RANDOM STUFF-- SPOTTED IN and AROUND DUBAI / UAE

Time for some laughter... or confusion.
Or both.

                                                              

                                  okaaayyyy!

  

            

what's wrong with this picture? LOL!

                                Whoah!

                                                          * really?

                                        (makes you wonder who parked first, eh?)

Concert Review: The Wailers, Of Monsters and Men, The Killers [SANDance]

Date: 11 October 2013 (Friday)

Venue: Nasimi Beach, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai

Line-up: The Wailers, Of Monsters and Men, The Killers

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Ok, I’ve been to several Sandance fests in the past, but this is the only time I ever made it early! (that’s before 6pm- congratulations to me, yay!)… and that's only because I wanted to make sure I don’t miss “Of Monsters and Men”! 

I was thinking if I make it to “The Wailers” set, it would be cool! I wasn’t that eager about it, as I wasn’t sure if they’re the same guys who play Bob Marley (& the Wailers) tunes or just some other band who happened to have the same name and play crappy pop music or whatever (I didn’t bother checking). 

I just couldn’t risk missing so many of the acts (I once arrived so late during a “Travis” sandance concert that I only caught the last song- “Why does it always Rain on me” while on queue at the gate. By the time I reached mid-way, closer to the stage, they were finished. I was already kicking myself then! Argh! Lesson learned.)

Anyhow, what a delight it was to discover that “The Wailers” are indeed the “reggae” band I was hoping for. Hooray! Of course, they played Bob Marley (& the Wailers) classic tunes then such as “I Shot the Sheriff”, “Buffalo Soldier” “Could you be Loved”, “Jamming”, “Exodus” and so on… as the sweaty crowd danced and sang along, you could strongly feel the festive mood building up... and at one point, an image of Bob Marley was flashed on the screen! Nice.

“Of Monsters and Men” appeared onstage at around 07:45pm. They belted out melodic folk-inspired ethereal indie rock goodness, opening up with “Dirty Paws” off their lovely debut album “My Head is an Animal”. I must mention how good they sound live, I dare say, even better than their studio-recorded songs!, and it was great to see the crowd heartily appreciating their songs- most notably “From Finner”, “Yellow Light”, “Mountain Sound”, and of course, “Little Talks”. 

Looking at Nana, images of Bjork started swimming in my head. It must be that Icelandic beauty and atmospheric vocals they have in common (makes me then wonder if I’ll ever get to see Bjork play live! )

By the time OMM was done, it was not even 09:00pm yet, so we were told that ‘The Killers” will follow in 45 minutes more! Ouch. What a long wait…!, and music playing in the background wasn’t all that great- but that's probably just me (I did like it when the DJ played “Erasure’s A little Respect”; made me want to dance!)

Fast forward. Enter the band, kick-starting with “Mr. Brightside”, Brandon Flowers sporting a leather jacket. The now-drunk and some-of-them-getting-unruly crowd, even more so- the women!, in such high spirits (pun intended!) and more of them forcibly pushing to the front, with this one girl even leaning towards me and getting unreasonably erratic, messing up my video-recording, the b*tch! I wanted to punch her! (LOL, excuse me, I'm just human!)

As expected, “The Killers” killed it! I’ve seen them play in Abu Dhabi in 2009 and they were unquestionably oh so awesome! Brandon’s vocal prowess and strong stage presence is mesmerizing. He definitely knows how to please the crowd and inspire them to put on their "dancing shoes", so to speak. 

Both Dave Keuning’s (lead) and Mark Stoermer’s (bass) high-calibre guitar-playing add to that distinctive Killers sound (despite the glam rock look, unfortunately ;p)… not to mention Ronnie Vannucci Jr.’s masterful drumming and unwavering stamina (he reminds me of an actor I just can't quite put a finger on ;p). Thumbs up to the excellent session guitarist as well.

Other songs they played, as much as I could remember (I'm missing 3-4 songs or so), were “Spaceman” (this is where Brandon finally got rid of his jacket, whew!), “Smile like you mean it”, “Somebody told Me”,  “Human”, “From Here on Out”, “Can you Read my Mind”, “All these Things that I’ve done”, “Dustland Fairytale”, Encore- “Jenny was a friend of mine” and “When you were Young“. 

