It has been over two months yet when I sorted the photos it felt like it was just yesterday of that mid of the three-day exhilarating after-race (F1) concerts last year. Sorting the photos reminded me of the ever delighted crowd, the new acquaintances I gained over twitter and other means through those queries directed to me asking how to get up-close to the stage, how to possibly get VIP passes out of my same kind of luck in the past (*facepalm* heeheee), me advising people as if I am a serial concert goer, and other random thoughts. Hahaha. Well, with no shame I admit that I am one of those who did the marathon for the after-race concerts for the past two years of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

It was a back to back concert for British band The Cult and Californian band Incubus that carefree night of 12th November, 2011. While The Cult was impressive for their part, without impartiality, Incubus deserved to do the second (i.e. last) half. As they say, save the better for last (at least for that night).

While I am more of a Coldplay and Linkin Park person, I must say that Incubus has its own charm and much can be attributed to its vocalist and lead guitarist Brandon Boyd. Their appearance in Abu Dhabi was part of their tour to promote their latest album “If Not Now, When?”

When they performed Anna Molly, Drive, and Wish You Were Here (finale song) the crowd went crazy. Then the biggest smile did shine when Brandon took off his shirt. Unfortunately, we did not have any photo because we were on a toilet break. What a coincidence eh. When I heard the loudest scream I knew that there was probably an emergency or someone was missing a portion of her life. I am glad I was not that of a fanatic or else I can spell regrets. Haha.

Up next is Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney.

[Incubus 2011 after-race concert photoset]

It is my second time to celebrate new year away from home. The eve and today were spent with dear ones, cooking for them and well, it has been spiced up differently because I had a new year countdown with Coldplay. They have been here in 2009 but I was not able to catch them. I guess this is one of the blessings in disguise (no, I am not sourgraping heehee) of not being granted a leave this time due to work commitments.

Unlike the Formula 1 after-race concerts which were consistently staged at Yas Arena, last night’s concert was held at the Corniche Breakwater. I think it is due to the event being highlighted, the Volvo Ocean Race, which is happening in Abu Dhabi Corniche. While I am more at home in Yas Arena, the presence of the group in any venue may probably outweigh other preferences and considerations. It was reported that this British band was paid US$ 1.5 million for this performance and was a personal choice of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The concert kicked off with mini-fireworks display and confetti complemented some of the next numbers. They played Yellow, Viva La Vida, Violet Hill, Fix You, Paradise, In My Place, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, and more that comprised the epic night.

While I prefer Yas Arena as a venue, I found the stage structure better last night (well, it was particularly built for the event) since it allowed the performers to be visually (and actually) more interactive with the audience. The lights’ vibe was noteworthy, too.

The band’s energy, especially of Chris Martin is unbelievable and crazy, just like the audience’s! Hearts out!

At 11:59 PM, Chris led the countdown to year 2012.

And the fireworks display followed.

What a nice way to bid adieu and welcome the new year. Catch Coldplay if you can, every minute is worth it and that still left me with the playlist/set list on repeat. Happy new year to all!

[More photos of Coldplay in my Flickr photoset]

Following Britney Spears’ after-race concert was a back to back oozing performances from The Cult and Incubus. We didn’t know who is going to perform first, but the spotlight buzzed at 8:00 PM, an hour earlier than the usual gigs in Yas Arena. There the British rock band, The Cult came in full enthusiasm.

I had a little adjustment to the ‘gothic rock’, but they were pleasant in the ears. Add to that the contagious looks of people around me who were obvious die-hards. For a moment I felt a little out of place. Hahaha. But not too long I was regaled by the head banging of the lead vocalist, but I liked more the depth of the guitarists.

The band existed even before I went to gradeschool and it was interesting to see them still standing as group although it went through ‘break-up’, reunion, hiatus, and other challenges. (In my dreams, I hope that can happen with the Philippines’/ our very own ‘Eraserheads’.)

I can say that The Cult’s appearance in the back to back concert with Incubus seemed like a ‘swing by‘ in Abu Dhabi as they are preparing for their 9th studio album.

