When the image of Foo Fighters was beamed on Ain Dubai on Wednesday evening, announcing the rockers' Abu Dhabi F1 concert on December 12, the crowd cheered.
Flash Entertainment chief executive John Lickrish also breathed a sigh of relief.
Not only did the announcement finalise another impressive Yasalam After-Race Concert series line-up, featuring RnB star Khalid on December 9, grime rapper Stormzy on December 10 and British soul singer Lewis Capaldi on December 11, it also capped Lickrish’s most challenging year yet in terms of signing acts for the big race.
Contrary to popular belief, he says many major artists have been busy during the pandemic.
“It allowed them to focus on things they never really had time to do because of incessant touring,” Lickrish tells The National.
“Whether it’s working on everything from their sponsorship deals and fashion lines to television production companies – like Drake for example – and working on albums, they have been very active.”
Meticulous guitar heroes
Another reason acts are avoiding the stage, despite major territories such as the US and the UK reopening their live events sectors, is they are cooling their heels before a busy 2022 season.
“Next year is going to be really big because North America and Europe are starving when it comes to live music, as well as Asia, when that opens up," says Lickrish.
"So we had to work hard to convince artists it is worthwhile to make the trip to Abu Dhabi, which, for some acts, is just one show instead of part of a tour.
"Fortunately, the reputation the city has built over the years and the association with Abu Dhabi F1 made it easier."
When it comes to Foo Fighters, arguably the world’s biggest touring band at present, and recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Lickrish says negotiations had been ongoing for five months.
However, once the deal was signed, things progressed quickly.
“What I always find interesting is that it is always the rock groups that are the most hardcore when it comes to organisation," he says.
“When you are dealing with Foo Fighters, every single detail is organised. They are meticulous and check everything from the configuration of the stage and having the required gear to the loading to the venue.
“This is why their tours have always been massive and successful, because they operate like a Swiss watch."
From Beyonce to Khalid
Another source of satisfaction regarding this year’s concert line-up is that it stays true to the Abu Dhabi F1 ethos of offering something for everyone.
Seasoned concertgoers will spot a pattern stretching right back to the inaugural After-Race Concerts in 2009 at Etihad Park.
The first of its kind to take place in any Formula 1 race, the programme opened with then-burgeoning solo star Beyonce on the Thursday, with the next three nights featuring funk group Jamiroquai, indie music darlings Kings of Leon and rock titans Aerosmith, respectively.
The success of those shows not only led Singapore to adopt the model for its own races from 2010, but also formed the artist blueprint for subsequent Abu Dhabi F1 concerts.
"Those first concerts and the energy and excitement they had really set the tone going forward," says Lickrish, who started Flash Entertainment in 2008.
"That means that normally on Thursdays we try to do something for a younger audience. Then Friday we ramp up the energy even further, and on Saturday we try to add something more mellow and soulful.
"And when it comes to Sunday, it is all about that big emotional release and it’s an artist with a huge catalogue of anthems that really gets the crowd involved.”
The format has been a hit with crowds and the artists.
“The Thursday slot is designed for us to experience a future superstar,” Lickrish says.
“When Beyonce played on that day in 2009 in front of more than 40,000 people, it was the biggest show of her career and she was so pumped. At the end of the show her smile was so big and heartfelt.
“Khalid is a great choice for that because he is a star already and his potential to be bigger is huge.”
Abu Dhabi is back
The resumption of the Abu Dhabi F1 After-Race Concerts, which last year were cancelled as a Covid-19 safety measure, is particularly resonant for Lickrish: it will mark the first show to be held at Etihad Park since the booking of pop star Bruno Mars for a 2019 New Year’s Eve concert.
That sentimentality, however, is undercut by the realities of having had to refurbish the vast open-air venue.
“Concert spaces have to be continually used or they become rusty and we just completed a massive renovation of Etihad Park," he says.
"All the health and safety checks have been completed to reflect the realities of today, with sanitisation stations and appropriate signage."
And with authorities announcing all concerts can run at full capacity, Lickrish hopes they mark the resurgence of large concerts in the UAE capital.
“The show sends a message to the industry that Abu Dhabi is really back in business,” he says.
“And with such a big year ahead in 2022, with massive markets in Europe, North America and Australia opening up, we stand to benefit as we hopefully get some major acts on the way through.”
More information on all the Yasalam After-Race Concerts is available at yasmarinacircuit.com
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The five pillars of Islam
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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