2 cover songs- Joy Division’s “Shadowplay” and Tiffany’s “I think we’re Alone Now” (ok, the original was really by “Tommy James & the Shondells”, which I just found out recently! :p)… I love the way they covered those 2 songs but somehow made them their own, creating a masterful effect that bears the Killers stamp. Purrfect!

Photos:

*photo grabbed from Sandance page, with thanks!

*photo grabbed from Dubai night, with thanks!

                                VIDEOS:

Concert: The STONE ROSES - Live in Dubai

Concert Date: 21 February 2013 (Thursday)

Venue: Dubai Media City Amphitheatre

Since the time I found out that the Stone Roses had reunited in 2011 (cheers to the mighty powers behind that!), I’ve been wishing to be able to see them live! (but never really got the chance to fly to UK that time). So, yeah, how awesome is it that they actually came over to play to Dubai!? Oh heck, it’s just too cool for words, I tell ‘ya! ;p

So, I’ve reached the venue just several minutes before 9pm and did not really expect to see waaaay too many people already there! Who would’ve thought that The Stone Roses actually has a big enough following in Dubai? What a nice surprise!- most of them Brits, of course, but still, hard to believe that many of them are actually here in camel land! LOL... and some of them (like myself) were proudly wearing Stone Roses t-shirts! Alright! :D

Just after entering the gate, I saw a long-ass queue of peeps blocking my way and I panicked that it could be for the gen. admission ticket holders (er, like me) and that I would fall to the end of the line, then miss the first song (if the band goes onstage at that moment, oh no!). What a relief to find out that it was only for the food/bar! (but I still do feel sorry to those who had to endure that long queue just to grab some beer. I heard it went on for about 2 hours, yikes!) The organizers sucked in that department, for sure.

Anyhow, at around 09:20pm or so, the band finally appeared onstage and kicked it off with “I wanna be Adored”! Ahhh,  I almost died!  It felt so amazing watching them live onstage- for the first time! A band I absolutely adore since high school!

Ian Brown gained a bit of weight, thankfully! (I saw him perform in 2009 and he was quite thin, you'd reckon he's ill or on drugs, or something) Oh, I just love the guy nevertheless! He makes all these crazy poses while singing, it’s cute, teehee!

His voice would go flat once in a while—no surprise there (esp. when he sang “Made of Stone” – a favorite of mine, no less), but that didn’t matter… it’s as if no one noticed! We were all just enjoying the show, singing along and dancing silly! Even more when they played “Fool’s Gold”- extended version, it was phenomenal! I didn’t want it to end!

 

*grabbed from TimeOutDubai (with thanks!)

 

Off the top of my head, they played:  I wanna be Adored, Mersey Paradise, Sally Cinnamon, Shoot you Down, Fool's Gold, Waterfall, Made of Stone, She bangs the Drums, Love Spreads, This is the One, Sugar-spun Sister, Ten Storey Love Song, Don’t Stop, and I am the Resurrection (last song). Nope, they didn't play "Elephant Stone" :(

I never realized Reni is such an awesome drummer until that night! Man, he was on fire! One of the best drummers I’ve ever seen! Oozing with energy. Truly amazing.

 

Mani, on the other hand, was having some real fun playing his uber-cool bass guitars! Check these babies out, whoaah! 

 

John Squire is a certified “shoe-gazer”. I barely caught a glimpse of his face the whole night… He was busy in his own world, engrossed with his brilliant guitar-playing... at times simply facing the back of the stage.  (I still love him to bits though! ;p)

 

* photo taken from TimeOutDubai (with thanks!)

I’m still a little disappointed that there wasn’t an encore, but, oh well, we can’t have all the luck in the world in one night, can we? :D

One of the night’s highlights was the presence of another big Stone Roses fan—Liam Gallagher (Beady Eye/ex-Oasis) sitting in the VIP lounge and for whom Ian Brown gave some well-deserved props after the song “Shoot you Down”. Too bad, he wasn’t caught onscreen though.

After the show, my friend and I wandered about, looking for Stone Roses posters/placards or whatever, where we could take pictures on… but we didn’t find any! Nothing posted at the entrance nor inside the venue! Instead, what we saw were glaring posters of Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber! Mehhh! Even the gate didn't bear the band's name!—all it said were the labels Gen. Admission/VIP/Front Pit! What’s up with that?