Ended their performance via the classic She Sells Sanctuary

And as they concluded, we paused for a break as the stage was being switched on to a different kind of energy. We were at the same (front) row with them — few minutes before Incubus appeared to the crowd (*inserts teenage-like screams here*).

[The Cult in Abu Dhabi photoset]

Amongst many celebrations, November spells F1 in Abu Dhabi or locally known as Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But more than the roaring engines, I am one of those who are more interested in after-race concerts. So we did a concert marathon again like last year (it was Kanye West, Linkin Park and Prince) the past week.

We strategically selected the North Grandstand tickets again since it’s nearest to Yas Arena (concert venue). That we can just do ober da bakod (over the fence) after the race. Well, it’s still steps/corner away but the best location if you intend to fly from the race circuit to the concert gate. We got the buy one, take one tickets by the way and for that I thank over and again a good friend for sourcing for us. I also can not thank the Universe enough because even if we got the regular F1 race tickets (which entitled the holder to after-race concert), we were given (on the day itself) VIP wristbands in the three consecutive nights musical affair. Yehey!

Britney Spears‘ Femme Fatale Tour (Abu Dhabi)

Months before the Abu Dhabi F1 organizers announced the line up of performers, there were speculations that Lady Gaga will do the opening night. But surmised that she is too liberated for the Emirate. Then it was finally hinted that Britney Spears will kick-off the after-race concerts when Abu Dhabi was announced to  be part of her Femme Fatale Tour. Due to stretchable demand, the concert organizers floated tons of tickets raffled through online contests in order to give way to interested non-F1 ticket holders.

The organizers were more strict this year in terms of allowed cameras and video recorders. It pays to have an unassuming (should not look pro or semi-pro) yet good in low-light condition compact camera and my Flip video easily disguised as a camfone inside a sanitary pad (*inserts evil grin*).

Britney looked like a doll. Really charming that night especially if you were watching her up close. While I am not really a fan although we are of the same generation, the excitement of people personally known to me and the unknown was contagious. Just the reasonable extent of prepping up, I downloaded the setlist of Britney’s Femme Fatale Tour a week before the concert and was on my playlists till then.

Her wardrobe/outfit line up surprised me though. You would not expect she’d show much skin while in the UAE territory.

Gals and guy (that’s a singular, really, i.e. a bewildered teenager) were picked up from the crowd to dance with her. As you will see in below photo, the shocked-whuuuut-him-like-me forgot to click the shutter when Britney wrapped her legs around ‘that kid’, heehee, I feel so old and conservative. Heehee.

This part of the show reminded me of the ‘face dance’ featured in a Filipino talent search show.

I barely noticed that Britney was not that graceful because the ‘hairography’ worked for me especially that her back-up dancers were pleasing to the eyes. (Regardless, as the fanatics would say, “come on, she’s Britney!”) I think that for a moment or so, some of the concertgoers went all eyes to at least a couple of male and female back-ups. I’m sure you will notice in the photos.

I loved the old school cameras below! On the other hand, Britney’s skirt was epic because I thought she decided to get covered only to realize soon that it’s one of those ‘windy skirts’. Fun times. Enjoy the rest of the photos!

There goes the first of the three parts of the concern marathon which ended with a bang. Stay tuned for the entries re: Incubus and The Cultand Sir Paul McCartney (amazing Paul!).

[Britney Spears concert photoset]

We judge the book by its cover, so are the albums!

The cover (made by his daughter) of Jim Paredes’ solo album speaks a thousand words. It’s playful, it’s Pinoy, it’s nostalgic, it’s youthful, it’s meaningful! The album is titled Laro (Game) and is comprised of 14 original songs. What makes it more interesting is when he said that, “Is it ‘commercial’? I really do not know what that means anymore. I never once asked myself the question while I was doing the album. I was just on a reckless and wild ‘enjoy and play’ mode. I know the songs themselves and their themes are quite unique.”

I can’t wait to get a copy.

I’ve spent a second look to this billboard the first time I saw it when I’ve returned from my vacation weeks ago. I wondered if I missed a lot that I did not know that there will be a Michael Jackson related event in the UAE. Hence, “his photo” on the promo material. (Not that my concerts attendance is impressive, but I will go crazy in case I will miss a huge one, at par with Linkin Park’s.) Only this morning on my way to the office that I’ve taken a closer look and noticed that he is actually Wang Jackson. I felt a little disoriented about his identity, me being totally clueless, how come the credible Sky Events Management will bring him in the Gulf if they are not so certain about his marketability. A bit of googling revealed that Wang Jackson is a Chinese artist who became popular due to his resemblance to the late great MJ. Incidentally, they met each other before the latter’s death in 2009.

This is claimed to be one of Wang Jackson’s biggest dancing concerts. For those who are interested, you may catch him on 20th January, 2011 at Zayed Sports City-International Tennis Center. Doors will open at 7:00 PM and show will start at 9:00 PM. Tickets are priced at AED 450 (VIP), AED 300 (Diamond), AED 150 (Gold), and AED 100 (Silver). Tickets are still available via Virgin Megastore or call 02 6334630.

I almost skipped going to Prince’s concert. First, I wanted to recover from the consecutive (almost) sleepless nights due to earlier after-race concerts. Second, I thought I will not appreciate it because I’ve not followed his discography and I’m not from his era. Third, I was still very, very high on the preceding night’s mindblowing concert of Linkin Park. Lastly, I was discouraged by the possibility that I won’t be getting a decent spot because we came past the opening of the concert arena gate. We have watched the finals of the race (congratulations to Sebastian Vettel for being the 2010 grand prix world champion).

But despite the hesitation, this reasoning mattered more: there must be something that the organizers let Prince wrap up the amazing weekend of grand prix and after-race concerts. And I am so glad that I went.

(This group beside us was among those interviewed by Flash Entertainment, the brain of the line up of performers for this year’s after-race concerts. This guy talked about his fascination about Prince, that he’s one of the many followers that traveled to Abu Dhabi to see him perform, to glance at the race was second priority.)

Of the three DJs who did the pre-entertainment for the three after-race concerts,  DJ Bliss was the best. Considering that the crowd comprised of different generations, he did an excellent mix of songs from old school, to hip hop, reggae, and more. And 15 minutes before the start of the concert, he did a re-cap of peformances from Beyonce, Jamiroquai and Aerosmith from last year’s after-race concerts.

(The sight of this unpronounceable symbol silenced and thrilled the crowd as the concert kicked off. This read as O(+>, which is a combination of symbols for male and female which was otherwise known as Love Symbol.)

I am glad that I did a pretty fair preparation before coming to this concert. Well, I think that’s a must for people like me who used to be less-acquainted with Prince’s songs other than Kiss and Purple Rain. I’ve put up a playlist of songs from the album The Very Best of Prince, Musicology and other songs which gained him nominations and/or wins. And the last minute consultation from Wiki about his stage name’s evolution from Prince (he being born as Prince Rogers Nelson) to the unpronounceable symbol in 1993 helped a lot. Otherwise, I probably had stared blankly at its significance during the concert.

In order to use the symbol in print media, Warner Bros. had to organize a mass mailing of floppy disks with a custom font. Because the symbol was and is unpronounceable, he was often referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince”. On May 16, 2000, Prince ceased using the Love Symbol moniker and returned to using “Prince” again, after his publishing contract with Warner/Chappell expired. In a press conference, he stated that, after being freed from undesirable relationships associated with the name “Prince”, he would formally revert to using his real name. Prince still frequently uses the symbol as a logo and on album artwork and continues to play a Love Symbol-shaped guitar.

In a black suit with red detail costume, Prince started with Let’s Go Crazy. The Yas (concert) Arena literally rocked (it exceeded its capacity) when he sung next a charmingly and brilliantly made-up song (chant) of few lyrics (words) “Ooooooh Abu Dhabi”. Wow. That was so remarkable. That moment I realized that indeed he is a unique performer. Throughout the night, I concluded that his charisma as a performer is hard to resist, that it was tailored for different people, per geography – and at the end of the day, whether you’re well-versed with his songs or not, young once and ones alike, there will only be a lone result, that you will definitely be mesmerized by him.

(I was this far until someone approached me and gave VIP access/wrist bands.)

And how could it get any better? Let me count my random concert-related graces. A night before the Kanye West concert, I was given two extra tickets which I shared with my friends. While queuing at the concert arena gate for Linkin Park’s concert, I was among the few who were approached randomly by the organizers and handed a VIP access. And during the first 30 minutes of Prince’s rocking, this gorgeous lady approached me out of nowhere, (while I was taking photos, with much zooming) and said, “Hey, how are you? I have something for you.” (Then, discreetly gave me the VIP wrist bands. There, the fanatic groups screamed, “what about us?!!!”)

I know that we can not always be lucky. But personally, I think that it’s a state of mind. I feel that I am lucky everyday because of so many ways and things – sometimes they come in a pretty form, sometimes in an ugly approach. But believe me, we are always graced (I’d rather term it like that). But measurable luck is of course indescribable. And I love the serendipity of being in the VIP section. Wohoooo. Thank you, thank you, you know who you are (honestly, I did not get the names of the random acquaintances).

(Prince with his second costume, very apt for the hit Purple Rain. The crowd was at their craziest.)

It was reported that there were celebrities within the VIP section. But I paid the least of attention. Simply because I hardly recognized them and Prince was more than an attention magnet. He was really funky, hip, freaky in wonderful way – all rolled into one. He performed with this certain intensity that was only possible with his kind. He also sung Delirious, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Controversy, Sexy Dancer, Le Freak, Nothing Compares to You (I did not know he wrote this song), Uptown, Raspberry Beret, Cream, U Got The Look, Shhh, Love Thy Will Be Done (it was performed in a very solemn and prayerful way), Purple Rain, Kiss, The Bird, Jungle Love, A Love Bizarre, Dance, Baby I’m A Star, Sometimes It Snows in April, and Peach.

The back up singers were eye and ear-catching as well. Combined altogether, expect an enigmatic performance.

And if you thought the that crowd was at their craziest during the Purple Rain number, let’s try to find the adjective to describe a higher level for craziest. That was when Prince sung Kiss. The other versions that I know are upbeat, but his and hearing it live was meaningful that each movement, glance and falsetto, and the entirety drew us.

(His third and last costume was black and white. I wish that I were able to capture well the trainer heels he wore.)

And the unexpected happened. To begin with, he was full of surprises. “I need someone to dance with me,” he declared. And members from the crowd were randomly selected to join him on stage. I noticed that even the unselected braved to go up. We can not blame them and we shall not stop them. How can you beat an adrenaline rush?

And who would have thought that Nicole Scherzinger (of Pussycat Dolls) would join him during the second encore? While surrounded by the randomly picked lucky ones, they sung and danced together to Love Bizarre (a funky cum disco song). Nicole was there because her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton competed at the Grand Prix.

With three costumes, four encores (seriously!… Prince saying, “Too many hits, not enough time.”), how’s that for a two-hour concert with at least 30,000 people who still did not want to leave and being reciprocated by the energetic Prince who has shown the desire to perform more to rock, to boogie, to soul, to funk, and all. Who would have thought that he is indeed already 52?

As we left Yas Arena, people sung out loud literally (and those who found comfort singing inside their heads) “Ooooh, Abu Dhabi”. That will forever be a last song syndrome in the Gulf. Whether Prince came up with it last minute or conceptualized while he was inside the place… well, it was a very beautiful chant.

Alright. I’m not a huge Prince fan. I can just imagine what a real fanatic thought about that night. I am convinced that he is a phenomenon. By definition, a performer like him comes by only once in a generation.

[Prince after-race concert photoset]

[Review and photos of Kanye West after-race concert]
[Review and photos of Linkin Park after-race concert]

(Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, the primary vocalists of Linkin Park)

As much as I wanted to immediately blog about Linkin Park’s after-race concert last Saturday, I hardly sustained my excitement. I maintain this preference not to write when I am at my highest high or lowest low in order to be objective. If I did, my words probably have just read as screaming praises for Linkin Park. Now that I have gathered enough sleep, I maintain the same judgment that their performance, theirs and audience’s energy was 6 times better than the preceding night (just when I thought that it was good enough).

