Infusion # 223: May 4-18 '14

#WEAREONE 8th

EVERY THURSDAY

SHEF CODES |SKINNY LOOP |ALEX SEDA |EJAZ LADIES FREE DRINKS 10-12

F r i d ay 1 6 T H m ay 2 0 1 4

GAVIN FOORD / BENNI T / LV LEWIS A E D 8 0 E a r ly B i r d T i c k e t s / A E D 1 0 0 a f t e r F u n k t i o n 1 S o u n d S y st e m / 9 p m - 3 a m 4 1 st F l o o r , M e d i a o n e / D u b a i / U A E

A Note From The Editor

Publisher: Talal Budebs Managing Partner: Charl Chaka charlchaka@infusion.ae Editor: Andy Buchan andy@infusion.ae Sales Director: Vip Patel Vip@infusion.ae 050 169 8712 Contributors: Nthayi Tshehle, Richard Perez, Vip Patel, Monique Belle, Steph McMurray, Buff Wise, Stephen Day, Nada Roberts Design: Allan (Jmaxlolo) Tinsay

House and RnB might be the club soundtrack to the city, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a scene fueled by rock and roll and metal. And that scene is exploding into life this May, with 3 big name events.

We’ve dedicated our cover to the Dubai Rock Fest which returns this year with local legends Nervecell and a host of other hard rockers, while the last big month before summer also welcomes down Kings of Leon and Black Sabbath for shows in the UAE. See you in the moshpit!

Grown-up stuff: Infusion is published by Milehigh Media, LLC PO Box 53443 – Dubai, UAE Tel/Fax: 04 368 8098

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BACK Retrospective on what’s been happening in our world.

> What We Did > Say What? > Photo Gallery

Looking Back

What we did

Bassworx @ Casa Latina The Bassworx faithful were out for yet another instalment of downright dirty drum and bass as Altitude took to the decks and treated the crowd to a roller coaster ride of a set. Dropping some of his own productions alongside the residents who rinsed out classics such as Dilinja ‘Grimey’ and Chase & Status, ‘No Problem’, Altitude raised the roof at Casa Latina, quite literally in fact, as promoter Woodle had to face down a noise complaint from the 6th floor, a new record for Casa Latina. Serves the guests right for going to bed when there’s a Drum & Bass rave taking place downstairs!

SPECIAL GUESTS:

(FOOD MUSIC, Dirtybird)

THURSDAY 29TH MAY

Djs: under the moon. kasparov. Somalie.

THE DEK ON EIGHT @ THE MEDIA ONE HOTEL 6PM TIL 3am

Looking Back

Superheroes @ Media One

Once again the Dubai party people were out in full force as Zombie Disco Squad took to the decks at Media One, bringing the bassy-House/Garage goodness we’ve become so accustomed to hearing at Superheroes. His set had the dance floor in full swing and was ably abetted by local resident Under The Moon whose energetic style behind the decks had the crowd jumping as he dropped Julio Bashmore ‘Au Seve’. With face painters transforming clubbers into zombies and yet another packed out and “up for it” crowd, Superheroes is fast becoming one of the most fun places to party in town. Next up: Cry Wolf on 29th May.

Groove on the Grass @ Emirates Golf Course

Remaining under par was the last thing on our minds as we hit Emirates Golf Club for Groove on the Grass. The order of the day was a more abstract take on House/Techno in the form of Tales of Us and Mind Against who had a crowded venue rocking to their psychedelic grooves. The atmosphere was electric and the crowd pumped as this unique venue allowed for the sand-dwelling revellers to quite literally “groove on the grass.” We can’t wait for the season closer on May 16 with cover star Ellen Allien.

8th AND 9th MAY 2014

Say What?

Say What?

Say What?

Exit plans

Ever wondered what happens to big name acts after they’ve come off stage? Well Lionel Richie exited the stage recently after a tremendous show, and was ushered straight into a cavalcade of Limos. No post gig taxi queue for him.

Old Jokes Home

My sister bet me a hundred dollars I couldn’t build a car out of spaghetti... You should’ve seen the look on her face as I drove pasta.

Did You Know

Abu Dhabi have different licensing laws to Dubai, meaning that while Dubai has to bring clubbing to a close at 3am, our next door neighbours can keep going until the break of dawn…

Peppa Pig in exile

Pork sections are common place in Dubai’s supermarkets, but we think the pork inspectors (btw, is that a real job?), took things a step far when they put these Peppa Pig Easter eggs in the back section.

Short and Tweet

@Oliviawilde Having an infant son alerts me to the fact that every man, at one point, has peed on his own face. #Awesome.

Balls

Magic Johnson now wants to buy the LA Clippers from current owner Donald Sterling after his racist outburst made to his girlfriend this week: “Don’t bring black people to my games...”

Fairies Night

@Layali VIP CLUB

Electric Days @ Tamanya Terrace

Groove On The Grass @Emirates Golf Club

Jazzy Jeff @Cirque le Soir

Space Monkey @Story Rooftop

Superheroes @Media One Hotel

Looking FORWARD Where we filter out the best things that are coming your way...

