Nikotin will open up for Ramzi, whose hits have already made him famous in the UK. But how is Nikotin going on the Dubai scene? We spoke to lead vocalist Cruize to find out more about Dubai’s version of The Killers.
1 How would you define your style? What are Nikotin’s strengths?
Our music can basically be defined as Rock/Alternative, but it has a lot of influences, ranging from mellow pop to extreme metal. Even though we’re all different, our love for music blurs the boundaries between our dissimilarities and ties us together to produce the Nikotin sound.
2 As an up-and-coming band, what are the difficulties you faced (or are facing) when entering the music world?
As a rock band in Dubai trying to create a niche for ourselves in a sea of hip hop, RnB, rap and so forth, we were met with some resistance in the sense that there weren’t many venues showcasing our kind of music. Eventually, as our fan base increased, so did our drive to make available our music and share our passion for creating rock music.
3 What was your first big gig?
Our first major gig, a very special milestone for us, took place in early March 2009 at the Dubai Autodrome Race Pits during one of the Race Days. This kicked off a string of successful live performances at venues and events like the BMW One Mini Launch, Big Boys Toys (Abu Dhabi), and the Dred Rock Festival among others.
4 How does Nikotin feel about performing at a university campus?
Most of our fan base are below 21, and finding a venue that caters to this age group is nearly impossible. When advertising for our past gigs, we always had to put a disclaimer saying admission to people “21 & above only”, which was heartbreaking for us. So you can imagine how thrilled we were about this initiative. Plus, many famous artists and bands like The Killers were discovered after playing at festivals touring universities.
5 What do you think of Ramzi’s music? How do you think opening up for him will add to your performance?
Ramzi is a very young and talented musician who has been able to carve himself a position on the international music scene, which in itself is inspiring for a young band like us. Granted, our genre is very different from his, but opening for him will showcase how successful a union of such diversified music can be for both performer and audience.
6 Can you unveil something about the gig for us?
We’re cooking up a very special show with an eclectic mix of original tracks from our debut EP, plus a couple of covers that have the Nikotin twist. We hope to have at least one bone in your body rocking to our music.
7 What are Nikotin’s dreams as a band?
As the band puts it, we want to go around the world spreading love, peace, unity and cheeseburgers! And we hope one day to perform at every music festival around the world.
Details
You will be able to buy Nikotin’s new self-produced EP Short of PanoDrama at UndeRage.
When: Wednesday, October 21, doors open at 6pm
Where: Dubai International Academic City
How: Tickets are available at the Live National Middle East Office in Media City, at the SAE Campus in Knowledge Village, and at the Student Hub at Dubai International Academic City.
For more information call :04 427 8166 or 04 361 6173
