RedfestDXB, the country’s only out-and-out pop music festival, returned at the weekend to the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.
More than 15,000 fans braved the chilly evening weather to watch a cavalcade of acts – from divas and DJs to girl- and boy-bands, and even an 8-year-old hula-hooper – take to the stage for a series of tight, fast-moving sets.
Saeed Saeed shares some of his standout moments and big talking points from the weekend.
1 Rita Ora makes up for 2014
Rita Ora made up for her shambolic performance at the inaugural edition of RedfestDXB in 2014. Her Thursday night slot was an impressive show from a supremely confident and more seasoned performer.
Backed by an eight-piece band, including backing vocalists and dancers, the 25-year-old delivered a vibrant set featuring her solo hits and collaborations. When it came to the latter, her snippets of Iggy Azalea's Black Widow, Charlie XCX's Doing It and DJ Fresh's Hot Right Now all went down a treat. She performed them with vigour, particularly the ebullient I Will Never Let You Down.
Some new material was included – the moodiness of Poison and Body One Me set the scene nicely for the much-anticipated follow-up to her 2012 debut album Ora, due for release this year.
2 The Vamps bring the energy
Fans hail The Vamps as the best boy band, although the group insist they are a rock band. Regardless of classification, the British four piece – who were down a man after a leg injury forced bassist Connor Ball to skip the trip – delivered a raucous 40-minute set that was easily the loudest of the opening night.
Solid gigging has turned Brad Simpson into an excellent frontman, with his rapid banter and stage presence recalling The Who's Roger Daltrey. As for the songs, they were all bouncy pop-rockers – most notably I Found A Girl and Cheater – that rarely outstayed their welcome.
3 Nathalie Saba makes impressive debut
It would have been a nerve-racking experience for most artists, but Nathalie Saba did a solid job in her first-ever live concert performance.
Backed by the experienced Jay Wudd on guitar, the 16-year-old Egyptian (who recently signed to Sony Music Middle East) gave the crowd a taste of what to expect from her EP, which is set to be released by the summer.
Snow was a tasteful fusion of East and West, while the bruised Black Birds was hypnotic and proved Saba wants to move towards a more interesting pop direction, similar to that mined by the likes of Dido – a good thing.
4 Fifth Harmony are the real deal
With their debut UAE performance on Friday, the girls proved that they offer more than simply sass. Each member of the five-piece had formidable vocal chops, and together they kept the crowd entertained with their slick set, including highlights Suga Mama, Like Mariah and the killer single Worth It.
That said, the group really need to work on their stage banter. In one particularly dire exchange, Ally Brooke introduced Worth It by teasing the crowd with the fact that their next song rhymes with "smurf it".
5 Esther Eden's fairy-tale festival return
It was a musical fairy-tale: In 2014, festival headliner Jessie J toured schools in Dubai and was so impressed with Esther Eden's talent that she invited her on stage to perform an original song. Two years later, the 17-year-old Dubai resident returned to the festival as an artist in her own right (now signed by Universal Music) to perform debut single Phoenix. The summery tune is a solid dance track that makes good use of Eden's breezy vocals.
6 Eva Simons gets the crowd jumping
The Dutch dance maven turned the large venue into a thumping club courtesy of a blistering set on Friday. The 31-year-old displayed her versatility as she alternated between the DJ booth, her piano and stalking the stage as a formidable frontwoman. By the time she dropped her will.i.am collaboration This is Love and solo hit Policeman, the crowd was jumping.
7 Adam Lambert shines in the darkness
It seems someone forgot to tell Adam Lambert that he was appearing at a pop music festival. Sure, the 34-year-old’s songs during his Friday headline performance were dark and broody – but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have lightened the mood just a little.
Still, even if you were bummed out a bit by the atmosphere, there is no denying his voice was sublime as it glided through hooky single Ghost Town and soared in his cover of Pink's Whataya Want From Me.
sasaeed@thenational.ae