We went for the “Step On” indie night party just across the street in Media One hotel and by the time we returned, passing the concert venue again, we saw at least 1 trampoline of the Stone Roses! I wonder if anyone else even noticed it! (or maybe there's a few more at the other side-- outside). Here 'tis:

Anyway, to sum it up, the night was priceless!… I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Unforgettable.

 

OTHER VIDEOS:

I wanna be Adored-

Sally Cinnamon-

Concert: DURAN DURAN Live in Dubai

When:                 08 March 2012 (Thursday)

Where:                7he Sevens Stadium, Dubai

This has got to be one of the most memorable concerts I’ve ever been to! Simon’s voice still soars magnificently high!, and yes,  when I bought my ticket, I knew they were going to play some classic Duran Duran songs, but… I never expected them to play loads (and I do mean loads!) of their greatest hits! Wowww! Was I blown away! Nostalgia at its finest!

Here’s the setlist:
1. Before the Rain
2. Planet Earth
3. A View to a Kill
4. All You need is Now
5. The Reflex
6. Come Undone
7. Safe
8. Notorious
9. Girl Panic
10. Tiger Tiger
11. White Lines
12. Ordinary World --> the band dedicated this to the current distressing crisis in Syria
13. Hungry like the Wolf
14. Sunrise
15. Wild Boys --> mashed up midway with Relax! by Frankie goes to Hollywood
16. Girls on Film --> *encore*- where Simon introduced the band members. Check this out- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i59Vv3PDZZc&feature=colike.

(thanks to hvarcegovac for the upload) “Play that funky bass, John! Play that funky bass, John!!!”. Too bad that the girl couldn’t think of a much better intro tailored for Simon! I bet she was too overwhelmed to even think of anything, haha! I would be too if I were her.

17. Rio --> seems the liveliest and loudest the crowd had been!, not knowing it was to be the last song

They didn’t play “Save a Prayer”, “Union of the Snake” and “Is there something I should know?” but, nahhh, I’m not complaining. I already got more than what I asked for! Heck, just staring at those bunch of good-looking “gods” onstage was enough to make my night! It sent me screaming and giggling and screaming all over again like a little high school girl throughout the concert, heh!  

 

* big thanks to timeoutdubai for the last 3 photos (above)

Book: Touching from a Distance

 

I think every Ian Curtis/Joy Division fan out there would be thrilled with this book! It features a list of Joy Division gigs, discography, exclusive photos, complete song lyrics and other unfinished writings. 

I feel obliged to thank Debbie (and applaud her) for having the strength to write about it all-- the ups and downs of their relationship since the beginning-- the happiness, the pain, the betrayal. It must have been really difficult for her looking back. I think she tried her best to be honest about everything that transpired- even about the way Annik Honore (the “other woman”) really meant to Ian. She did not dare deny that Annik was able to see through Ian’s lyrics and what was going on inside his troubled soul. Too bad no one took her concerns seriously. It could have saved Ian, for all we know...

As an ardent Joy Division fan, I was absolutely fascinated reading through pages and pages of how Ian was as a child, as a teen, as a husband, and as a father… I totally enjoyed the read, picturing every moment- even those miserably disturbing bits. It’s fair to say that Debbie and Ian had the typical on-and-off couple’s quarrels between them. That’s pretty normal any way I look at it-- the jealousy, the possessiveness, even the ridiculous temper tantrums. But just like watching the film “Control”- when Annik eventually stepped in, it kinda broke my heart. My admiration and respect for Ian diminished dramatically. I was sickeningly torn!

There’s a part of me that somehow feels sorry for him for getting stuck in a marriage while being in love with another woman- and yet another part of me was loathing how he could cheat and lie to his wife. It’s a total plethora of contradicting emotions. Why does shit like this happen to people all the time, huh? (Ok, not all the time, but close! Such a shame how life plays its ugly tricks sometimes. Love… will tear us apart?)

