Live music stalwart The Music Room is starting the New Year as it means to continue — with the heavy bang of a rock festival.
While most venues, bands and DJs are using the first weekend of 2015 to recover from all the NYE festivities, the Bur Dubai venue is lurching back into the fray with the retro-themed Big Rock n’ Roll Festival.
Taking place on Saturday January 3 (a recent change from January 2), expect to hear vintage classics from 1950s legends like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and the mighty Elvis played by seven different bands onstage throughout the evening, including Behold the Locus, Sandwash, Daisygrim and the gloriously named Eddie Misk & the Hot Rod Rockers.
“Newer” 1960s acts like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix are also tipped to make the setlist at the event, which is organised by BreakThrough You, and covers a door charge of Dh60.
The Big Rock n’ Roll Festival marks the first in packed programme at the Majestic Hotel Tower venue in January.
Saturday, January 10, will see the fourth Rooftop Rhythms session, a poetry open mic with a cross cultural feel and “edutainment” angle (doors Dh60). Tuesday January 13 will also see the venue’s popular musicians’s jam night return (D50 entry).
On Friday, January 16, stop by for Bollywood/rock crossover event Dream, which will see performances from Rooh, DHRUV, Moonshine, Aftermath and Mulghar. Doors Dh70.
A week later, on Friday January 23, The Music Room will host a homecoming concert from UAE legends Empty Yard Experiment. Fresh from a ten-date UK tour in December, expect to hear tunes from new EP Unscathed, with support from Texan folk outfit Madras (doors Dh60).
The month wraps on Friday January 30 with a show from Sound of Ruby, billed as “the first rock band formed in Saudi”, with Dead Shakes and Sandwash also on the bill.
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