Dubai-based rock n roller Jay Wud has begun his own initiative to get unsigned regional bands heard. A channel on Soundcloud. We asked him a bit more about it
Can you spell out what you are trying to do by setting up the Soundcloud for independent musicians? Im always on the hunt for new independent artists to listen to. I thought it’ll be cool to gather all the artists i know in the region and let them share their music on this group.
This would be the hub for Independent artists & their supporters in the Middle East to discover new music and share it.
What kind of a response have you had so far?
Most of the artists I contacted joined the group and uploaded their tracks. Im so happy with this.
When did you set it up? Couple of days ago i think.
What bands have you got so far? Anuryzm, Point Of View, Absolace, The Arcane, Saytrip, Lazzy Lung, Near Surface, My band Jay Wud, Edd Abbas, Benevolent, Sae Lis’, Elepheel, Edmond Redd, Escape To Venus, Rami Charara, Figueroaedgar, Elie Margi
Are you looking for any particular genres? Nope. I just want to hear independent artists in this region from any genre and make other people discover them.
Are you hoping that people will share and listen to the Soundcloud? Im sure they will, It just takes a little effort & I’ll keep pushing this from my end.
Anything else you want to mention? Thx for having me. Rock’n'roll
Head over to the soundcloud group here: http://soundcloud.com/groups/independent-music-from-the-middle-east and upload your songs!
Metality UAE nabbed an interview with prog rock/metallers Absolace ahead of their gig with Megadeth at Gulf Bike Week 2012
Wow, opening for Megadeth, how does it feel?
Yeh still buzzing about it. They’re a great band, and they put on a really good live show. Its gonna be an honor to open for them. We’ve had a very quiet year in terms of gigging to be honest, cause of finishing of production of Fractals, so this is a perfect lifter
What are you most looking forward to?
At the end of the day, we’re really excited at the opportunity to show our music to loads and loads of people. Thats really what you should keep reminding yourself when you score these awesome support slots. Its not only about the prestige, or the press, or being able to tell chicks you opened for an international band. It’s about getting your music out there.
What are you planning for your set?
We’re structuring our set to be intense and energetic the whole way through, rather than some of the more intimate club shows we play, where we dip in the middle and play our more proggy stuff. This set is gonna be like ’1, 2, 3, 4 , BOOM!!’ and just keep going with full energy for an hour. We were lucky to get an hour actually, which is more than most support band slots. Lets us showcase a bit more of our music. When we get asked to 30-45 mins, thats only like 4 or 5 songs for us hahaha.
If you could ask Dave Mustaine one question, what would it be?
I’ve actually met Dave before. It was on Desert Rock Festival in 2006. Really nice guy, and really easy to talk to. We didn’t really talk much about music, he’s probably bored of talking about that hahaha. We just chatted about random shit.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
I think we’re gonna get back into writing again. It would nice to see another release out before next summer. Gonna get busy, busy, busy Apart from that, lots of personal practice, jamming together a lot, and play a few more shows and get out there as much as possible.
Yes, we did it again – we risked vicious, incoherent comments and threatening emails to bring you what we think are the top 10 bands to watch in 2012 in both the rock and metal genres. (to check out our Top 10 bands of 2011, click here)
The following bands were chosen on a combination of how new and good they are and/or whether they are releasing new material. This means that you will see brand new bands in this list, as well as some old-timers who have released albums over the last two months or are releasing new material this year.
SO STARTING OFF WITH THE BRAND NEW BANDS:
SIGMA
This impressive new progressive rock-style band has only played two gigs, but has received rave audience feedback for both of their sets. This band plays only originals, so don’t be walking up to the stage and asking them to play Metallica. Check out their Facebook page and videos here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sigma/101334446656631 and make sure you catch them at their next gig if you are into clean prog. Have a read of our interview with the band here.
ALIVIA
This band is the brainchild of well-known Dubai-based musician Ali Maarrawi and brands itself as melodic metal. This band is also just starting out after Ali’s year-long search for the right musicians to play in the band. Check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/Aliviadubai - and have a rea of our interview with the band here.
