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Europe’s top DJs have embarked on a musical gold rush, filling clubs and hosting huge parties in the Nevada city In its heyday, Las Vegas swung to the sound of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin, luring music lovers into its clubs and casinos. But a new star is rising in the desert, one that sees melodies exchanged for beats, and lounge suits for lasers. For the world’s top DJs have landed. Following in the Ratpack’s footsteps, some of the UK and Europe’s most celebrated DJs are now making it big in Las Vegas by taking up residencies at clubs and casinos around the city, and demanding fees to rival the biggest stars in rock and pop, a dance music industry conference heard at the weekend. “Las Vegas has woken up to the idea that for today’s young people it’s not about the spinning of a roulette wheel – but the spinning of a DJ,” said Nick Stevenson, associate editor of Mixmag dance music magazine. “DJs are snapping up exclusive deals, much like they did in Ibiza in the 90s. The new gold rush is all about dance music.” At the International Music Summit in Ibiza – which was also paid a visit by Samantha Cameron, who was holidaying on the “White Isle” with her husband – delegates discussed whether the home of gambling could become the next capital of dance. It has already become the second biggest centre – after Ibiza – and a clutch of acts are crossing the Atlantic, including: • Pete Tong, who last month celebrated 20 years at Radio 1, is billed for his first Vegas residency at Encore Beach Club. • On Saturday, Dutch DJ Tiesto started a residency at the Joint at the Hard Rock Cafe. • The rodent suit-wearing DJ, Deadmau5, can also be found at the Encore Beach Club (he was rumoured to have been paid £120,000 for a recent Vegas set). • French star David Guetta has been hosting his F***Me I’m Famous pool parties at Wet Republic, at the MGM Grand Speaking from the Ibiza summit, Tong said: “I wanted to get in there among it. Something has changed in Vegas recently and electronic music is really starting to take hold. The casinos used to use people like Sinatra and Dean Martin to get people in, but it has evolved and now dance music is the thing.” Where the authorities in Ibiza had banned many outdoor events, pool parties in Vegas can attract up to 10,000 people, he said, adding that the city had become the second biggest city for dance music bookings in the world. Vegas was leading the way with cutting edge sound equipment, super-sized bespoke clubs and dazzling shows, said Tong. “No one puts on a show like Vegas – they take it to the next level,” he said. Big and brash, Las Vegas has never been shy about its love of the dollar, and big name DJs also bring in a young and affluent crowd, said Amy Thomson, manager of Swedish House Mafia, who are headlining dance music festival Electric Daisy – in Las Vegas for the first time this year. “Money talks in Vegas,” said Thomson. “If your act was not bringing in big takings then they wouldn’t be getting booked. “When people go to a show they might buy a drink when they go in and one during the show. When people come to our shows they don’t come to watch, they come to rave for two to eight hours buying drinks at $20 dollars a pop.” It is not usual for the best table at a top clubs to have a minimum spend of $50,000 (£30,300) and when the Swedish House Mafia play they have little trouble in filling them, said Thomson. After a recent gig by the dance act the Marquee club in the city – which calls itself a palace of hedonism – recorded its biggest ever spend on champagne. “We attract lots of young, wealthy entrepreneurs and when they come to see us, they just let rip.” Such is the pulling power of the act that they have deals in place which take a cut of the clubs bar takings, which rise by up to 500% when the Scandinavians play, she added. “We are totally redefining how deals are done.” Las Vegas’s love of electronic music is influenced less by a passion for the genre, and more for a love of the greenbacks, she suggested. “There is no love [in Las Vegas] for growing credible music, they are interested in what sells, and right now that is electronic music.” Some music veterans had reservations about the new craze for beats in Las Vegas, said IMS founder Ben Turner. “One of the fears is whether the Vegas promoters will stick with it,” he said. “But whatever happens in Vegas, electronic music has broken through in the States, it is there to stay.” Dance music United States Las Vegas Electronic music Music industry Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk