No limits for indie band Abri

Leaving their desert homes to make their mark on the London music scene was no easy step for local band Abri. Turns out it was not quite as challenging as getting the boys to scale a 15-metre wall and enjoy it.

Not sure whether you're caught in one of those "look away, even though we all know it'll be okay because the hero can't die" scenes from Cliffhanger, or a giant game of vertical Twister — rock climbing with Abri was far from dull.

Scaling a 15-metre wall seemed the perfect way to push a few boys used to climbing the charts and the ladder of fame out of their comfort zone and into the unknown.

Their last album, Blank Notes, hit stands across the Middle East last year, proving they can sing, they can play and they can certainly entertain. Now based in London to push their music in the UK, it's all about pulling together. But how did they do away from the stage and spotlight?

"Left hand on the purple," yelled lead singer Hamdan Al Abri as a terrified and shaky Rami Lakkis who, to be honest, looks an awful lot more comfortable plucking away at the double bass than dealing head-on with chronic vertigo, scanned the wall ahead for a way up.

With nobody brave or unsympathetic enough to tell the bassist he was actually just half a metre from the padded ground below, he struggled on, didn't look down and appeared overwhelmed and elated making a grab for said purple hold before pulling his frame up more than a whole metre from where he started.

Cheers from below brought a smile to his face as he clambered up the climbing wall at the Dubai World Trade Centre's The Club.

With Blank Notes based around a secret spy theme, the challenging activity seemed the best way to get Abri in training for their next undercover mission.

Al Abri, on soulful lead vocals, Lakkis on bass, Andre Atherley (or Dre for short) bringing up the rear on the drums and Julian Symes tinkling the ivories (or whatever the modern day equivalent is), Abri is a soul indie band, formed in Dubai, who were recently signed to Universal. Their music is a powerful blend of soul, jazz and R&B, which comes directly from the heart.

Keeping momentum

Nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards for best new act in 2009, the boys say they are working hard to bring the best of the Middle East to the world. This ambition took a giant leap forward this year when the boys packed their bags for the streets of London in a bid to get noticed.

"It's tough," said Symes. "We have a joke on our MySpace page saying we are loaded like everyone else in the UAE, but the truth is we just need to sell records and keep people interested.

"It seemed easier in the beginning, because you're new, and we made people sit up and take notice. But now it's hard to keep the momentum going, because the novelty has worn off. Things are good in London and we're slowly chipping away and learning a lot."

But banding together is certainly something that comes naturally to the boys as the four scaled the giant wall, putting the fake injuries and excuses given when they arrived behind them.

"The wall is more like playing in the band than you think," said Symes, looking at the 10 metres still to climb. "It's scary at first, but you learn to rely on the equipment and it gets easier, which means you relax and become better. We have learned to rely on each other in the same way on stage I guess. We're a good team."

It took a few hours, but Abri officially conquered The Wall at DWTC — a vocalist, drummer, bassist and master of the keyboards left wanting more.

Born musicians

Al Abri and Lakkis then raced each other up the beginner route, while Dre and Symes stood motionless, speechless and with their proud smiles wiped clean away.

Then the two playing Spider-Man spotted a couple of under-tens scrambling up the wall like monkeys. Looking at the youngsters, they acknowledged that their achievement paled in comparison.

"I guess there's always room for improvement in everything you do," joked an impressed Al Abri.

"They were born to climb walls and we were born to make music. I think we should maybe stick to what we're good at."

Don't miss it

Abri's Blank Notes is available at Virgin Megastores across the Middle East.