Spectacular Soundstorm festival shows a Saudi music scene in full flight


Saeed Saeed
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The Soundstorm festival in Riyadh continues to rack up the distinctions.

In addition to landing the Guinness World Record for the tallest stage as part of its inaugural 2019 event and to placing the kingdom firmly on the live music touring map, the mammoth four-day gathering achieved what arguably no other popular Middle Eastern music festival could: it made Arab pop-superstar Elissa a footnote to the proceedings.

Such is the all-star line-up of more than 150 leading DJs – including Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren and Carl Cox – the Lebanese show-stopper’s presence was relatively muted, amid all the electronic music fire power on display during a blockbuster opening day on Thursday that welcomed up to 180,000 people, according to organisers.

Waleed Al Awad at Soundstorm festival. Photo: Saeed Saeed/The National
Waleed Al Awad at Soundstorm festival. Photo: Saeed Saeed/The National

“Elissa was here?” Waleed Al Awad, 27, said as he strolled to the Big Beast main stage in time for R3hab’s set. “Man, I didn’t know. There is so much going on that I really can’t keep up.”

The life-long "Riyadh-awi" could be referring to the festival’s all out sensory assault as much as the changes sweeping through the Saudi capital’s entertainment and leisure sector.

Soundstorm is part of the 7,000 events taking place under the Riyadh Season banner, running until March 2022. “Am I surprised by what has happened here in my city and Saudi Arabia? I would only say ‘yes’ in terms of how quick it has been,” Al Awad says.

“But I am not surprised in the reaction of the people. Look at everyone here, we are acting like this has always been part of our lives.

“That is because Saudi youth know what is going on. A lot of us travel the world and attend festivals like this in Europe and the US. Now we don’t have to. Even if this Soundstorm is not as over-the-top as 2019, it is still fantastic and I will be here for all four days.”

A maturing music scene

Al Awad’s comments are more an observation than a criticism.

Where the 2019 event, formally known as MDL Beast, was all shock and awe with its gargantuan 38-meter-high mainstage and a dream artist line-up that made Belgium’s Tomorrowland festival seem like yesterday’s news, the 2021 version exhibits all the signs of a maturing festival and electronic music scene.

After all, you can’t separate one from the other.

While Saudi Arabia has been hosting EDM concerts since 2018, it was the 2019 MDL Beast festival that laid the foundations for the community to really take shape.

The historic event had a catalytic effect, with the festival’s parent company, also called MDL Beast, going on to launch a record label featuring Saudi artists, as well as the XP Music conference, which connected the local music scene with industry leaders for three days of discussions and workshops.

All that work is bearing fruit. Soundstorm is no longer relying on bells and whistles – although all six stages remain spectacular in scale and design – to hold the attention of its audience, but rather offering a well curated line-up spanning mainstream and independent artists.

All stages were well attended throughout the first day.

The Dance Beast stage, resembling an airport hangar, was packed with fans pogoing to the heaving house beats of US spinner ACraze.

A 10-minute walk away, amid a well-lit concourse home to dozens of food stalls, featuring everything from shawarmas and pizzas to Amsterdam style fries (with satay sauce and mayonnaise) is the Underground – a complex of three subterranean looking stages built from industrial crates.

This is the place to experience the ebullient and sometimes uncompromising sounds of techno and tech-house, best exemplified through standout performances from Germany’s Claptone and Hosh.

You can’t stop the movement

Which brings us back to the festival’s nerve centre, the Big Beast stage.

Where the 2019 version had star acts performing from a towering edifice that looked like it was carved out of a mountain, a new design reflects a festival taking flight.

Throughout the night, artists such as the Swedish duo Axwell and Ingrosso and recent Abu Dhabi Formula One headliner DJ Snake performed in the middle of a falcon’s wings.

The backdrop worked, as Big Beast is the place to hear the soaring anthems that made EDM the new pop music, with thousands singing along to festival staples such as Swedish House Mafia's Don't You Worry Child and Avicii’s Levels, played by Axwell and Ingrosso and Tiesto respectively.

L-R: Lubna Ali and Kinan Khalid. Photo: Saeed Saeed/The National
L-R: Lubna Ali and Kinan Khalid. Photo: Saeed Saeed/The National

Watching Tiesto's set were Syria’s Kinan Khalid, 28, and Lubna Ali, 29. “I am a civil engineer,” Khalid says. “The music is great but I am so amazed by the constructions of the stage and the event. I know this was set up relatively quickly so it’s just impressive to see how it came together.”

Wearing a shirt emblazoned with illuminating headphones, Ali was clear about her reasons for coming to Soundstorm.

“We didn’t have entertainment in Riyadh for such a long time and I feel now that we are in a movement that we can’t go back from,” she says.

“This was a long time coming and all that we needed was that final push and here we are. The fact that this all looks so easy and natural shows that we have always been ready for this.”

Soundstorm runs until December 19 in a purpose-built location in Banban, Riyadh. Tickets are from 399 Saudi riyals ($106), which includes a shuttle bus from various locations in Riyadh. Doors open from 3pm. More information is available at mdlbeast.com

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The biog

Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:

  • Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
  • He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
  • There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
  • After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
  • In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994 
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RESULT

Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SEMI-FINAL

Monterrey 1 

Funes Mori (14)

Liverpool 2

Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)

While you're here
The five pillars of Islam
LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

Four-day collections of TOH

Day             Indian Rs (Dh)        

Thursday    500.75 million (25.23m)

Friday         280.25m (14.12m)

Saturday     220.75m (11.21m)

Sunday       170.25m (8.58m)

Total            1.19bn (59.15m)

(Figures in millions, approximate)

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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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RESULT

Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: 
Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

MATCH INFO

CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures

Tuesday:

Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)

Second legs:

October 23

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Happy Tenant

Started: January 2019

Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana

Based: Dubai

Sector: Technology, real-estate

Initial investment: Dh2.5 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 4,000

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Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

 

Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)

Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke

Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)

Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke

Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)

Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO

Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision

Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke

Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke

Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO

Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision

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SQUADS

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage

Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

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Updated: September 05, 2022, 12:28 PM`