The coming year already promises to be a vintage one as far as long-awaited musical resurgences go. And this coming off the back of 2008, which saw new albums by Guns 'n Roses and Portishead, and live shows by My Bloody Valentine, all of whom had long since become bywords for prevarication. Good grief, even Stereo MCs got in on the action with their first album in seven years, not that anyone noticed. Indeed, the spectacle of the ragged, paunchy old rocker emerging red-eyed and blinking from his navel looks to become as much a hallmark of the close of the Noughties as collapsed banks and repossessed homes.
Coincidence? When even the defiantly slothful novelist Thomas Pynchon announces his second book this decade (Inherent Vice, slated for an August 4 release), one has to wonder. It all calls to mind that bit in Bambi when a forest fire forces wave upon wave of slumberous woodland creatures to scramble for open country: an ungainly spectacle to be sure, and a pity it took such general conflagration to bring it about. But, at risk of garbling the metaphor, the pop zoologist in me is in clover.
So, what startled fauna should we look out for in 2009? The Britpop champions Blur have overcome mutual detestation to schedule a one-off gig in London this July - this despite successful solo careers all round and therefore no obvious economic spur. Led Zeppelin are planning to tour again - albeit without Robert Plant, who clearly has better things to do after his last album, Raising Sand, picked up five Grammy nominations and sold more than a 100,000 copies in its first week.
Manchester's punk heroes Magazine are regrouping for a series of British gigs in February after their keyboard player Dave Formula made frontman Howard Devoto "an offer he couldn't refuse". "He said 'Howard, it's your last chance to be venerable'," according to Devoto.
There are even rumblings that those latter-day Zep copyists The Stone Roses may be gearing up for a return: bassist Mani Mounfield says that the only remaining holdout is vocalist Ian Brown. If the plan comes off, the band could celebrate the 20th anniversary of their sublime debut album. And Robbie Williams is said to be wavering on the question of a full Take That reunion. Indeed, pretty much the only Manchester outfit who don't seem to be making up are The Smiths. Morrissey has said that this will never happen. Still, the Eagles said that they would reform "when hell freezes over". Fast-forward to 1994 and the Hell Freezes Over tour. There's still hope, then.
To cap all the above, there will also be a new release from Grandmaster Flash - his first proper studio album in 20 years. Flash, for the short of memory, was the man who made the turntable a viable instrument in its own right. His extempore beat collages for the Furious Five set the template for hip-hop ever afterwards. To find a living artist with an equivalent influence on the course of popular music, one has to start looking at around the Paul McCartney paygrade. It should, therefore, be fascinating to hear what Flash and his august collaborators have rustled up for this release. KRS-One puts in an appearance, as do Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Q-Tip. The album, titled The Bridge, is due out on Feb 23. Here's hoping that it is tremendous.
And it so happens that a few lucky UAE denizens may get a sneak preview of the new material this New Year's Eve when the man himself shows off his formidable turntable chops at the intimate Apartment Lounge and Club (call 04 406 8000 for details). This has to be the hottest ticket going. How often do you get to eyeball a legend at such close quarters?
Still, bhangra fans won't want to miss the Anglo-Indian stars Juggy D and Jay Sean, whose live sets head up the Kandy Club New Year's Eve Experience at Dubai's Crown Plaza (see www.timeouttickets.com for tickets). Neither will devotees of house music pass up an audience with perhaps the only gilt-edged urban sophisticate ever to hail from the Isle of Wight, Joey Negro. He's DJing at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (call 04 406 8769). Alas, for recalcitrants of the "disco sucks" camp, pickings are rather slimmer. But there's classic rock (or at least, rock of a distinguished vintage) from Boston's The Stompers, underdog purveyors of good-time music since 1977. If you like your rock 'n' roll to come helpfully labelled with such titles as This is Rock 'n' Roll, boy has Dubai's Barasti Bar got the band for you. Call 04 399 3333 for tickets and details.
elake@thenational.ae
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
more from Janine di Giovanni
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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
GRAN%20TURISMO
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Pathaan
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Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Leaderboard
15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)
-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
-13 Brandon Stone (SA)
-10 Laurie Canter (ENG) , Sergio Garcia (ESP)
-9 Kalle Samooja (FIN)
-8 Thomas Detry (BEL), Justin Harding (SA), Justin Rose (ENG)
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
Results
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Spec%20sheet
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