I had the general admission ticket. However, while queuing at the Yas concert arena gate, I was one of those approached randomly by the organizers. “Hi there. Here’s a VIP wrist band for you. Enjoy the concert.” Wow. After getting two extra Kanye West concert tickets which I gave to my friends, I was so overwhelmed by this another grace.

So there, we were at the center of the front row.

While I can say that most of the patrons had the Linkin Park high, you may surmise that those especially at the front row whether in the VIP or general sections, are the superlative fanatics. While I can enumerate a number of ways, it is indeed easy to tell. It is a wonderful experience to be situated with people who share the same or even higher level of appreciation for Linkin Park. The vibe was more than contagious. It follows that the organizers and the band’s personal assistants/staff identified such kind of passionate following. Hence, being at the front row, we were approached more (i.e. took photos, get interviewed, chatted with) by them even before the start of the concert.

You can just imagine the defeaning response when the band’s performance kicked off with Mike Shinoda’s appearance while tipping the keyboard for The Requiem, one of the songs from their latest album A Thousand Suns.

(Chester, being the lead vocalist, was tirelessly and consistently gracing the show in a very hypnotic way.)

(Mike Shinoda, one of three highschool friends originally consisting Linkin Park. The wedding band which he consistently wore added to the genuine appeal.)

While Chester is an outstanding performer (and song writer), I found Mike perpetually more appealing. I am admittedly biased in a away due to his amusing non-Linkin Park side. He was moving and singing in a way like you were being enjoyably synched with him – whether he was rapping, on guitar, on keyboard, everything. The magnetism is indescribable. What’s more indescribable? That fleeting moment when we shook hands with him when he went down the stage during the last few minutes of the concert. I cannot thank enough the serendipity of being given a VIP pass. That brought me to be at the right place at the right time.

Among the songs they performed aside from The Requiem were Wretches and Kings, Papercut, Given Up, New Divide, Faint, When They Come For Me, No More Sorrow, Jornada Del Muerto, Waiting For The End, Wisdom, Justice, and Love, Iridescent, Numb, Breaking The Habit, Shadow of the Day, Crawling, One Step Closer, The Catalyst, The Messenger, In The End, Leave Out All The Rest, What I’ve Done, and Bleed It Out.

The visuals and other related effects were very impressive. It foiled the spectacular performances from each of them. In this photo, Chester can be seen at one of his marked energetic movements.

Rob Bourdon, the band’s drummer whose main influence is Aerosmith is the youngest member of the group. On a fancy note, he is known to be wearing Puma racing shoes for a more comfortable use of the drum pedals.

(Chester and Brad Delson, on a very Scott Pilgrim look.)

Brad Delson (with yellow shirt on the photo above) is the lead guitarist of Linkin Park. Aside from Mike and Rob, he is one of the original members who anchored the band while they were still in high school. Although he graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 1999, he did forego law and pursued a musical career instead.

While the crowd was remarkably high even after the concert, and me until now (I think it will take forever to wear off), our appreciation was especially uncontrollable when they performed Numb, New Divide, What I’ve Done, Papercut, Leave Out All The Rest, When They Come For Me (the fun additional drumming from Brad and Chester, with Mike rapping, was more than dazzling) and the ever popular In The End.

As reported over the broadsheets and other websites, Linkin Park made it to top 2 (arguably Coldplay’s as the other one) concerts in the history of the UAE. Personally, I found all the members shining whether performing jointly or solitary. They are at their best when they are one.

I cannot find enough synonyms for “superb” to tell you about Linkin Park’s performance. This will eternally be an unbeatable experience for me, with or without the hand shake from Mike Shinoda. (I am of course kidding, do not ever take the hand shake. *winks*) The parting words drove the crowd to be (more) insane: a promise that they will be back in the near future.

[Linkin Park photoset]

[Review and photos of Kanye West after-race concert]
[Review and photos of Prince after-race concert]

I am one of those who think that the line-up of performers at the after-race concerts plays a vital role to the marketability of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Last night, the three-day concert kicked off with the priceless performance from Kanye West. Since I have not reached that fanatic level yet, I had to prep up by putting up a playlist of songs from his different albums which I devoured few days before the concert. While he is really good as a performer as publicly known, watching and hearing him up close and personal was another thing. He is much, much better when performing live.