ARAMAIC:
This is a brand new doom/death/Oriental band made up of a series of seasoned Dubai musicians: Fadi Al Shami : Guitars, Michael Al Asmar : Bass, Serge Lutfi : Vocals, Ahmad Hafez : Drums.
A bit about the band:
The band started when the friends Michael and Fadi gathered and started jamming on 2010, after few sessions the chemistry was undeniable and the result was some very interesting ideas. The band is joined by Ahmed & Serge who are part of the song writing process.
The name came from the Ancient Arameans who lived in the region where the bands musicians hail from, with their very rich mythology as they worshipped Assyro-Babylonian gods such as Haddad (Adad), Sin, Ishtar, Shamash and Nergal, and Caananite-Phoenician deities such as the storm-god, El, the supreme deity of Canaan, Anat(‘Atta) and others. The band is currently working on new material, that combines the Oriental elements with classic Death/Doom metal.
This band manages to tick two boxes, being both new on the Dubai music scene and in the process of recording their debut album. The band classifies itself as grunge and has played some successful shows in various venues to date. The band lists its influences as Muse, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Incubus, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Audioslave, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, System of a Down, Stone Temple Pilots, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters! Quite a lot!
This enthusiastic young metalcore band from Abu Dhabi has been on the scene since 2008 and has made quite a splash in the underage scene. However, they have been quiet for quite some time and we now find out that they have been cooking up an album.
Details are still sparse, but we hear that it will be out this year. Check out their video below and let us know what you think
This lady of rock needs no introduction, with a hugely successful South American tour under her belt, a little black book chock-a-block with gigs and being one of the nicest and most professional musicians on the circuit, she is recognisable by her trademark raunchy rock and ballsy music style.
Fatiniza is at it again and is soon to release her second album,, one which she assures us is FAAR better than the first one. We are expecting some surprises. Check out her Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/fatiniza.fans and have a listen to her new single in Spanish below:
COAT OF ARMS
Another UAE band that needs little introduction. Abu Dhabi-based metalcore artists Coat of Arms have been spending a busy few months adding the finishing touches to their album, which they promise is far better than 2011′s ‘This is Manslaughter’. (we really liked that album so we can’t imagine what is in store!).
The latest post on the band page reads “Mixes for the album so far are sounding massive. Put simply, its music we were not capable of writing a year ago. Secondly, all of our new live gear is now being delivered. Be excited!!!! More to come soon!”
This band has been in hiatus for a while having lost some of its original members, but, its is BACK with a vengeance with new members and a fresh sound. Check out the original band here: 2zero2.
The new line-up includes Puneet from Red Circle on bass, Ashish from Vin Sinners on guitar and two of the original members, Kenan on drums and Alaa on guitar. Watch out for more info on these guys!
XCEED
Previously a cover band, Xceed, known for its impressive vocals is giving up the cover’s only tag they have earned over the years and are working on all-originals which they will debut after Ramadan. Check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/XCEED/130015130955
RIFF RAFF
Another band that needs no introduction have JUST released their debut album ‘By the Seat of Our Pants’. These hard rockers have wormed their way into the hearts of fans across the Emirates and have built a strong following of hardccore fans. Check out our interview with them here and listen to their album below:
EYE: EYE (Empty Yard Experiment) last night could easily have been mistaken for an international supporting act for Evanescence. In fact we heard several concert-goers asking each other where the band was from. From start to finish EYE held the audience in rapt amazement with EYE’s very own brand of progressive post-rock.
EYE is a band that has to be watched and listened to, their visuals are so much part of their act that it makes their music a 3D sensory experience. We would have loved to see the Evanescence backdrop as one huge screen, instead of the two screens on the sides of the stage for their set – but that is just a personal wish!
The band need a lot of praise for pulling through and saving the show at the only low-point of the night – when there were some serious sound issues leading to screeching, ear-bleeding feedback that had the audience groaning. The sound engineers then turned off the main mic to stop the feedback that led to Bojan (vocalist) being cut off mid song. EYE just carried on regardless, pulling the show back from the brink and showing that really, if this band does not hit the big time soon, it won’t be due to lack of talent, professionalism and passion, but due to the UAE’s lack of promotion/support for alternative musicians. Their confidence has improved so much since they opened for Anathema that it was almost like watching a completely different band.
