If you are still buzzing from being at or streaming Kiss's New Year's Eve concert spectacular at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, then know that this is only the beginning.
In an exclusive interview with The National, hours after the group rung in 2021 with a greatest-hits set that featured more than $1 million worth of pyrotechnics, show producer and director Daniel E Catullo says 10 more concerts in Dubai are being planned to take place over the next three months, some of which will be open to the public.
The shows, he reveals, will run as part of a new travel and music documentary series set to premiere on a streaming platform later in the year.
Catullo, who has produced concert films for Duran Duran, Black Eyed Peas and the Dave Matthews Band, says the Dubai episodes of the show will form the second series of Landmarks Live in Concert.
Created in 2016, the television programme can be best described as a travel show with the amps turned up to 11. Each episode focuses on a particular location, and blends footage from a concert performed at a landmark, with the headlining artist exploring the host city's heritage and culture.
The Kiss concert will be a stand-alone show, ahead of the new series. Previous episodes have featured RnB singer Alicia Keys performing in New York, Kings of Leon in Memphis and Foo Fighters rocking out at the Acropolis of Athens.
Catullo says the new Landmarks Live – Dubai series will be the first dedicated to one city. All concerts to feature in the programme will take place before Ramadan, which is estimated to begin on Monday, April 12.
A love letter to Dubai
While Catullo can't reveal which artists will be coming to the emirate, he confirms many are household names. However, the concerts will not match Kiss's New Year's Eve event in terms of scale. A regular Landmarks Live in Concert episode is about an hour long, but the Kiss special was an epic online pay-per-view broadcast featuring a one-hour documentary following the band as they travelled through Dubai (now available on YouTube), plus the two-hour live gig.
"That was more stand-alone because what we were really trying to do there is make one big statement for the New Year," Catullo says.
"What we did with the Kiss concert was expensive and we don't really need to go that crazy with each show. The next concerts will be part of our normal series which is a music and travel show. This is the first time we are doing a show focused on one location and I am excited about it. What we are doing is creating a love letter to Dubai."
And the work is already under way.
Catullo says the scouting process for both artists and locations began in September last year.
“We have been everywhere,” he says. “From the Dubai Expo site to the Museum of the Future to the Burj Khalifa, we have seen a lot. I think I can almost be a tour guide for Dubai now.”
Each episode will focus on a particular landmark, explaining its history and significance.
“It will be half documentary footage and half concert performance,” Catullo says. “Throughout the episode, we switch back and forth between these two aspects.”
Much like the Kiss concert, some of these planned shows will be ticketed and feature a limited live audience, to ensure Covid-19 safety measures are adhered to.
"I am sure that more than half of them will feature a crowd because the authorities in Dubai are doing a great job when it comes to health and safety during Covid," he says.
"But, at the same time, there will be some shows that will be just the artist and landmark because it just works better. For example, if we do a show at the Burj Khalifa, there should be an audience there because that is what people here are used to. But there are other places where there won’t be an audience because it just doesn't make sense to have people there."
Doing it for the right reasons
While the ongoing pandemic adds the extra challenge of planning a safe but quality shoot, Catullo says working on the rest of the Dubai series will be a relative breeze in comparison to the complexities and high stakes of the Kiss New Year's Eve show.
More than spreading some much-needed cheer at the tail end of a torrid year, Catullo knew the live music industry was looking to the Kiss concert as a potential way forward to bounce back after months of cancelled tours and shuttered venues.
"The show was personal for all of us. From the band and myself to the whole crew. We knew that everybody was watching and we couldn't fail," he says. "There were days when things got frustrating because of the extra amount of work involved, but now there is this great feeling of release and accomplishment. We are all so happy for creating something so spectacular to finish a tough year on a high note. We feel good about this because we did it all for the right reasons."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20Last%20White%20Man
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Mohsin%20Hamid%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E192%20pages%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublished%20by%3A%20Hamish%20Hamilton%20(UK)%2C%20Riverhead%20Books%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERelease%20date%3A%20out%20now%20in%20the%20US%2C%20August%2011%20(UK)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Lewis Hamilton in 2018
Australia 2nd; Bahrain 3rd; China 4th; Azerbaijan 1st; Spain 1st; Monaco 3rd; Canada 5th; France 1st; Austria DNF; Britain 2nd; Germany 1st; Hungary 1st; Belgium 2nd; Italy 1st; Singapore 1st; Russia 1st; Japan 1st; United States 3rd; Mexico 4th
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYasmin%20Azad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESwift%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young