It is good that the race tickets that we got were for the North Grandstand because it is walking distance to Yas concert arena. For the added and best landmark, it is next to the newly opened Ferrari World. In case you are coming from the other race circuits’ stands, it would entail a long walk going to the concert venue. However, there are dedicated coaches going there from the other grandstands.

The concert arena gate opened at 6:30PM. To avoid hassle in scrutiny, do not bring any food and drinks (these are available inside as well as alcoholic beverages but age proof is generally required). In addition, professional cameras and any video recorder are not allowed. Personally, I really prefer to bring a (reliable) compact camera. And I learned to be extra careful about the condition of the battery because mine died at the middle of the concert of The Killers. I can not imagine bringing a DSLR because it is heavy and the weight might affect the whole enjoyment. A friend even sent me an SMS about the probable camera restriction. “That will be the job of the official photographers. That’s their moment. Let’s respect that.” I replied.

Kanye literally opened the concert (with the special effects and the chosen song) by singing Intro. The set list included All of the Lights, Flashing Lights, Diamonds, Touch the Sky, Through the Wire, Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Runaway, Jesus Walks, Love Lockdown, Lost in the World, Gold Digger, American Boy, Pretty Young Thing, Good Life, Heartless, Power, Stronger, and more.

The audience’s craving was enormous and contagious. But seriously, Kanye is really worth the time and resources.

While the numbers were equally outstanding, one of my favorites was the part he was grooving along Gold Digger (Yes, Glee had a version; Will Schuester‘s rapping was also impressive.).

With the seemingly never tired performer, in one of my photos, I caught him refueling by drinking from that bottle of water.

And this got to be my most favorite part. The song itself is remarkable, but after seeing the interpretation of Runaway on stage, this marked much on me. The appearance of this ballerina wowed the audience.

And the hiphop and classic were a perfect match that minute.

While concert’s finale is always given, the best thing is that everyone left extra happy. With adrenaline rush on the side, I must say. As we headed to the exit, Kanye’s moves and music are contagious that you can feel it from the patrons especially with the young ones. Some even proceeded to Skybar for the after party with performances from Sean Paul and Florida among the many.

The next after-race concerts will be of Linkin Park (13th November) and Prince (14th November).

[Kanye West after-race concert photoset]

[Review and photos of Linkin Park after-race concert]
[Review and photos of Prince after-race concert]

John Mayer in Manila

I wish that I were in Manila yesterday. Although less jealous in comparison when Eraserheads had a reunion concert, I had no choice but to shoo the monster envy on those who were in John Mayer’s concert (sigh). While there is a number of concerts happening in the UAE, only The Killers got me so far. Those whom I like are more likely to go to or have been in Manila instead. I am contemplating though of getting F1 tickets this November not really for the race, but for the after race concerts of Linkin Park, Prince, Kanye West and more.

While I was out almost the whole day, I was listening to John Mayer songs until my ears bled, errrr, the iPod gave up (the battery died heehee, just in time when we were about to watch Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore which made me sleep for a few minutes inside the cinema for the first time; we were supposed to see Wall Street but had some sort of timing conflict). As mentioned in the preceding post (thank you for the virtual hugs and thoughtful comments you left there), I am sharing one of the playlists, which is comprised of my favorite John Mayer songs. Well, that is an understatement because I like all the songs from the different albums.

1. Waiting On the World To Change (Continuum)
2. Clarity (Heavier Things)
3. Why Georgia (Any Given Thursday)
4. No Such Thing (Any Given Thursday)
5. Your Body Is A Wonderland (Any Given Thursday)
6. Back To You (Any Given Thursday)
7. Gravity (Continuum)
8. City Love (Any Given Thursday)
9. The Heart Of Life (Continuum)
10. Vultures (Continuum)
11. Comfortable (Any Given Thursday)

(Click the song title to download or get the playlist here.)

Photo credit