Sasan – the bands drummer told Metality UAE as they came off stage “We had some technical problems, but I think we wrapped it up. We enjoyed it very much!”
I hope we see more of this band before they release their new album later this year.
EYE vocalist Bojan and Will Hunt – Evanescence drummer
We also got some feedback on EYE’s performance from Will Hunt – Evanescence’s drummer (who also played with Black Label Society):
“I am impressed man, they were great. I was not expecting that, it was fucking awesome.”
EYE definitely made some new fans last night and we saw many in the crowd wearing EYE t-shirts in support of them. Quote of the night: A large black metal shirted concert-goer standing next to us said: ‘F*&( these guys are awesome man, I really, really want to see more of them!’. Latest tracks by Empty Yard Experiment
Evanescence:
At 9.35pm last night Dubai witnessed a new chapter in the UAE’s music history. Evanescence and the fireball of energy with the astounding voice – Amy Lee – leapt onto the stage and kept everyone in rapture for one hour and 30 minutes.
From the second the opening bars of What You Want played to the last note of the very last encore song she never stopped moving, jumping, and never put a note wrong.
Although the show was undoubtedly the Amy-Lee show, the drummer Will Hunt played an incredible set, the drumstick-twirling maestro added that extra pizzazz to the band and he was a joy to watch. Hunt was also the friendliest member of the band and stopped to give us feedback on EYE, which was much appreciated!
The second song the band played, Going Under got the crowd singing along and there was a noticeable change in energy, from the kind of ‘oh look the band is here’ excitement to ‘FUCK YEAH the band is on stage and we know this song’ – kind of energy with everyone surging forward and screaming at the top of their lungs.
For the fourth song in their set Amy Lee brought out her piano. This song was the first real showcase of her voice and another clear crowd favourite.
The total highlight of the night for me was Evanescence’s new song The Change. If you thought Amy Lee’s voice was good before – you have to hear this song. It has far more vocal range and variation than any of the older songs – which after a while can sound the same.
I love the energy and passion in this song and listening to the vocal gymnastics is like sliding down a rainbow into a forest pool. You have to listen to it to understand that last sentence I think!
At this stage one of our friends texted us and said ‘I wish I could sing like that!’ – yeah us too. Recent attempts at singing in the shower have caused the cats to cower in fright.
The last song before the encore was another crowd pleaser ‘Bring me to Life’, kicked off by half a dozen stage fireworks going off. We were half expecting the lighters to come out for this one, but the high-octane performance kept everyone jumping, screaming and headbanging.
The song ended, the stage went dark and I was left going ‘But they did not play My Immortal?” (insert sad face here). Amy Lee had said in the press conference that they were going to play it.
Three minutes later she bounded back on stage with the same energy she hit the stage with in the very first second, sat at her piano and played what must be the band’s best known track – I was appeased – the lighters came out, the crowd filled their lungs and all that could be heard were the strains of My Immortal being sung by a couple of thousand people. Perfect.
Catch our chat with Evanescence – exclusive to Metality UAE – next week!
The Production
This was a show that was hard to fault – the venue was amazing in terms of size, set up and acoustics and was laid out well for crowd access.
There were a couple of sound issues, the feedback problem during the EYE set and the fact that the sound at the back of the venue (lets call them the cheap seats) was not that good for half of the concert. Getting feedback from the crowd at the back, we were told that EYE’s set was very tinny with little bass, which somewhat spoiled their set for those at the back. However, the sound issue was addressed and the bass kicked in halfway through Evanescence’s set and from there on in it was all good.
The lighting was excellent – the last time I wrote that some metalhead said ‘the lighting is always good’ – well no, it aint. There was a massive difference between the lighting this show and the lighting at the A7X gig. This was far more professional and in tune with the music.
Overall this was an outstanding show in terms of choice of acts, professionalism, set up and execution. Well done to Traffik Events this was a far better show than the Anathema gig last year.
