Dubai audiences..............
 

To the Burj Park arena on a last-minute spur-of-the-moment decision to see George Benson/Gabrielle.

Great night, Benson's still got it (and I always forget that he's a superb guitarist), nice tribute to The Shouter, Gabrielle in good shape, vocally and in every sense, both acts had a superb backing band........

................ and then there was the audience. Is there a rule that says once you're in Dubai you have to act all reserved and snooty? Both acts urged people to get up and dance (and to be fair, some of them did for a couple of Benson's numbers at the end) but for the most part they must have thought they had gate-crashed a funeral.

I can imagine those who had bought the VIP seats right at the front: "Get up and dance?? At these prices?? I've paid a lot for this seat, and I'm going to sit on it!"

Anyway - a good night. Nice funked-up version of Nature Boy too, George....

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

Have you seen the Marines Club band in action?

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

I was lucky enough to be right at the front (my job has its perks) and there were the front couple of rows were up and dancing. And when they weren't, they were dancing in their seats.

I don't think it was a reserved and snooty thing. I think it was just that people realised, if they stood and danced, the people behind them wouldn't be able to see, and so they'd have to stand and so on.

I think it was more a nice thing of people being polite to those behind them, rather than them being snooty and not wanting to dance (although I'm sure there were plenty of them too).

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

I always think seated gigs are difficult- people don't like to be the one that stands out. Especially here- people are too worried about what other people think of them. You tend to find those standing at the back will be getting a groove on.

I saw Jools Holland at the jazz festival last year and he had everyone up and dancing- fantastic gig, he's an amazing performer and fantastic at working the crowd.

I also think you get a lot of people here that go to gigs when they aren't that big a fan of the artist, it's just something to do so they aren't that in to it.

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

I was there too, 4 or 5 rows from the front..some people were up and jigging in front of us and we couldn't see anything..I asked them if they minded moving into the aisle so that all of those behind could see the stage..they were fine about it, lots of people seat dancing though.... Good concert, thank goodness my tickets were complimentary..500dhs and no bar!!! :D

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

A bigger irration for me at gigs in the UAE are the people who never bloody shut up and yak the whole way through.

:frown:

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

or take phone calls! hate that.

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

sounds like a visit to the cinema

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

I was typing on my phone quite a lot through it, and taking quick pictures and videos, but it was for my job (my magazine is the trade mag for the live event industry out here) so I was more watching for things like Gabrielle constantly having problems with her in ear monitors etc.

But yeah, if you've come to watch a gig, you should be paying attention - I had a press pass on, so if either Gabrielle or George Benson had looked (not that they would have), they'd have seen I was there to work. But anyone else, I think it looks incredibly rude to them.

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

You might be right because the entire crowd at the fantastic free Salif Keita standing-only concert last Sunday were dancing like maniacs. Kind of hard not to and age has definitely not slowed old Salif either, whose voice and stage presence are as mesmerising as ever. And his band was superb also with a bloke who was doing Hendrix-esque stuff with a glammed-up khoura.

Of course maybe it was the perfromer? I have to say that the only concert I ever fell asleep at was a George Benson (and Earl Klugh) performance more than 20 years ago in the states. I was there reluctantly I have to say (in return for having dragged my then girlfriend to see Public Enemy the previous week). It was theatre seating and the (mostly African-American) crowd was not dancing then either...

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

All respect for the Public Enemy gig - I'll overlook the George Benson mistake and put that down to youth and your testicles overruling your brain.

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

I'm totally UNembarrassed to admit I've never heard of Salif Keita. If it's anything remotely Arabic, I've no interest.

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

Ah, but it was a disaster. It was 1987 after their first album and they were still not well known outside New York. This was Ohio! They were fifth on a bill of 5 or so rap acts headlined by Whodini (the irony of time, eh) and including Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince (who were quite good - much better than Parents Just Don't Understand would have suggested...). But PE never showed up and nobody seemed too upset except me! They were the only reason I was there. The other disconcerting aspect was that most of the audience were schoolkids. GF, her friend and me were the only ones old enough to buy booze - apart from, embarrassingly, some parents who had come with their kids (I guess they were among the few who just DID understand).

Now you've got me thinking about it, that was the best year of my life for concerts though: Jesus and Mary Chain, Sunny Ade, REM, Pixies, Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, Cameo, Stetsasonic... and ferking George Benson!

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

Nothing remotely Arabic. He is an amazing singer and performer from Mali, getting on a bit now but still a proper mickeydazzler. Very distinctive as he is an Albino and also of royal descent so he's not supposed to be demeaning himself as a griot. Better known in the Francophone world, I guess, where he's been reasonably high profile since the mid eighties when he recorded his breakthrough album, Soro, in Paris. For my money though his best records have been the three he has released in the past decade since returning to Bamako. Really distinctive and worth investigating if you love music - I'd suggest to start with Moffou, his 2002 album.

Re: Dubai audiences..............
 

Isn't this the guy who's also worked with Sir Robert of Plant? :thumbup: