Around the world, 18,9 million subscribers watch DanTDM’s YouTube channels, and his videos have been viewed 10,6 billion times. What does he do in these videos? He plays video games. What does he do in his new live show that is selling out theatres on three continents? We went to find out.
When he was a boy, Dan Middleton used to dread this kind of thing – having to talk to people, getting attention. Even as he got older and started making his videos and quit his job at the supermarket – and even when he had 1 million, then 5, then 18 million subscribers to the YouTube channels on which he plays Minecraft and chronicles his life – Dan was much more comfortable when it was just him and a camera in his room over the garage. What has he got himself into with these live shows, in front of all those people?
But kids will be here today, and kids give him strength. He knows these kids.
He was one of these kids. They’re already here, standing outside in a raggedy line that begins at the locked glass doors and ends somewhere near the parking lot. The kids – it’s almost all boys – run circles around each other to pass the time, or they twirl their fidget spinners, or they plead with their parents for a phone to play with. Some of them carry pictures or posters of Dan.
The glass doors lead in to a 5 000seat theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut, a half hour from the closest city. Tickets for today’s show cost between $63,50 and $150 (R825 – R1 950), and it’s sold out. Almost every show on the 18-month tour has sold out, including two at the Beacon Theatre in New York, four at the Sydney Opera House, and 32 straight shows across the UK, where Dan lives. The North American leg is being promoted by Live Nation, the massive company that put on 26 000 events in 40 countries last year. The parents of the kids who are already here have been standing in line since 11:15 am on a rainy Sunday for a show that begins at 3, because they’ve paid an additional R1 200 for the chance to meet Dan, so that their children can see that the guy who they spend their Saturday mornings watching on YouTube is a real, live human.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2017 من Popular Mechanics South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2017 من Popular Mechanics South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Can a retired rocket engine take us to Mars?
The space shuttle's main engine was mothballed with the programme in 2011. Now NASA believes it's the future of interplanetary travel.
6 metre waves. All engines on fire. 1 500 Km from land.
How Flying Tiger 923 and its 'miracle pilot' made an impossible ocean landing.
Land Rover Discovery D300
A FEW MONTHS ago a $2 billion lottery jackpot was won in the United States. It’s fun to sometimes ponder outrageous winnings like that, and how I’d spend it, even if it’s completely detached from reality.
Volkswagen Taigo R-Line 1.0 TSI
The compact proportions make this a delightful daily commuter.
Mazda CX-5 2.2 L De Akera AWD
Floor the pedal and overtaking is achieved easily and safely.
Making the most out of your grinder
THE HUMBLE BENCH GRINDER IS A STAPLE of the handyworker's home shop, largely due to its versatility. But, while you can employ one to remove metal from just about anything, the traditional kind may not provide the precision you need for every grinding operation. Here, we shed light on the best ways to use the different types of grinders, gleaned from our testing.
Unlock your devices' full potential with a USB-C hub
AS NEW TECH SHRINKS EACH YEAR, essential ports such as USB-A, HDMI, and ethernet are being replaced by the slimmer USB-C.
WE BUILT THE WORLD'S FIRST V-8 TESLA
THE RICH REBUILDS TEAM HAD A DEAD MODEL S. THEY FIXED IT WITH A CAMARO ENGINE.
I bought a GHOST TOWN
This abandoned California mining village once had 400 buildings. Now I'm restoring the 20 that remain.
F1 taught me that speed starts with comfort
AS A FAN OF MOTORSPORT, I'M ALWAYS fascinated with the finer details that go into Formula One racing. Piloting the fastest racing cars on the planet subjects drivers to savage forces - up to 6 G's under braking which has led to an almost endless pursuit of comfort.
