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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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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
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Francis%20Lawrence%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ERachel%20Zegler%2C%20Peter%20Dinklage%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Tom%20Blyth%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Barbie
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India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20653hp%20at%205%2C400rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20800Nm%20at%201%2C600-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E0-100kph%20in%204.3sec%0D%3Cbr%3ETop%20speed%20250kph%0D%3Cbr%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20NA%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Q2%202023%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
SCHEDULE FOR SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - from 4pm (UAE time)
Angelique Kerber (1) v Irina Falconi
Martin Klizan v Novak Djokovic (2)
Alexandr Dolgopolov v Roger Federer (3)
Court One - from 4pm
Milos Raonic (6) v Jan-Lennard Struff
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Evgeniya Rodina
Dominic Thiem (8) v Vasek Pospisil
Court Two - from 2.30pm
Juan Martin Del Potro (29) v Thanasi Kokkinakis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Jelena Jankovic
Jeremy Chardy v Tomas Berdych (11)
Ons Jabeur v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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