Fake DJ Marshmello at Zouk fools guests

The real DJ Marshmello (above) expressed his disappointment in Zouk for confusing guests.
The real DJ Marshmello (above) expressed his disappointment in Zouk for confusing guests. PHOTO: CE LA VI

A guest at Zouk who dressed up as DJ Marshmello last Saturday fooled many people into thinking the real deal was at the club.

But in a statement released yesterday, Zouk clarified that it was not Marshmello himself, nor did it hire him.

The real DJ Marshmello - who performs with a marshmallow- shaped helmet that obscures his face - was scheduled to play in Singapore on Sunday at Ultra Singapore and at the Ultra Singapore after-party at Ce La Vi.

Clubgoers had posted pictures of the imposter at Zouk on social media, excited at the surprise appearance of who they thought was DJ Marshmello.

Although the prankster did not helm the decks, a Zouk guest DJ, model Jade Rasif, mistakenly accused the club of lacking integrity for allowing the imposter to play.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, accompanied by screenshots of Instagram pictures of fans taken with the fake Marshmello, she claimed that Zouk had allowed the fake to perform at its console. She wrote: "Zouk, I know my job / resident night is on the line by posting this... But how could you allow a FAKE DJ MARSHMELLO to perform at your console?"

The real DJ Marshmello subsequently retweeted her on his account.

A few hours later, he addressed Zouk in a tweet: "Im all about the hustle & making ur money but tricking my fam into thinking I'm gonna play somewhere I'm not makes me so mad @zouksingapore."

The DJ, whose real identity and nationality are not known, played an afternoon set at Ultra Singapore, where a handful of fans in the crowd were spotted wearing homemade white Marshmello helmets.

He expressed his disappointment in Zouk before it came to light that it was just a guest.

Zouk said that the guest was merely dressed in a mascot outfit similar to DJ Marshmello's.

"We would like to clarify that he was not hired by Zouk Singapore as a mascot or to DJ and we apologise for any confusion caused. We have always encouraged our guests to be creative and fun-loving and it was never our intention to mislead guests at the club or be disrespectful," the statement added.

Zouk also said that it always issues official announcements in the lead-up to performances by guest artists that it hires.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 15, 2016, with the headline Fake DJ Marshmello at Zouk fools guests. Subscribe