Jade Wright abandons the wellies and wet weather to report on a music festival where the sun always shines
South African stars The Parlotones add: “We're looking forward to some sunshine and heat after spending five weeks in Europe. We're keen to watch the legendary Echo & The Bunnymen. Our last show in Dubai was awesome, so we're looking forward to playing again.”
Dubai's burgeoning local music scene is just as important, and the best local bands are sharing the stage time with the top acts.
The headliners are performing at the Irish Village, while other key events are spread across the area's music venues, including Chi@The Lodge and 360º.
And, as well as the musical line-up, there's also a series of conference panels discussing the emerging music scene, at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, a five-star business hotel.
Speakers have included Bobby Talwar, director of events company Only Much Louder, that recently put on India’s first international festival, The Big Chill, in Goa.
Other delegates include Shun Mori, from Japanese publishers Fujipacific; Brian Neilsen, from Danish agents Skandinavian Bookings; and Crispin Hearn, from Primary Talent, who represents acts including Oasis, Babyshambles, The Bluetones, Ladytron and The Wombats. Up-coming conference debate topics include Dubai and India: The Titans of the Middle East and Asia, which will discuss whether India’s growing young population will be the key music market of the future.
“Sound City is as much about doing the business as it is about the live music,” explains Dave. “As with Liverpool, we have brought in some of the highest level execs and new thinkers and doers from all areas of the music business to debate, discuss and fight about the key issues that currently face the music industry. We have big-wigs such as Alan Wills, from Deltasonic Records, and, as with Liverpool, our aim is to look at the most pertinent issues of the day and try to stir things up as much as we can.
“We're also running late-night secret parties and shindigs in some of the venues. These include the Alpha and Chi, as well as the stunning 360º, which is set on its own pier in the middle of the Gulf Sea.
“The conference side will start off smaller than the Liverpool event, but we hope it will grow year on year. The idea is that Dubai, like Liverpool Sound City, will become an annual event.
“Year one is a real statement of intent. Booking this lot alone has been a mammoth task, but it promises to be the world’s hottest winter music festival.”