About 4,000 people were at the gig (according to Traffik Events) – not a great showing, but what was awesome to see was the variety of people there, from the dolled up diva’s in micro-mini’s and skyscraper heels to the traditionally dressed in Abayas and shayla’s and from very young (we saw a boy of about 6) to the much older (we estimate in their 70s) it was a true cross section of Dubai culture and society.
To see more pictures from the gig check out our album here.
Yes, that’s right – we have revamped our forums – simply go to www.metalityuae,com/forums or click the forums tab at the top of the page to begin.
Since we launched our forums page 12 months ago, we have not had much intefraction – we have now fixed all the bugs and revamped them as part of our two year anniversary website upgrade and made them far easier to use. Now it is time for all you metalheads to get chatting (or complaining) whichever your persona style is!
Get some topics going, post your views and news and anything else that is pissing you off and you need to vent about.
Using our forums you can post pics and video, link to posts and more, so check it out and feel free to send us feedback to metalityuae@yahoo.co.uk.
Sigma have only played two gigs, but have already been getting attention in the local press for their exceptional talent on stage and range of high-quality original progressive tracks.
Their approach to music is more simplistic than for example Absolace, but each note is executed perfectly. We peg these guys as one of the top bands to watch in 2012-2013. If they can get a chance to go on tour outside the UAE I reckon they would become as popular as their Middle Eastern prog heroes Orphaned Land.
How did Sigma start and who are the members? Sam: It was quite simple really. Sigma started when I thought of getting a band together and called up Zaher (bassist) and asked him if he knew any drummers. Zaher’s answer was yes. He knew his old friend Sherry (drummer) and recommended him. Zaher in the meantime told me that he’d been playing bass for a while. So we thought of getting together and when we jammed for the first time it all really fell into place and we clicked. The members are:
Sam: lead vocals/guitars
Zaher: bass
Sherry: drums/backing vocals
Sigma – Sherry – Drummer
Zaher: Sam called me up one day asking me for a good drummer in Al Ain. I couldn’t think about anyone better than Sherry – who is also the drummer for Apeira. Sam asked Sherry for a bass guitar player after they got together and jammed couple of times, Sherry recommended me even though I’m more of a guitarist than a bassist, but I was glad to join the gang.
Tell me a bit about each of you, where are you from, what instrument do you play and what do you do as a day job? Sam: I was born in Dhaka but moved to the emirates at a very early age. I play rhythm and lead guitar. I work as an English teacher.
Zaher: Sherry and I are both university students, Sherry is doing architectural engineering and I’m doing civil engineering which works perfectly cause even our jams are like that, he designs and I build Sherry plays the drums and as I said I play the bass but I also come up with guitar ideas in the band. Sherry is Pakistani and I’m from Iraq… I never thought one day that I’ll be having a best friend and band mate who is Pakistani hehehee! So Sherry and I are really close. As for us and Sam then I know Sam through my eldest brother from about 7 years ago. We’re all having fun and enjoy what we compose.
Your two performances so far have been very highly rated – how do you feel about that? Sam: We feel extremely privileged since we’ve been around for only around six months. We didn’t really expect that our performance would be highly rated. We feel extremely grateful to everyone who liked our music.
Zaher: It feels good to be rewarded for what you do, after all musicians just want to be heard. We wish to have more gigs actually because we are working on some awesome and very different material coming out soon. I don’t want to give away too much but let’s just say it’s going to be legendary.
You play all originals, which is rare for a brand new band. Why did you decide to go that route? Sam:I had been playing covers for a long time with other bands in Al Ain. Personally speaking I felt that there was
Sam
no more growth left in it for me. I started writing music when I was quite young and so I had these piles of original stuff getting nowhere. Just made up my mind that it’s time to find the musicians I’m looking for and play never heard before material.
Zaher: Covering songs will not allow us to express our feelings, I mean sure there’s always that one song from a specific band that we enjoy listening to every now and then but coming up with your own stuff is entirely better for me. For me covers are not as impressive as coming up with your own stuff. Covering Sweet Child o’Mine is amazing but the question is: Can you come up with a song as good as it?
Do you have a favourite Sigma song? Sam: Our favourite ones have to be ‘Rape of Sanity’ and ‘Empty Streets’.
