Paul McCartney’s performance as part of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix was 11 years ago — still, the impact continues to resonate within the UAE events industry.
As The Beatles singer, 80, prepares to headline the UK’s Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, becoming the oldest person to do so, The National looks back at his epic concert in November 2011 and why it set the standard for the rest of the high-profile stars to play the UAE.
McCartney's performance at Etihad Park remains hard to beat when it comes to the amount of back-to-back hits played.
Beginning with The Beatles' Hello Goodbye, he took 30,000 fans on a two-and-a-half hour journey with 37 songs spanning five decades.
In addition to The Beatles favourites such as Hey Jude, A Day in the Life and Let It Be, McCartney also performed hits from Wings (Live and Let Die and Band on the Run) and key solo tracks such as Maybe I'm Amazed.
As chief executive of Flash Entertainment, John Lickrish was tasked with putting together the concert as part of the still fledgling Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix.
“It was the third Formula One race and we were already off to a great start with acts like Beyonce in 2009 and Prince the following year,” he recalls.
“So there was already a growing buzz about Abu Dhabi as a go to destination for big artists.
"But it was really McCartney in 2011 who took us to the next level.”
Getting McCartney to the UAE was a result of steady growth.
The concert industry is relatively tight, Lickrish says, with agents and tour promoters working with a number of artists at any given time.
One of the most powerful figures is the UK’s Barrie Marshall with a career spanning four decades.
As well as being McCartney’s long-term agent and tour promoter, his current stable includes Elton John, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion and Tina Turner.
He also looked after some of the international tours of the late George Michael, one of which included a 2008 stop at Zayed Sports City Stadium.
Marshall flew in to Abu Dhabi to ensure everything went smoothly.
"He is really old school in the way he does things," Lickrish says.
"Also, he is very polite. He would say: 'If I ask you to do something and I don't say please and thank you will have to forgive me'."
Impressed by the Flash Entertainment operation, the successful show laid the seeds to bring McCartney to Abu Dhabi three years later.
Lickrish recalls the preparation for the Abu Dhabi F1 race-day concert, from financial negotiations to the technical requirements, as being smooth.
McCartney and the band were also up for it.
They arrived in Abu Dhabi two days before the show and a week after sending a teaser video to UAE fans from rehearsals in the UK.
Lickrish remembers McCartney as being very welcoming backstage.
“He was very laid-back, friendly and calm,” he says.
“He was also excited about performing in this part of the world for the first time and he was practising Arabic words like ‘marhaba’ (hello) and 'shukran' (thank you).”
McCartney’s show remains one of the best concerts performed in the UAE.
In my report for The National, I describe how McCartney turned the arena "into a stadium-sized karaoke club."
In a reflective column, journalist Sarah Ferguson recalled the communal atmosphere, with the show being “a truly memorable night of fabulous music surrounded by great friends".
Standing side of stage and watching McCartney belting out the hits, Lickrish’s recalls his satisfaction being tempered by a growing responsibility.
“We knew that we have raised the bar when it comes to expectations of what we can do here in Abu Dhabi,” he says. “I knew it was a show people would remember for a long time and make other touring artists take notice.”
Sure enough, Abu Dhabi’s stature as a concert destination was cemented on the back of McCartney’s performance with major acts, from The Rolling Stones, Eminem and Guns N’ Roses to The Weeknd and Pink, all bringing their large scale productions to the city in the ensuing years.
Lickrish has no doubt McCartney will deliver a similarly memorable show at Glastonbury.
“His voice is great and the songs speak for themselves,” he says. "And with the varied demographic of the audience you can feel that it will be a really beautiful experience."
For Abu Dhabi to be part of the remarkable journey of one of the world’s greatest living artists, all we can say is "shukran", Paul.
From Beyonce to Stormzy: 45 artists who played at the Abu Dhabi F1 After-Race Concerts — in pictures
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
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It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
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Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
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How to wear a kandura
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John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
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Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
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