Gary Lawyer is a modest man – but there are only so many times you can dance around the fact that you are regarded as a rock legend.
“I don’t mean to be misunderstood,” he says, countless times, before going on to make another claim that really should sound like a boast, but somehow comes across as a statement of fact.
“I’ve been called India’s Jim Morrison, India’s Engelbert Humperdinck, the Indian Elvis, India’s Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra ...”.
As you might guess from this list, Lawyer is widely recognised as a pioneer of India's rock scene, after making a mighty mark in the 1990s with hits such as Nights on Fire – the first English-language track to be played on MTV India.
Now in his 60s, Lawyer endures as a cabaret-style act, reliving vintage heyday material alongside diverse and distinctive reinterpretations of western classics. His reputation adds gravitas to a set list that veers “from Sinatra to Creed”, he says. On Friday, Lawyer returns to perform in the UAE for the first time in more than 20 years. He is the headliner at the fourth annual edition of Rock Nation’s Classic Rock Festival, hosted at The Music Room in Dubai.
“I’m doing more shows than I’ve ever done before,” says Lawyer. “In terms of being busy, being established, there’s never been a better time. Obviously I’ve done something right.
“I’ve paid my dues – and carved a certain identity.”
Lawyer was born in Mumbai, and after graduating with a degree in economics and politics, he moved to New York City, where he studied music and earned a reputation on the Big Apple’s club scene.
It was after returning home "for family reasons" that Lawyer was signed by a record label. He returned to the United States to record his first two albums, starting with country-influenced debut This Cannot Wait.
However, it was the classic rock-flavoured follow-up The Other Side of Dawn – which packed notable anthems in the form of the title track, Nights on Fire and Riding – that saw Lawyer find unlikely fame.
His popularity reached as far as the Middle East. Despite having visited the UAE for a handful of private shows, Thursday's concert marks Lawyer's first public gig in the UAE since a tour in the early 1990s, during which he performed in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain. His greatest memory of the trip? Buying an illegal copy of The Other Side of Dawn.
“I thought it was kind of a compliment that someone should bother to pirate it,” he says with a laugh.
At his peak, Lawyer supported stadium behemoths, including Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams. His voice adorned jingles, including a memorable anti-smoking anthem. When MTV India launched in 1996, Lawyer was invited to perform as part of a commemorative concert alongside legendary guitarist Slash ("An incredibly nice person," he says). His Nights of Fire was the first Indian-English song to be played on the channel.
Today, Lawyer is more renowned for applying his rich baritone to a range of familiar covers, ranging from Rat Pack-era swing to 1990s grunge and countercultural classics by his personal favourites, The Doors. His last album, High Standards – Vol 1, a duet project recorded alongside Indian piano luminary Louis Banks, even saw Lawyer tackle jazz.
“I’m very certain about one thing,” he says, “I’m a singer first, and a songwriter second.”
However, for his first release since EMI's 2009's "best of" compilation, Lawyer is preparing to unleash a new collection of originals. Titled Heaven's Child, and teased by an early release of the title track, this seventh LP features the rocker, for the first time, playing every single instrument himself – including live keyboard drum simulators. "It's something I've always wants to do," he says.
Treading new ground at this point in his career – of his age Lawyer simply says “in my sixties”, while Wikipedia lists a birth year of 1959 – is admirable, but the rocker bristles at the idea of slowing down.
“In jazz and classical, you become a legend – but after a certain amount of time in rock, you become too old,” he says.
“I’ve never done anything but music. It’s really from the heart and soul – I’ve been really, really genuine, and I’ve ever tried to be something I’m not.
“I do believe in destiny – I can’t imagine doing anything else, or that I was born to do anything else.”
• Gary Lawyer performs on Friday, August 12, at The Rock Nation’s Classic Rock Festival, The Music Room, Majestic Hotel Tower, Bur Dubai. Show starts at 6pm; tickets from Dh100 at dubai.platinumlist.net
rgarratt@thenational.ae
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
The specs
Powertrain: Single electric motor
Power: 201hp
Torque: 310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Battery: 53kWh lithium-ion battery pack (GS base model); 70kWh battery pack (GF)
Touring range: 350km (GS); 480km (GF)
Price: From Dh129,900 (GS); Dh149,000 (GF)
On sale: Now
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
Rating: 5/5
Race card
1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m
3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
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Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
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Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
Barbie
Director: Greta Gerwig
Stars: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
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Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
How I connect with my kids when working or travelling
Little notes: My girls often find a letter from me, with a joke, task or some instructions for the afternoon, and saying what I’m excited for when I get home.
Phone call check-in: My kids know that at 3.30pm I’ll be free for a quick chat.
Highs and lows: Instead of a “how was your day?”, at dinner or at bathtime we share three highlights; one thing that didn’t go so well; and something we’re looking forward to.
I start, you next: In the morning, I often start a little Lego project or drawing, and ask them to work on it while I’m gone, then we’ll finish it together.
Bedtime connection: Wake up and sleep time are important moments. A snuggle, some proud words, listening, a story. I can’t be there every night, but I can start the day with them.
Undivided attention: Putting the phone away when I get home often means sitting in the car to send a last email, but leaving it out of sight between home time and bedtime means you can connect properly.
Demystify, don’t demonise your job: Help them understand what you do, where and why. Show them your workplace if you can, then it’s not so abstract when you’re away - they’ll picture you there. Invite them into your “other” world so they know more about the different roles you have.
RESULTS
Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed
5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Top 10 most competitive economies
1. Singapore
2. Switzerland
3. Denmark
4. Ireland
5. Hong Kong
6. Sweden
7. UAE
8. Taiwan
9. Netherlands
10. Norway
The Super Mario Bros Movie
Directors: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
Stars: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Seth Rogen and Keegan-Michael Key
Rating: 1/5
The view from The National