Zaher: Both Sherry and I agree that it is ‘Rape of Sanity’ it’s almost a nine minute song that has awesome riffs and it’ just very melodic and progressive and that’s why so far we like it the most. In our two gigs we played that song last because you know what they say… Save the best for last.
Who would you say are the bands strongest influences? Sam: Our strongest influences have to be Opeth, Dream Theatre and Led Zeppelin.
Zaher
Zaher: Sherry’s strongest influence would be Dream Theater. As for me I can safely say it’s Tool. But we both have Opeth as our second most influential band for us.
If you could play an instrument with any band in the world for just one day, which band would you pick and why? Sam: I think it would be Opeth because I can relate to their music quite well. Their music can get as soft as possible and then as heavy as possible. That’s the kind of music I love to play.
Zaher: Sherry is going for Dream Theater and he would be playing the drums for sure!
I’m gonna go for playing the rhythm for Opeth.
What other UAE progressive bands do you like? Sam: I really like Apeira and anuryzm. Apeira being close friends have always supported us and have actually showed up in both our gigs.
Zaher: Among the over all genres in UAE – not necessarily progressive - we also like Apeira, Soulfuel, and Nightmare Overdose.
If you could play with any other Middle Eastern progressive bands, who would you put in the line-up? Sam: Most probably it would be Orphaned Land and Apeira. I’m big into oriental and when mixed with metal it creates a genre that is both unique and fascinating to play. Both these bands have their own unique oriental sound. So I would definitely create something with them.
Zaher: Orphaned Land.
What does your family think of Sigma? Sam: Our families are very supportive of our music.
Zaher: Sherry’s mom has always been supportive to us, she has made it to every Sigma gig so far – she also comes a lot for the jams so it’s all good with that.
However – my family – I haven’t really told them anything because I know how that conversation will go…. They would say stuff like “focus on your studies…etc” So I decided to go the safer road and not let them know about the whole thing.
Your house is on fire and you only have enough time to grab one item – what would you pick? Sam: It would be two items, the keys to my mustang and my guitar !!
Zaher: Sherry is going with “my cat” (Metality UAE approves in this one. But I’d grab Slash’s cigarette that I have kept with me since he came to Dubai with Velvet Revolver, it means so much to me and I guess I’d grab that one and then run for my life.
You may remember when ‘Rock Academy’ rolled into town during spring, well budding Rock Stars, your wishes have come true – Rock Academy is back this Summer!!….If you want to stay cool and rock out during your Summer Holidays then the Summer Rock programme is for you….
The Rock Academy course develops skills in drums, bass, guitar, vocals, keyboards and DJ’ing. Forming real bands on the first day and working intensely with professional tutors for the week, students will perfect cover versions of rock and pop songs as well as writing their own material. Students who subscribe to the course will find themselves playing to a 200 strong crowd. Family and friends of the students turn out to see tomorrow’s rock stars turning their dreams into a reality…..
Rock Academy is managed by two UK musicians, drummer Chris Stone and guitarist/singer songwriter Chris Kelly who have both had extensive experience in the music Industry. The Stone/Kelly partnership was quoted as saying;
“The talent we saw during our Spring Break courses in Dubai really was special, the young people here know how to rock, and we offer young people a fantastic platform for them to get out there and express themselves. The future of the Dubai live music scene is in our hands and we are very excited….”
Rock Academy is endorsed by UK rockers Lost Prophets and Stereophonics as well as local music retailer Melody House that supplies musical equipment for young people to rock out on during the courses. Head teacher Allan Forbes from The English College, Dubai spoke about Rock Academy saying:
“”After a week of loud rehearsals, lively musicians and high octane instructors, I was delighted with the outcome when I attended the “graduation” concert. The whole process made sense when I saw students from The English College performing alongside students from other local schools to produce an amazing range of musical genres. The team are a professional outfit, as well as being a lovely group of people – pretty impressive jamming session at the concert too, people! Why they didn’t ask me to be lead singer, I will never know! But they did refer to me as a “cool Head teacher” and so they are forgiven!”
I am seriously excited about the new wave of progressive rock and progressive metal talent that is sweeping the UAE and this last Friday (May 18th) at Metal Asylum was literally the most wowed I have been by UAE bands in a very long time – hence my first review in ages featuring just UAE bands.
