Entertainment | Music

Soundbites: Unleash your wild side

The Zoo Project, an Ibiza club favourite, makes its debut in Dubai

By Kelly Crane, Senior Reporter
Published: 09:24 November 26, 2012

Renowned for its wild parties, Nasimi Beach will be even wilder this Friday when infamous club night Zoo Project escapes from its Ibiza cage and migrates to Dubai’s shores for the first time.

Zoo Project resident DJ Lee Pennington, 32, plans on causing a stampede and invites the herd to roam the dance floor (preferably dressed as a zoo animal) at Dubai’s Nasimi Beach.

Q. What is The Zoo Project?

A. It’s Ibiza’s largest weekly outdoor event, held in an abandoned zoo where the music is strictly underground house and techno. If I have to describe it in one word it would be “insane”.

Q. It’s obviously a unique venue. How does it translate when you play away from the confines of the animal cages?

A. Wherever I play under the ‘zoo’ banner in the world now people get “zooed up” with face paint and costumes dressed as animals to keep the vibe alive so myself and the other resident DJs can crack on playing the music expected of us.

Q. Sum up the music we can expect to hear?

A. Lee Pennington’s take on underground house and techno music that involves plenty of drums, percussion and twisted-up weird sounds.

Q. Are you concerned about dancing dolphins at Atlantis or can you tame most mammals?

A. There’s no way I am going to tame dolphins if they are dancing to my music. But seriously myself and dolphins have a close connection thanks to my studies on the late John C. Lilly alongside plenty of experimentation, and I am sure we will get on really well. I hear they are great lovers.

Q. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen at one of your shows – either on or off stage?

A. I think having a pair of ladies underwear thrown at me was strange, not because they were pants but because they were from a bloke. I suppose it was rather touching more than weird because they were clean so I don’t think he was telling me I was a bad DJ.

Q. Favourite zoo enclosure and why?

A. The Sealpit enclosure is the best for the atmosphere when it’s bouncing, which is usually all the time, but the Pool Arena always has more people. When it kicks off, it’s the best feeling in the world.

Q. Ever been to Dubai before?

A. I have never been and it’s been on my list of places to visit so to be invited to come here is just amazing and I can’t wait to introduce my sound and represent the Zoo Project to the people of Dubai.

Q. If you found yourself face-to-face with a lion, what song would you play to keep him calm while you plan your escape?

A. I would play my new Under Pressure EP that hopefully the lion would like and we could have a dance before he mauled my face off. Besides my untimely death by a lion, which is a pretty cool way to go, I would be proper buzzing -- because who else can say they got a lion to dance to their music?

• Don’t Miss it:

Admission is free for everyone from 2pm-5pm; free for women and Dh50 for men 5-7pm; and Dh100 for all after 7pm. Call 055-2004321.