After months of the dulcet and rather pensive blues artist Clark Beckham and the lounge vibes of pianist Eli Teplin, Dubai music venue Q's Bar and Lounge has a pop group on its stage for the next two months.
This is not pop in the style of the inane tunes clogging up local radio, however. American band The Strike, currently in the midst of their Dubai residency until May 12, are a throwback to when "pop" wasn't a dirty word in music.
Listening to the quintet last week, they explore three decades of pop, ranging from early Michael Jackson to Tears for Fears, Lionel Richie and John Mayer.
While the performances are loose and vibrant, they are still delivered with the authority of veterans.
As frontman Chris Crabb explains, it stems from their love for 1970s jazz-pop giants Steely Dan, who are renowned for their pristine recordings.
"I know a lot of times that band gets a lot of flak," he says. "But you are talking to a bunch of guys who studied in musical school and are professional musicians. So of course we are going to love a band like Steely Dan. If we are going to lay down a part that's smooth, we will do that. We don't see the need to grit something up just for the sake of it."
The group's perfectionism has landed them some plum gigs over the years, such as supporting the likes of pop star Kelly Clarkson, soul singer Macy Gray and soft rockers Journey. Their own original tunes and arrangements have also been licensed to high-profile television talent shows including America's Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars.
The entertainment capital of Los Angeles, where they are presently based, is a far cry from their beginnings six years ago in American state Utah, which is viewed as the centre of the Christian religious and cultural tradition of Mormonism.
“Three of the guys in the band are Mormon and I was raised a Mormon,” Crabb says.
“Now, Mormon culture is quite musically ambitious, with a lot of piano, violin and singing lessons... It is through music and the arts where a lot of Mormons look for creative outlets. I think this is probably where our perfectionism comes from.”
After moving to Los Angeles, The Strike embraced its heady music scene and ample performance opportunities. The group built a big enough following to warrant going into the studio to record their debut album.
Released last year, Faint of Heart is full of big, ebullient pop tunes tailor-made for a summer drive along the beachfront. The album's title track in particular is a winner, with its cool synthwave stylings and anthemic
chorus.
"The song is basically about being too scared or shy to do something," Crabb says. "It does have a bit of a romantic bent to it. A lot of people get insecure when it comes to love, me included, and this song is about that encouragement to take that step and take things to the next level."
This brings us back to Dubai. Their residency so far has been successful, and Crabb says that their UAE debut will forever remain a milestone for the group because it is their first professional association with Quincy Jones – the legendary producer hand picks all the acts performing in Q's.
In announcing The Strike as the new resident act, Jones hailed the group as “the real deal. These are the exact types of musicians we need at the forefront, and they know how to do it right.”
Crabb says that the band are chuffed to even make it on to Jones's radar.
"It's amazing, man, because we didn't meet him yet," he says. "People from his team came to hear us and they recommended us to him. Next thing you know, we got this offer to come to Dubai and we just said yes, and it has been really amazing so far."
The Strike perform at Q's Bar and Lounge at Palazzo Versace Dubai, Tuesday to Saturday, until May 12. Doors open at 7pm. For reservations,
call 04 556 8888 or email qs@palazzoversace.ae
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The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
