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.
For more head to www.facebook.com/MusicRoomDubai
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
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May 2017
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The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
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Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
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The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
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Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
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Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
