If you’ve spent the summer pounding the buttons of your radio in an attempt to avoid We Can’t Stop, Burred Lines and Get Lucky, then we have good news for you: A Miley Cyrus-free radio station in the UAE (Bieber fans: You can also stop reading now).
Radio 2 Rock, a digital channel launched by Gulf News Broadcasting’s Radio 2 at the weekend, scours the decades — including this one — for, well, rock music. “It plays 24/7 rock music with classics from Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Who and The Doors, to Nirvana, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Pearl Jam and today’s new rock from The Killers, Kings of Leon and Nickelback,” says Brent Harbour, head of Radio 2, who says it’s the first of its kind in the UAE.
Why have you decided to launch this station now?
There are lots of rock fans in the UAE who miss out on their favourite music and we want Radio 2 to help them get their rock fix without going anywhere else.
What makes it fist of its kind in the UAE? Aren’t there other rock radio stations here?
There is no 24/7 rock station currently on air in the UAE, Radio 2 plays rock as part of our promise of “More Music Variety”, but this is the first of its kind for any radio station in the UAE.
What changes come with being a digital channel? Can I still listen on my car radio?
There are no presenters on the digital channel at this stage — this is something we will look at in the future. If you have a smartphone and can listen to it through the sound system in your car then you can download the App in ITunes, Android and Blackberry [and listen while driving]. In fact with your smartphone you can listen to it anywhere, just like a traditional radio.
Which artists can we expect to hear, and who WON’T we hear?
Radio 2 Rock is aimed at anyone who loves rock music! You’ll hear Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Who, The Doors, Iron Maiden, Nirvana, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Pearl Jam, The Clash, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Kid Rock, Nickelback — a huge variety of artists. It’s Justin Beiber and Miley Cyrus free…
How do you define rock?
Rock is what shakes your body, makes you nod your head to the bass and reach for the nearest air guitar! It takes on lots of different forms these days, we will pick music that we add on a song by song basis. If it fits the sound of the station and it rocks, then we’ll play it!
What do you think of the state of rock music right now?
I think we are about to enter a new cycle of great rock music, there are some fantastic new and established bands releasing music now and you’ll hear more and more of it on the air on Radio 2 [99.3 in Dubai and 106 Abu Dhabi] and online at Radio 2 Rock UAE on Facebook and on your smartphone.