Edge of Age The night started off with a little known UAE-based cover-band called Edge of Age. With a fantastic on-stage attitude backed up by sound playing and great vocals, these guys warmed up the crowd into a frenzy and by the time they hit the stage there were a good 100 people cheering, yelling, headbanging and singing along – a great reception!
Edge of Age covered Diamondhead’s Its Electric, plus Blitzkrieg by Blitzkrieg, I’m no Fool by Gaskin and closed on classic Judas Priest with Turbo Lover.
ALIVIA Next up was Alivia’s debut set. Now I have some background info to spill about this band before we go any further:
The band is the baby of well-known Dubai musician Ali Maarrawi – who has been playing guitar with rocker Fatiniza for several months. The Alivia project began last year and Ali spent a lot of time getting the line-up right and ready for this debut performance. Hats off to him, because they did a grand job.
Nabil Shubassi, keyboardist has only been playing for a few months, but has managed to master the ivories extremely well. So well in fact that when he went for lessons, his teacher told him he did not need to bother – impressive no?
Cruize, lead singer of the alt rock band Nikotin is the lead singer of Alivia, as the original lead singer has to leave the country. He had only been practicing with the band for a short period before this debut.
So, now, what did they sound like?
Well, we were impressed. Alivia’s brand of prog is fairly technical with a blend of instruments and vocal techniques, melding into a performance that really needs to be listened to closely – in fact we would like some MP3s to take home to have a better listen.
We liked what Ali has created and could definitely hear the Savatage and Blackmore’s Night influences.
Our favourite song of the night was Clarity of Purpose – the last one in the set – for two reasons.
Firstly, it really showed off Cruize’s vocal range and he looked a lot more comfortable than in the previous few songs, where we felt he sounded a bit too alt rock and not quite melodic metal. Here he let go a bit, got some growls in and it sounded good.
Secondly, we felt that it showcased each of the musicians on stage really well.
Great debut from a long-awaited band. The crowd by this stage was well above 100 and tickets had sold out (awesome!).
Alivia’s set list: 1. The Crowning
2. The Dagger Of Trust
3. 2025
4. Mirrorlife
5 Clarity Of Purpose
SIGMA Sigma took to the stage last. This band is definitely at the top of my personal ‘bands to watch in 2012’ list alongside Alivia (more on that later – hopefully without unleashing another tide of drama).
While their brand of prog is much less technical than Alivia’s it has a fluid feeling and clarity of purpose. We like to think of it as a crystal clear stream of music consciousness.
All three of these guys bring massive enthusiasm to the stage and impart that to the audience in waves.
This was the second time we heard them play and the second time they had played live. The band got the same reaction from the audience as they did the first time, with many people coming up and saying ‘where did you find these guys!’
For a band with so little stage experience, they ripped the venue apart and blew the crowds away with precise playing and all-original melodies.
(There was a guy who had quite clearly overindulged at the beginning of the night who was begging Sigma to do Metallica covers, but rushed to the front at the beginning of the set and did not stop headbanging until the last note faded away!)
We were also impressed to see how many people travelled all the way from Al Ain just to see them play, it was fantastic.
If there was one thing we would like to see more of, it is more movement on stage, although, admittedly the Aussie Legends (now Champs) stage is a bit small for outrageous antics!
Set list: 1) Intro.
2) Dead man’s talk.
3) The awakening.
4) Empty Streets.
5) Rape of Sanity.
There were no sound problems according to all of the bands who played and audience members who we quizzed, so a big well done and thank you must go to Tim Wardman, the Champs sound engineer.
Overall a great night with a great trio of local talent.
Dubai-based metal band Anuryzm has been chosen to open for Avenged Sevenfold at The Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on May 4th! We grabbed an interview with the band ahead of the gig.
What do you think made Flash choose Anuryzm to open for Avenged Sevenfold and what do you think made you stand out above your competition? Nadeem: We’re very happy to work with Flash and to share the stage with Avenged Sevenfold. We were asked to open for them because we share a fairly similar genre of music and it ought to be a really fun night for the audience.
