Australian producer Luude and UK DnB favourites Chase & Status ‘in talks’ about more free gigs after surprise ‘Sunday sesh’ in Sydney

Rising Aussie electronic star Luude doesn’t want to be known as “the Down Under remix guy”. If crowds at a last minute surprise Sydney gig are any measure, he’s not.

Australian electronic star Luude accidentially created one of the world’s biggest viral dance hits when he made a “silly” remix of Men at Work’s 1980 song Down Under.

The Tassie-born producer went from “sitting in his room during Covid” in 2021 to “touring the world without any breaks.”

Aussie producer and DJ Luude. Picture: John Appleyard

“Dance music has hit Australia,” Luude said. Picture: John Appleyard.

Viral, life-changing fame, is “the weirdest experience ever,” he said — regardless of how many years you’ve been chasing after it. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Now though, Luude wants to ensure he’s not simply known as “the remix guy”.

The likelihood of that was already slim— if scenes at Marrickville’s Vic On The Park on Sunday are any measure.

Drum and Bass legends Chase & Status and Luude created FOMO across Sydney on Sunday with a surprise pop up rave at Vic On The Park. Picture: BCS Imaging

The dance music producer, real name Christian Benson, is still recovering after playing back-to-back sold out gigs at the weekend with his co-headliners and UK drum and bass icons Chase & Status.

The trio put on a free ‘Sunday Sesh’ at the Marrickville venue, advertising it only with a nondescript photo of a basketball hoop near the pub on Instagram.

The surprise gig was officially announced at 10am Sunday morning, and by 1pm, the venue reached its capacity with around 1000 Sydneysiders showing up to dance.

Crowds at Vic On The Park in Marrickville on Sunday. Picture: BCS Imaging

“More pop-up raves are definitely in talks,” Benson told Confidential. Although, he was feeling a little worse for wear come Monday.

The free daytime show came after the DJs sold out Hordern Pavilion Saturday night, with Benson’s parents in attendance.

“We finished playing at 3am, got home at 4am; by the time we ordered food and got to bed it was 6am. We just hear the windows vibrating at 10am, I look out and it’s the DJ,” he laughed.

Aussie producer and DJ Luude in Sydney on his Australian tour. Picture: John Appleyard

The moment Benson knew “dance music was starting to hit Australia” when this Australasian tour sold out in a matter of hours.

“It’s good to see,” he said.

The ARIA-winning artist is taking the party to Perth next, followed by Auckland, and Adelaide, before concluding at PICA in Melbourne on Sunday, April 28th.

Benson and his partner recently bought a home in Bali, which he said is a luxury afforded by

“being able to work from a laptop”.

His aim for the next year is to put out “only originals.” And a lot of them.

“No more covers or remixes for a while.”

Drum and Bass legends Chase & Status and Luude created FOMO across Sydney on Sunday with a surprise pop up rave at Vic On The Park. Picture: Supplied by BCS Imaging.