Three influential and award-award winning bands and musicians from the Philippine music industry will rock Dubai this Friday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
The all-star Filipino concert will feature Rivermaya and Kamikazee and rapper Gloc-9. Although they are not new to Dubai, the musicians said the fans can expect something new and fresh at the concert.
“For this show we rearranged a lot of the songs and then there are a few songs we didn’t play last year,” said Mark Escueta, lead vocalist of Rivermaya, which performed in Dubai last year. “And we have a collaboration with Gloc 9, the song is called Nasasayo. It’s part of our latest album Panatang Makabanda and this will be the first time we are performing the song live since we recorded it. We are excited with the song and the little surprises throughout this Friday’s show.”
Aside from the concert, fans can catch a glimpse of the band all over Dubai as they film scenes for their new music video.
“We will start shooting the music video [on Wednesday night]. I don’t know the exact details yet, but we will be shooting around Dubai,” said Escueta. “So far, there will be scenes walking on the streets and on the roofdeck of a building.”
Controversial pop punk band Kamikazee considers its performance on Friday a reunion with their Dubai fans. In 2008, the band’s guitarist Led Zeppelin Tuyay was arrested at the Dubai International Airport after authorities found suspected residue of marijuana in his luggage shortly after the band’s arrival. The band has not performed again in Dubai since.
“We are so excited to be back in Dubai after so many years,” said lead vocalist Jay Contreras. “We’ve been all over the Middle East, but the Dubai crowd is the one we really love to perform to — the energy of the Filipinos here is really overwhelming.”
Asked if they hesitated over coming back to Dubai after the incident in 2008, Contreras said the band members have since moved on.
“The year after the incident, we didn’t want to be back here for a while,” he said. “But after a few years, we want to come back and perform here with all our Filipino compatriots.”
For rapper Gloc 9, it will be the first time he will perform in the emirate and with his band.
“I’ve been performing here as a solo artist for I think five years already, but it’s my first time with my band, so we are very, very excited,” he said. “It’s a very different set that I will do with the band. Also, the Dubai fans deserve something new since the crowd here is always great — it’s a happy crowd, really inspiring.”
Kamikazee, Rivermaya and Gloc-9 perform on Friday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Doors open 6pm. Show stars 8pm. Tickets start at Dh95. Go to tickets.virginmegastore.me.