I just can’t help but wonder what really triggered him to take his own life at that exact point in time. To think that Joy Division was already starting to climb up to its peak- he had fantasized and worked hard for it (and so did his band mates and the whole Factory team admittedly) and things were starting to fall into place. So, then, why? Was he really that depressed and in extreme agony of his epileptic condition that he just couldn’t take it anymore? Was he worried and too embarrassed of having frequent fits while performing onstage? Was it the guilt eating up on him for cheating on his wife?- or was he really so in love with Annik so much that he’d rather die than lose her? (I was under the impression that she was going away and leaving him at that time)... or perhaps, perhaps it was simply his ultimate majestic plan? Did he really want to die young and be remembered as one of the most legendary personae in the music history- just like his heroes (i.e. Jim Morrison, James Dean)- beloved, dead and gone. Just the way we remember him now… just the way Debbie somehow thinks so? That moment was bound to come. Maybe...

Barney says it was the pills.

It’s really hard to fathom, but I guess we simply have to accept that it has all ended- the way it did. Whatever his reasons… all we could do now is keep loving the music... In our hearts and minds, let him continue to live…


-------
On another note, I would personally recommend to read the book- “24-Hour Party People” (Tony Wilson) before or after reading this one. They are like 2 pieces of the puzzle that must be glued together. You’ll know what I’m saying when you get there…

*Sep '13 update: Peter Hook's "Unknown Pleasures- Inside Joy Division" is just as awesome as this book- but deals more on Peter and the band's escapades than just Ian. 5-stars. I will be writing about it soon when I get the time :p

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN- CRYSTAL DAYS 1979-1999 (4-CD Box Set)

This is a treasure chest of previously-unreleased materials (rare/live versions) and a full-coloured booklet to boot! There are loads of glossy pics that you might've never seen before. I had a good chuckle at the late Pete de Freitas' shaved head, which was said to be some kind of "protest" against the "three stooges" (umm, namely- Mac, Will, & Les! LOL!). The band's longtime publicist, Mick Houghton, did a brilliant job of sharing the Bunnymen's history in this booklet. It boasts interesting bits and pieces of trivia as well as personal commentaries by Mac and Will about the songs.

You'd be relieved to know that Will was actually embarrassed by having performed the official England World Cup Song in 1998 with the Spice Girls! Yikes! LOL.

Guess what though, I had a lump in my throat when I got to the part where Mac and Will eventually decided to reform the band. Les said "it was like putting a pair of old slippers back on"... and so, months after that, they offered us "Evergreen" (1997)- minus Pete, who sadly met an accident way back in 1989 (this just breaks my heart).

Another cool thing about this box set is that it is a "labour of love" by people who adore the Bunnymen themselves- particularly Andy Zax, the producer, who is a huge fan himself and said to be the reason why we have this box set in the first place. So, yeah, hats off to him! Job well done indeed! :)


Track list:
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1904925/a/Crystal+Days+(1979-1999).htm

Book: JOY DIVISION and the making of Unknown Pleasures

To be honest, I’m not even sure if this is worth reading! Personally, I'm not very happy with the content. It does give an interesting overview to “Warsaw” and the gigs and various tracks released under this band name prior to evolving into the mighty Joy Division. Each track from the UP album is indeed discussed to a considerable extent... but well, to my dismay, it’s all purely based on speculations by the author (although most are quite valid if you'd ponder on it, but... speculations just the same).

I was hoping to read first-hand revelations from the guys themselves- Barney and Hooky in particular!, but yeah, what a letdown!... The book also dwells lightly on the Joy Division-The Fall rivalry from those days although Marc Riley's comments are, um, fair enough, if I must say.

The brains behind Factory Records (incl. Mr. Manchester himself- bless his soul) are profoundly mentioned and given credit in this book, but then again, no direct comments from the concerned peeps whatsoever. So, you won't get the feeling that you are getting the facts at all- that's the annoying part (to me, at least, grrrr!).

Other bands are also mentioned here and there and it's notable that Joy Division was closely knitted with Buzzcocks (another one of my favorite bands, yay!) and in fact played numerous gigs in support of the band. Great guys!

The book also touches minimally on Ian's struggle with epilepsy, marital difficulties, and yes- of Annik Honore. No, don't get too eager, coz really it's devoid of any details, heh!

I would rate this 3 1/2 stars (er, ok, make that 4stars just coz it's freakin' Joy Division anyway!!!).