We don’t feel as though our music careers are in competition with anyone else, all the top tier bands in the UAE that we have met are amazing professional and hard working and are doing their own thing in their own genres and capacity.
Imad: There’s no bad blood or competition, all of us in ANURYZM are experienced musicians, we all support one another.
Anuryzm have worked hard this year to become well known, what part of your self-marketing strategy do you think has paid off the best for you? Imad: That’s exactly it, hard work pays off and we try to be very flexible and fair with our music, making it available online for streaming/previewing, offering giveaways, performing to the best of our abilities and open communication with our fans. We are also launching our website this summer. Visit us at www.ANURYZM.com
What are you looking forward to the most about playing with A7X? Imad: It’s a great opportunity and we are very honored to share the stage with A7X and play for everyone. We are most looking forward to having a good time and performing very well.
Nadeem: I’m looking forward to putting on a great show and i’m excited to play inAbu Dhabi as we have great family and friend support. I wanna show everyone a great time.
Many musicians in the UAE say there is a glass ceiling to where a local band’s music can go, usually ending with opening for a big band at a large event here in UAE. Do you think this is true and how do you plan to use the experience of opening for A7X to further your band career? Nadeem: I disagree with the glass ceiling theory on many levels, firstly it’s great for the local scene when large bands come through town, because it shows that we (UAE Bands) can hold our own sharing the stage with them and that there are some bands in the UAE who are world class. Also as far as ANURYZM goes, the majority of our fans are actually outside the country from regions like Asia, Latin America, Europe etc so if anything; our successes in the UAE will bring more attention to the country and the talent that it has to offer.
Imad: At the end of the day, if we are playing to 50 people or 5,000 people, we work hard to give our utmost in our performances. We’re in it to make music and enjoy ourselves.
What is Anuryzm’s plan for the rest of 2012, can we expect some Middle Eastern/international tours? Nadeem: We have a few good surprises in store for 2012.
Imad: It’s shaping up to be a very busy year that’s for damn sure.
Your band has quite an international flavour, with every single one of you coming from a different country, do you think this adds to the music creation process and if so, why? Nadeem: We are all from different places and some of us have lived all over the world so it definitely adds strength, color and flavor to the equation.
Does everyone in the band have an equal part to play in creating songs/music or is there a definite band leader. Nadeem: Our debut album was written by John B and I (mostly John) but right now with the addition of the rest of the members, everyone definitely brings something to the table.
Imad: We don’t have set procedures or protocols, if someone comes up with something deserving of the rest of our attention, we go with it and develop it.
Nadeem: Maybe Imad should be the leader because he is the strongest and we live in perpetual fear of his might… its like the old saying, if Imad doesn’t get you…..Milton will
Imad: HAHAH!
Are any of you nervous about this show and what is your plan once you are on stage Imad: No because this is what makes us tick and its what we love.
Nadeem: Our plan really is to have a good time and perform to the best of our abilities and make sure everyone has an excellent time.
Imad: We also genuinely love our fans and we will always come through for them no matter how big or small the event is.
You are going to cook a girl you fancy a romantic meal – tell us what you make for her. Nadeem: I made my girlfriend fajitas one day and I probably shouldn’t have because she always requests them now and so she never cooks any more.
For more event info, click here to go to the ThinkFlash official event page For your chance to win a schecter synyster guitar signed by Avenged Sevenfold, take part in the ThinkFlash facebook app now at http://on.fb.me/HqUkZO Tickets on sale now at www.thinkflash.ae and 800 FLASH (35274).
For ticket buyers outside the UAE please call 0097143662288 Ticket Prices: Limited number of General Admission tickets for early purchase AED 295 General Admission AED 315 Make it a Weekend. Make it a Yas Island Show Weekend. Plan your weekend at www.yasisland.aeView Larger Map
Metal Asylum is the Middle East’s best known rock and metal event and the first live band event of its kind in the UAE. With its roots in now defunct Dubai-based DJ metal event, Blacklist DXB, which organiser Rodi Hennawi helped build, Metal Asylum has become the go-to place for local, regional and international underground alternative bands. We chatted with Hennawi to get a handle on how it all began.