> Local News > Cover Story > Drop Legs Dubai > All White on the Night > Keep the Faith > Dubai Club Night Name Generator

Looking Forward

Local News Tommy Trash and Moudaber hit Nasimi

After a few quiet months, Nasimi is closing their season with a bang in May, and have several very good nights in store. First up is Australian electro DJ Tommy Trash on Thursday May 8, who’s one of the bigger names in EDM at the moment, while a week later, Lebanese/Nigerian/ American techno DJ Nicole Moudaber hits the beach, with support from Smokingroove, Miss P.M. and David Craig.

Sasha plays Abu Dhabi

One of the leading house stars from the past two decades is returning to the UAE, as Welsh DJ and producer Sasha is confirmed to play a set on Friday May 16 at the Monte Carlo Beach Club in Abu Dhabi. In an all day affair, support comes from maDJam, Danny Cee, Dany Neville and Toronto based outfit Starting from Scratch, with a hip hop into house playlist starting from 4pm.

Black Coffee returns to House of Afrika

Big nights are all about their resident DJs, and after several stand out shows for House of Afrika in recent times, Jo’Burg DJ Black Coffee is pretty much House of Afrika's international resident.

Guaranteed to fill the floor with sultry soulful, tribal-tinged workouts, Black Coffee plays the Dek on 8 on Friday May 16.

SUNSET KISS H O S T E D

B Y

Stephane pompougnac WITH MARTY METCALF | DJ VENUS | MARC T | DAVE ARMSTRONG | TOM FERGUSON

Friday MAY 16TH 2014 |STEPHANE ON STAGE FROM 6PM FREE ENTRY all day & night | 11am until LATE

BARASTI | Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina | Tel: +21 | 1313 318 04| ID Will Be Required m a k i n g

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Looking Forward LTJ Bukem gets g'Funked

Recent winners at the Hype Awards for the best bass night, Globalfunk return to dancefloor action on Thursday May 15 at the Music Room with LTJ Bukem. A rave veteran, and the main man between genre defining labels like Good Looking, he’ll be joined by a crack team of support, including SP:MC, Mach 4, Kymera, Sya One and MC’s Olly Wood and MC Prit.

Reade St returns with The Revenge

Competition:

We have 2 pairs of tickets to give away, head to infusion.ae

Facebook rants. Get a tub of popcorn, a comfy seat and settle in for the fireworks.

Babies. They’re just ace.

Pacha’s Rooftop is looking rather swish, we’re super pumped to look round the finished club later this year.

After their successful launch with disco connoisseurs Horse Meat Disco, Reade St returns to the Story Rooftop on Thursday May 8 with nu-disco producer and DJ The Revenge. Known for his disco edits, and his partnership as much-loved 6th Borough Project, expect classic house, disco and nu-disco, with strong support from Matthew Charles and Infusion Records’ Conan Liquid.

Babies. They’re sleep stealers.

Big love to the Russian woman complaining she didn’t like the South African food at South African Freedom Day Party…

Anyone who says the word 'hashtag' in a sentence.

I n to

Outer Spac e

A true pioneer, who can boast of a long and strong DJ, producer, record label and fashion career, Ellen Allien is one of the stand out female talents of dance music. And thanks to the Groove on the Grass team, the German DJ will be playing their closing party at Emirates Golf Course on Friday May 16, with support from New York’s Bob Moses. We took a look back at some of her best interviews, to find out what makes her tick...

On multi-tasking When I came to music, I was very young. I played with friends in cellars making music without recording, just for fun. So when I started DJing, it was so boring to be only a DJ, to go to the record shop on Wednesday, buy all the records and then play only the records of other people.

And then when I started BPitch, there were no labels around in Berlin, just two or three. Like MFS with Paul Van Dyk. I did one record with them, and I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to start my own. The same with the fashion. For years we were doing merch, and then we started to make skirts for the girls and printing them, but it was hard to find good shapes that you can print on, so it was… yeah… OK… let’s make fashion. If you’re creative, you’re creative. You can do anything. We tell the artists to do what they want at BPitch. Make hip-hop, make techno, make whatever.

On her name A friend of mine, back in the day, said that my sound is similar to the music from the movie Alien. One day the promoter from the biggest club in berlin at the time, E Werk, tried to book me. I originally said no as I thought it was too big for me. The promoter was like 'Come on come on, do it… what’s your artist name?' I was still unsure but said my name was Ellen, then that same friend who was also the bar tender yelled over her name is Ellen Allien and yes, she will play!

On the Berlin Wall When the wall came down, there was only one hope: the reunification. But the reunification was very hard for the Eastern part of Germany… and it’s not over. But Berlin spreads hope in the music scene, as we have space here to develop ourselves in a creative way. I mean BPitch Control has sold lots of records, and the company still exists. I’ve paid a lot of taxes to the state, and a big part of it goes to Berlin. Clubs, labels, booking agencies create jobs. There’s hope of having the possibility to work in your own network, to act social.

