media followed.

Everyone taking it out on him, but this was not his fault.

He didn't do this.

When you're number one, you're always in the picture.

And that means you'll be most exposed to criticism.

Because you don't just represent yourself, but a complete scene.

Or maybe his label.

Or he represents a whole group of DJs that make a certain kind of music.

So then you can expect some nasty criticism to come your way.

That's when it comes down to whether or not you take those things personally.

Last Tuesday afternoon the coal mines in Soma, Turkey collapsed.

So can you put on a show these people have never seen before?

Should you let 12,000 people party like there is no tomorrow in this situation?

It was a tough decision. Could we get away with this. Would this show respect?

But we got so much positive feedback on social media.

Everyone said: Please don't cancel this show.

We've been planning for two or three months to come here.

We've been wanting to see him for years.

I love him so much. I'm so happy he came to Istanbul. This one will be legendary.

Ok good to go.

And then after a while the audience started singing the national anthem.

You will never be able to make those unexpected moments happen again.

A tragic event like this can be such a vulnerable and touching thing.

Robbert? Please, come on.

I got to go, sorry man. –Come on, Robbert.

One. Just one, sir. –Please.

Africa is ready to party. My goodness, crazy bunch.

You could tell the pressure increased as the shows sold out faster and faster.

The whole show became a hype, just like everything about Hardwell himself.

In front of hotels, at meet and greets, or when his van arrived at the venue.

Fans waited for hours at the back door hoping to catch a glimpse of him...

while he'd been in bed for hours. Things like that.

I hope the windows will hold.

Now he was really someone. The number one in the world.

And that makes you want to go the extra mile as a crew member.

Because we're on tour with the number one here.

Better not make any mistakes. We can't afford that.

So when something goes seriously wrong the game is up. It's over.

Then the whole tour may be finished or your artist's career is ruined.

There is a lot at stake here.

How are we doing? I must say I'm surprised.

I know they take things slowly in India.

But things look less unprofessional than before.

There's much less wood construction. Employees wearing shoes.

Everyone is busy. Usually half of them are on the floor sleeping. Looks good.

What could go wrong? It might be too small, things may not work out as planned.

Another thing is that we underestimate how many people will come out here.

We aim for 15.000 visitors.

But before there were a lot of people at the parking lot.

It's an open space, they may climb the fences.

But there is a double barricade with security people.

This might turn ugly.

What happened?

The wind is so strong here it keeps blowing down the enclosure.

There are double walls on the side, but here there's only one for the toilets.

And the wind knocks it over.

The cool thing about playing in India is just...

People here don't get to party a lot, and dance parties are especially rare.

Some people must save up all their money to buy tickets.

Or even to go to a concert anyway, or just be able to have fun.

So when you play these venues people are three times as excited.

They really look forward to this. It's unbelievable.

Bas? Incoming.

Security, to the gates. Now.

All fences are down. I repeat, all fences are down.

The situation is getting out of control.

Get Hardwell off stage.

Hi Robbert, it's Patricia. That was insane.

I hope you arrived home safely. It's going to be a busy week.

Tomorrow you fly to Paris, but first you have a radio interview with Miami.

We have a media event,...

...and then it's off to ADE and Amsterdam Music Festival on Saturday.

Hope you're ready, because it's a hell of a ride. Good luck, see you next week.

When you're the number one you get a lot of fake attention.

But you're there, towering over them like a god. What does it feel like?

Is there a point when you think: I'm God?

Sometimes you want things to be simple again.

I can't do club gigs anymore. My name is too big and the clubs are too small.

But I loved playing in clubs.

So there are times when you hope the day will come again when I can do clubs again.

And maybe I'll have even more fun doing it than before, because I miss that.

The thought scares me sometimes.

I'm the number one for the second time around.

Maybe it's just about staying up there.

When I'm number 300 million in the list I'll still have that passion for music.

I'll keep making music this way. That won't change.

The emphasis shouldn't be on status, on being number one.

Go, go, go.

It's like a bunch of machine guns. –Robbert, over here.

This is such an honor to be on a stamp. You can't imagine this when you're a boy.

Because only royals appear on stamps.

People compare, but it's also cool that they voted for you.

It feels so awkward calling myself the most popular DJ.

Sure it's weird. You want this but you get mixed feelings, too.

I saw that they even put the ranking under the names in the program.

Didn't see it. –Martin Garrix: 36.

So that's the only thing people see. Too bad.

It undermines your talent and your sound.

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd were never on a list.

It is what it is, right? –To the stage, please come with me.

Check out those names.

This is wicked.

Look there. Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Hardwell.

Isn't that cool? –Totally cool.

It's funny, because these are the Ultra festival grounds. This is so weird.

This is the main stage. –No, main is over there.

Where do the trees go? I never noticed them before.

People climb up those trees.

You see through the buildings, so you're off to the left from here.

My first gig at Ultra was literally next to the toilets.

I played to 150 people in a dome.

You had to crawl your way through that tiny tent.

It was sweltering in there.

This is so weird.

I just have so many memories about this venue.

Four years ago I wanted to play at Ultra's main stage.

Here I am, four years later in Bayfront Park with my own event.

I was the headliner at Ultra this year, and now I got my own show.

It's ridiculous how fast things went. –Awesome, right?

Daan came to me with a letter. A fan in the front row gave it to him.

It was very long and emotional.

That really got to me, so we got her out of the audience.

And we're doing a meet and greet. She deserves it.

When I started out as a DJ it was my goal to have people hear my stuff.

I wanted them to get to know my music.

And if someone says my music saved their life, it blows my mind.

That's out of this world. It's just crazy.

That leaves me speechless. It really does.

To think that people are so dedicated to me, my show, and my music.

That adds so much more meaning and profoundness...

to your own music, the things you create.

In the studio you don't think about how many people are touched by it.

But the fact that it does and that they are into it, that's what it's all about.

Are you nervous about tomorrow?

I think I won't sleep much tonight.

Ill wake up at night, thinking shit, I have to play that record.

You're obsessed about your track list.

I still need to edit a few things in the plane.

Literally last–minute edits.

But hey, this is the show of my life. It has to be perfect.

I wouldn't complain if I had stayed in the clubs, but I'd kept on dreaming.

Like, wouldn't it be awesome to play in venues like Madison Square Garden?

There is beauty in everything.

But right now I'm living a dream.

It's like I said. This year was one string of highs.

This has been a year I will never forget.