Articles
Has Korn breathed new life into nu metal music with 'Requiem'?
Could the much-maligned music genre be making a comeback?
Review: Bryan Adams gets back to basics in Dubai
There was a feel of cabaret to this suited, booted – and distinctly hit-filled – revue. Part of Adams’s groping for respectability may explain the bewitching decision to downplay many of his greatest singles – from shame? boredom? – adrift among this epic, 30-song set, writes Rob Garratt.
Film review: Hidden Figures takes liberties with real life facts
Hidden Figures is engaging, entertaining and enlightening – but the screenplay's fast and loose approach to historical fact risks blunting some of the movie's eye-opening, emotional force.
Album review: Now: The Best of Indie Arabia is really Indie Arabia at its best
Making a sonic sweep from North Africa to the Gulf – taking in indie, folk, hip-hop and electronica – this compilation offers a fascinating snapshot of the Middle East's burgeoning indie music scene.
Why UAE-based acts Gaya, Funk Radius, The Recipe, and more are finding it harder to breakthrough to mainstream
The UAE has a thriving alternative music scene but artists are still not receiving the attention they deserve. We meet some of the musicians on the fringe to find out why.
Coldplay debate: Is the British quartet the hottest band around or just plain overrated?
Since achieving global fame in 2000, Coldplay have elicited devotion and derision in equal measure. The question, then, is whether the British four-piece are one of the best bands of their generation – or the most overrated? Our writers state their cases.
How a UAE Michael Jackson impersonator became a thriller to watch
The King of Pop lives on in the bars and clubs of Dubai through the performances of impersonator Mudassar Jackson. We meet the man who has spent two decades moonwalking across the stages of the UAE.
A musical Eid: your guide to the celebrations
As the live music season roars back into gear, we round up the biggest Eid weekend concerts and season-launching club nights.
All about the music: We bring you the action from Primavera Sound in Barcelona
The live music scene might be on hold, but we're bringing you all the action from one of Europe's hottest summer festivals, Barcelona's Primavera Sound, with a live stream on our website.
Back to school: Learning to insult people – this time, in French
Basil Azizoghly, the UAE artisan who can make you a guitar out of anything
Meet the UAE-raised artisan making DIY guitars from discarded cigar boxes, oil cans, jewellery cases, kitchen pots, boardgames and more.
Diff review: Surviving Miguel Gomes’s epic six-hour Arabian Nights trilogy
For Rob Garratt, the chance to watch Portuguese director Miguel Gomes’s three-part, 381-minute Arabian Nights opus back-to-back at the Dubai International Film Festival was a challenge. A test of endurance, engagement – and simply staying awake.
Observing life: ‘Expect’ the worst while learning a new language
Learning a new language isn’t without hazards, let me tell you. It turns out I’ve been telling everyone I’m expecting a baby ... in French.
Wild night for Bon Jovi fans in Abu Dhabi
Preparing to see Bon Jovi for a fifth time in 15 years, Rob Garratt ponders the continued appeal of the stadium rock behemoths.
Observing life: Reading by numbers
So many books to read, so little time ... Rob Garratt counts up every book he's ever read, and is far from happy with the result.