How and when did you get involved in the metal scene in Dubai? When I came to this country 2001 there was not much of a Metal Scene, the best you could get was cover bands at the local bars playing very commercial rock/metal covers like Enter Sandman (Metallica) and Sweet child O Mine (GN’R) and some Shakira and Britney in between.
I found out about an event called Blacklist DXB which used to be a DJ rock and metal event. I went to the small Irish pub on Sheikh Zayed Road where it was first held, and met with the organiser, a nice Swedish lady called Marie. Within a couple of weeks I began doing PR and Marketing for Blacklist DXB as well as helping out with some of the logistic stuff, finding DJs etc…and that was the start basically.
After few months I left Blacklist and started Metal Asylum (Rock & Metal night), which differed from Blacklist because it featured live bands, which was the only and the most important thing missing in Blacklist DXB.
Many local bands and Metal fans were starving for such an event and it felt really good to bring the idea to life
Metal Asylum’s first gig was very successful start and got lots of support from my friends, many of whom are still Metal Asylum regulars five years later. I think Metal Asylum has really built a community around the music.
How have you seen the metal and underground music scene grow since you first arrived in the UAE? It has grown well but still way far from the underground rock & metal scene in UK, USA and Europe. There are many talented bands here but unfortunately they are not getting much attention or support by the media and the major event organisers, finally just few month ago we got Rock Radio (UAE FM Radio station), which is trying to promote local talent.
What drives Metal Asylum?
A passion for good music, Metal Asylum was more like a dream to me, a place where people can meet up for drink and listen to good music.
There are many problems around organising gigs in the UAE, can you tell us about some of these?
There are lots of requirements and paper-work that needs to be provided to the government and a big permission fee for each night. Permissions can reach up to Dh2000. Also, band members need to be 21+ to get the chance to legally perform and no one under 21 can attend the show if it’s in bar or pub – which are the only places you can have such an event, and after I put in all this effort, people don’t bother to show up to support the scene and the bands just so they can save Dh50 – which they think is going 100% to the organiser’s pocket.
What have been Metal Asylum’s best moments since it began? I think when Metal Asylum became known as the best and longest running rock and metal event in UAE, was nominated twice as best Alternative Music Night by Time Out Nightlife Awards and became very well-known both in the Middle East and globally. Also when we were able to get big brands and companies on board to support us, such as; Access All Areas, Musician’s Warehouse, Rage, Metal Mulisha, and of course Metality UAE our Media partner.
If you could do a money-no-object Metal Asylum festival, which bands (local or international) would you put in the line-up? Dead City Ruins (Australia), L.A.Cobra (South Africa), Hatred (Germany), Rema (Georgia), Fatiniza, Coat of Arms, Riff Raff (UAE) and headliner will be Motley Crew or Kiss
Why is it important to you to provide a place for local bands to play?
Metal Asylum provides a great place for bands to get the chance to go further (literally!) It’s very important to me that now after five years of Metal Asylum events there is great communication and contact between local bands and other underground bands in the Middle East and globally as well after playing together and being introduced at Metal Asylum.
Lots of these bands got the chance to play outside the UAE after their music got exposed to people through Metal Asylum.
What has been your worst experience as an event organiser in the UAE so far?
Myself and my family being attacked and threatened by other underground event organisers who were aiming to destroy Metal Asylum’s reputation for their own needs. They got crushed and burned.
Tell us something about yourself that very few people know.
I miss my hair but my head feels better without it
Catch a range of Metal Asylum gigs this April beginning on April 6th with UAE Rock Monsters featuring four top UAE rock bands. Check the Metal Asylum page or our events tab for more.
EYE:
Evanescence:
What does your family think of Sigma?
in this one. But I’d grab Slash’s cigarette that I have kept with me since he came to Dubai with Velvet Revolver, it means so much to me and I guess I’d grab that one and then run for my life.
How have you seen the metal and underground music scene grow since you first arrived in the UAE?
nominated twice as best Alternative Music Night by Time Out Nightlife Awards and became very well-known both in the Middle East and globally. Also when we were able to get big brands and companies on board to support us, such as; 
Radio Metality UAE