UK boy band A1 on their Dubai show and finding gratitude 25 years on

The English-Norwegian group will premiere a new song during their concert at The Agenda on Friday

Boy band A1 on their Smash Hits Tour in the UK. Photo by Jon Super

Where is David Guetta when you need him?

It’s a quip shared by members of enduring English-Norwegian boy band A1 who are bringing their 25-year anniversary tour to Dubai with a concert at The Agenda on Friday.

"Proper song writing is coming back and by that I mean actual songs where you got a verse, a bridge and a chorus. And I love that because I have been personally disconnected from music maybe for the last 10 to 15 years,” says singer Paul Marazzi.

“And now with DJs like David Guetta getting some of their inspiration from our era in the '90s it’s a great thing and he is more than welcome to sample some of our work."

While Marazzi is happy for the French DJ and his peers to turn their attention to A1's hits, co-vocalist Mark Read says there are plenty of hidden gems – particularly from later albums such as 2010s Waiting for Daylight and 2012's Rediscovered – that are worth remixing.

One thing for sure, there will be no disagreements about the set list on Friday night.

Celebrating their silver jubilee, A1 have been packing in arenas in Europe and Asia this year with hit laden concerts featuring fan favourites such as Caught in the Middle and Same Old Brand New You.

All that touring has inspired the group to try their hand at new songs, one of which is directly inspired by their time on the road.

“The new track is called Call Me When You Land and we will perform it for the first time in Dubai,” confirms singer Christian Ingebrigtsen.

“It is one of those songs that is inspired by what a lot of us have gone through in the pandemic and appreciating our time with our loved ones.

“The title is really one of those lines that we often say to each other at airports, but it took on a greater meaning during those challenging times.”

The workload in general has been less arduous for A1 in comparison to their heyday at the turn of the century.

Formed in 1998, the four member group, which also includes vocalist Ben Adams, emerged in an era where artists were expected to record new albums annually and tour consistently.

After their 1999 debut album Here We Come was moderately received, the group hit their stride with the 2000 follow up The A List, home to a marvellous cover of A-ha's classic Take On Me that topped the UK charts.

Intense period

The group then went on a seven-year hiatus in 2002 after releasing further hits Caught in the Middle and Make It Good.

While A1 shined at the top of the charts, it was a more intense period on the ground with gruelling tours and coming to grips with the emergence of social media.

They also became one of the major UK popgroups to embrace the early trend of an online subscription service providing exclusive videos and content to fans.

"We were hands on with it and got involved in the forums and group, but I don't think we really appreciated what a beast this online format would become for the industry," Read says.

"The site got a lot of accolades and is viewed as being quite ahead of its time. If we had realised that then, we would have probably invested a little bit more time on it.”

Then again, it was a period where A1 barely had moments for themselves, Marazzi notes.

With artists today such as Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber citing mental health as one of the reasons for respectively cancelling their tours, Read says the pressure that comes with music success is underestimated.

"If I am honest with you, I don't think we as a group took care of each other as much as we should have," he says.

"We were so caught up in the whirlwind and the labels were obviously pushing many of us artists so hard that we didn’t have time to really recharge.”

Marazzi cites the mental and physical exhaustion for the group's temporary break in 2002.

"We had an amazing five-year run that was just non-stop and eventually, little by little, we hit a wall," he says. "I am just grateful now that mental health is part of the industry conversation, and it is as important as making the bottom line.”

That hard work has also paid off for A1 enjoying themselves as they approach their third decade.

"We don't have to worry any more about releasing a new song or hitting number one on the charts,” Ingebrigtsen says. "We have a fantastic audience who are with us and wants to hear the old stuff."

Marazzi sums it up best: “We have reached a plateau of gratitude and enlightenment and we are happy with that.”

A1 perform in The Agenda, Dubai on Friday, September 22; 7.30pm; tickets start from Dh100; dubai.platinumlist.net