Jonathan Davis of Korn performs at Louder Than Life Festival 2021 in Louisville. The band releases a new album on February 4, 2022. Invision / AP
Has Korn breathed new life into nu metal music with 'Requiem'?

Could the much-maligned music genre be making a comeback?

February 04, 2022, 1:01 PM
Bryan Adams played the Autism Rocks Arena in Dubai on March 9, 2017 with only a stripped-down quartet, forgoing pyrotechnics and backup singers. Antonie Robertson / The National
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.

March 10, 2017, 12:00 AM
Taraji P Henson and Janelle Monáe in Hidden Figures. Hopper Stone
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.

February 22, 2017, 12:00 AM
Jordanian band El Morabba3. Courtesy Universal Music Mena
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.

January 23, 2017, 12:00 AM
Singer-songwriter Gaya, of Dubai, has adopted an inventive DIY approach to promotion. Courtesy Gaya.
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.

January 19, 2017, 12:00 AM
Coldplay. Courtesy Flash Entertainment
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.

December 27, 2016, 12:00 AM
Michael Jackson Tribute at the Tribeca Kitchen and Bar by Mudassar a.k.a. Mudassar Jackson. Victor Besa for The National.
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.

July 27, 2016, 12:00 AM
 Nawal El Kuwaitia. Getty Images; IndiaCast
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.

July 02, 2016, 12:00 AM
Mark Arm of Mudhoney. Brigitte Engl / Redferns via Getty Images
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.

May 31, 2016, 12:00 AM
Basil Azizoghly’s creations, made from a variety of recyled items, typically cost between Dh600 and Dh1,500. Sarah Dea / The National
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.

January 17, 2016, 12:00 AM
A scene from Arabian Nights by Miguel Gomes. Courtesy BOX Productions
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.

December 15, 2015, 12:00 AM
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.

November 28, 2015, 12:00 AM
Bon Jovi have never been the coolest band but they remain hugely popular, thanks to their simple, catchy rock songs that appeal to a wide range of music fans. Getty Images
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.

September 29, 2015, 12:00 AM
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.

September 27, 2015, 12:00 AM