Swedish House Mafia review: EDM titans deliver the hits in fiery show at Abu Dhabi F1

Ever since reforming an epic set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, Swedish House Mafia have been packing out stadiums across Europe and the US with their brand of uplifting and progressive house music.

The crowd at Etihad Park on Friday night received the full aural and audio treatment with the trio — DJs Steve Angello, Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso — not skimping when it comes to production.

They performed under what resembled a tilting flying saucer and a background of frenetic visuals.

The stage also accommodated a massive lighting rig emanating all forms of effects and there were the obligatory pyrotechnics that became more apparent as the set picked up steam.

This was all just as well. The Swedes are not the most charismatic performers and spent most of the set in silhouette.

Then again, no extra song and dance routines are necessary when your set list is packed with some of the genre’s biggest anthems of the past decade.

While Swedish House Mafia returned in April with a solid new album Paradise Again, their set in Abu Dhabi traded heavily on nostalgic sounds.

Beginning with 2012's Greyhound and going on to include bass-heavy monsters Antidote and Miami 2 Ibiza.

With Paradise Again not a major departure from their established sounds, new tracks — such as the shuddering Redlight and the synth-tastic Don't Go Mad slipped easily into the mix.

As they played a major role in The Weeknd's blockbuster album Dawn FM, the group rightfully played their two production contributions, Sacrifice and Moth to the Flame, to the roar of the crowd.

The big emotional release arrived in the end with anthems Don't You Worry Child, For You and Save the World blended together to induce the kind of euphoria that allowed the trio to reclaim their top-tier status after nearly a decade away.

Access to after-race concerts is exclusive to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders. Tickets are available online at www.yasmarinacircuit.com and through the Yas Marina Circuit Call Centre on 800 927 or 02 659 9800

Friday Family Day at F1 fan zone at Yas Marina Circuit - in pictures

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Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates

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'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers