Monday, Sep 28, 2015

Now we know who’s performing — but which ones are you going to see? tabloid! gives you a rundown of the brightest musical acts heading to Abu Dhabi during the F1 weekend.

YASALAM — AFTER RACE CONCERTS

November 27: Enrique Iglesias

Dubbed by some the King of Latin Pop, Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias is returning to the UAE after a 2012 gig in Dubai. But oh, what a difference three years can make. The 39 year old made headlines three months ago after a very bloody mishap at a concert in Tijuana, Mexico. The singer had reached for a drone camera on stage, presumably to give the audience a shot of themselves from his point of view, but things went terribly wrong as the star sliced his fingers open on the contraption and had to have reconstructive surgery, requiring weeks to recover. Thankfully, nothing can keep the Bailamos star down. If all goes well, he’ll be in tip-top shape when he hits the stage in Abu Dhabi on November 27, no doubt performing a selection of hits such as Love to See You Cry, Hero and Rhythm Divine.

November 28: Florence and the Machine

There was no going back when Florence and the Machine won the Critics’ Choice award at the Brit Awards in 2009. Or when they won the Best British Album for their debut record in 2010. Or when they received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist that same year. Hailing from London, the theatrical band is distinct due in no small part to lead vocalist Florence Welch’s haunting vocals. To give you an idea of their breakout power, their debut record Lungs, with hits like Dog Days Are Over, stayed at number two on the UK Album Charts for five weeks — and after twenty-eight weeks on the charts, it nabbed the top spot. With hits like Shake It Out, and features like Sweet Nothing (yep, that’s Welch on a Calvin Harris track), they quickly gained worldwide appeal. If you haven’t yet, have a listen to their latest record How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful to get appropriately amped for their Abu Dhabi performance. They last played the UAE at Sandance in Dubai in May 2013.

November 29: Blur

What a year it’s been for Blur — and what a year it’s been for Blur’s fanbase who had been waiting over a decade for new music from the band. Like a drop of water in a drought, they finally released their first studio album in a whopping 12 years this April. That’s right — The Magic Whip was the first major release by the band since their 2003 effort Think Tank, and critics have loved every minute of it. So really, what better time for them to come to Abu Dhabi and perform some new tunes and old favourites? With a repertoire that goes back to the early ’90s, there’s no shortage of hits to choose from, including Beetlebum, Country House and Tender. The band will wrap up the three days of Yasalam performances on November 29, so mark your calendars and rub it in your Oasis-loving friends’ faces.

BEATS ON THE BEACH

Filipino rock band Bamboo and Emirati act Fayez Al Saeed will kick off the free music festival on November 26, and British electronica outfit Faithless will wrap up festivities on November 28 alongside regional talent Arwa and Arabian hip-hop star Malikah.

But just like Miguel at last year’s festival, it’s J. Cole who’s this year’s stand-out choice, performing on Friday night with Arabian superstar Wael Kfoury. If you didn’t know, Cole grabbed Jay Z’s attention in 2009 after he dropped his first mixtape, The Come Up, and wound up releasing two more mixtapes — The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights — after signing to Jay Z’s label, Roc Nation.

But it was his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, that showed the world what he was made of in 2011. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, Top R&B Albums and Top Rap Albums charts, garnering him a Best New Artist nomination at Grammy Awards.

Since then, he’s dropped two more albums — Born Sinner and 2014 Forest Hills Drive — and toured with Rihanna, gaining him more than a few new fans.

Tim Hassall, a UAE-based artist, will be seen with his band Bridge Incident, while local rockers Point of View perform in parallel with the winner of the ongoing Emerging Talent Competition, which will be announced on November 21.

The Corniche will also see the F1 FanZone, the Urban Art Zone and an Opening Parade, which will be joined by a number of school students from the capital.

Finally, the Get Driver Fit 2015 programme, which was launched earlier this month, will include the Obstacle Course Challenge on the Corniche from November 19-22 in addition to two new features: the Muscle Beach and the Fitness Zone, where individuals can work out for free.

In Yas Mall, some of the participating artists in the After Race Concerts and Beats on the Beach will pass by the Yas Mall Studio.

The Pit Stop Plaza will be open from November 26-29 to answer visitors’ questions on F1, Yasalam and other related activities.

HOW TO YASALAM

Entry to the after-race concerts at du Arena on Yas Island is for Grand Prix ticketholders only. The Beats on the Beach shows are open to the public and free.

The new Y1 access provides F1 ticketholders access to the concerts and two free passes to the Thursday After Race Concert, among other benefits.

Ticketholders also get a 20 per cent discount on general admission tickets for any other Flash events until February 2016.

Race tickets are available on yasmarinacircuit.com and at Virgin Megastores or Etihad Airways Shops across the UAE; call 900 YAS (927) for more information. Tickets start at Dh395 for Friday general admission.

The ThinkFlash smart phone application will also provide users information on Flash events, content, discounts and giveaways.

By Marwa Hamad, Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2015. All rights reserved.