Nervo Performs at Europe’s Largest Charity Event
On May 31st, Vienna Town Hall in Austria hosted The Life Ball, the biggest charity event in Europe. Founded in 1993, the Life Ball annually plays host to dozens of entrepreneurs and Europe’s wealthiest philanthropists in order to raise money to combat HIV & AIDS. This year’s guest list included President Bill Clinton, and designer Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as dozens of other public figures and celebrities. Live performances during the Ball included Kesha, Ricky Martin, Leona Lewis, and more. Included on the list of musical events was Australian-born DJs; Nervo. All in all, the event raised more than $3,000,000 used for AIDS research.
DJs stepping into the spotlight at the Life Ball is a massive step for dance music in the world’s music scene. Sisters, Liv and Mim have come a long way in the last five years. In 2009, they helped David Guetta write Grammy Award-winning single “When Love Takes Over,” now they’re headlining one of Europe’s most VIP events. They didn’t only play at the event, but boasted ridiculously fashionable Clothing. The Life Ball is a centerpiece for music presentation and cultural expression. Specifically, while performing, Liv and Mim wore clothes designed by Sebastian Gunawan and Francesco Scognamiglio. On the red carpet the sisters were wearing Versace and Alexander McQueen.
Getting booked for the Life Ball is a genuine honor in Europe’s philanthropic and entertainment circles, and NERVO’s set put dance music on the same stage as pop royalty for one of the continent’s most star-studded nights. Founded by Gery Keszler, the event grew from a small Vienna gathering into a globally recognized fundraiser, drawing thousands of attendees each year and pulling in international press coverage that goes far beyond the usual club and festival circuit.
For Liv and Mim, the Life Ball booking fit right into a career built on crossing between the DJ booth and the songwriting room. Beyond “When Love Takes Over,” the twins have writing and production credits tied to artists like Kesha, Kylie Minogue, and the Pussycat Dolls, giving them a foothold in pop long before they became fixtures on festival lineups themselves as a DJ/production duo. That dual identity, hitmaking songwriters who also headline as performers, is exactly why an event built around glamour, fashion, and star power made sense for them.
Appearances like this also reflect how far electronic music’s credibility had come by the mid-2010s. A decade earlier, a DJ duo sharing a bill with Bill Clinton and Ricky Martin at one of Europe’s most prestigious charity galas would have been unheard of. By 2014, NERVO headlining alongside pop’s biggest names for a cause raising millions for HIV and AIDS research was just further proof that dance music had fully arrived on the world stage.