On business I’m not anti-capitalist. I stand for peace and equal rights for women and men and for the gay scene. Everyone at BPitch Control works on bringing out and promoting good and independent musicians. We try to avoid marketing plans that don’t have anything to do with the music itself. What matters as a DJ is the interplay between dancer and DJ. I want to feel a peaceful interaction and the spiritual weave and I don’t want to force things with frenzied business plans.

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Competition: We have a pair of tickets to give away, head to infusion.ae to enter!

On the underground I lived in a squat for five years and music has always allowed me to live out what’s inside me, which is fire and a desire for freedom and creativity. I’m not radical, nor punk, I’m a woman with lots of fire who found her way of expressing herself through DJing. What’s sure Groove on the Grass feat. is that I have an aptitude Ellen Allien & Bob Moses, for underground and indie Friday May 16, Emirates tunes and a big sense of Golf Course, 6pm-3am, justice. Modernity doesn’t advance tickets Dhs160 from make me punk, I am the platinumlist.net techno fairy.

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Reggae is at the root of some of the best music including Drum and Bass and Dubstep, and is currently big business in the city with several nights all claiming to represent the scene. We caught

up with Reggae Beach Fest, Drop Dread, Irie Fridays, Carribean Vybez, the guys behind Bacchanal Fridayz and Jamrock to find out wagwan‌

Why is your night the best reggae night in town?

Bacchanal Fridayz: Well, first off we are from the Caribbean so this is our culture and we know what we like. There are many nights out there, but very few can say that.

Jamrock: We bring our guests into our world, they feel like they have escape to a small island for a few hours. Our DJs know how to warm the crowd up then turn them out island style.

Drop Dread: We don’t play Sean Paul and Bob Marley on loop – or any of that horrible commercial autotuned dancehall. DCC is a strictly non-commercial sound but we do try to keep it eclectic and switch between Dub, Roots, Steppaz, Ska, Rocksteady, Dancehall, Dubstep, Reggae/Hip hop mashups and even Jungle and DnB to cater for all tastes.

Irie Fridays: Because we dig deep into the crates and deliver hits and vibes that were forgotten and those that have just hit, delivering it not only in audio mix but via a video mix as well.

Reggae Beach Fest: I won’t say our night is the best reggae night in town, only the fans can determine that. But we offer the best quality entertainment in terms of Reggae and Dancehall, we play everything from Roots Rock Reggae, Dancehall, Hardcore and commercial and we educate the people.

Who’s your crowd?

Bacchanal Fridayz: Our crowd consist of Caribbean people, and lovers of all genres of Caribbean music, we play more than Reggae and Dancehall so we have a Latin and Soca crowd as well.

Jamrock: Our night is all ages and races, we provide all levels of music, from Lovers Rock to Dancehall. It’s all about the feel good vibe we provide for the masses and true lovers of reggae music.

Drop Dread: Our crowd are usually people who are looking for good music from DJs who know their sh*t, they are usually Reggae heads and know their stuff. I have been surprised many times by the types of requests we get.

Irie Fridays: All walks of life…

Reggae Beach Fest: We cater for a lot of expatriates, Caribbeans and basically everyone.

Biggest tune at the moment?

Jamrock: The Biggest tune right now is by an artist named Kranium, “Nobody has to Know.’

It is a record picking up crazy momentum around the world.

Fortunately we are in a position to break records thanks to our 1 hour radio segment on Dany Neville’s show “The Edge” Saturdays 8 to 9pm.

Drop Dread: Whenever there’s a big tune we like, we always try to contact the artist to do us a dubplate of it (basically they re-record the track for Deep Crates Cartel).

My most recent dub plate is by a Birmingham based Rub-adub MC called ‘Parly B’ on a riddim by Subactive (tune is called “Pepper Dem”) which you can hear on soundcloud. com/ahmeddubijad. The original tune is on Scotch Bonnet Records from Glasgow.

Irie Fridays: ‘Gimme Likkle One Drop’, by Tarrus Riley.

Reggae Beach Fest: ‘Bumaye’ in Dancehall and ‘Reggae One Love’ by Bob Marley.

Is reggae big business now? Why are there so many reggae nights in town?

Bacchanal Fridayz: The music is growing, Caribbean Vybez [the brand behind Bacchanal Fridayz] started 5 years ago when our music was barely being played in clubs. We were one of the first and only Caribbean promoters in the U.A.E and official ambassadors of our islands. Our launch of Bacchanal Fridayz at Sublime Lounge will be the U.A.E’s first all 100% Caribbean night.

Jamrock: Reggae is world music so it brings people from all parts together.

Drop Dread: Reggae music always has been huge, it is the foundation of most of the music we listen to nowadays.

I think it has blown up recently because promoters have upped their game and started taking risks. We have seen early foundation reggae artists come out like Horace Andy, Dawn Penn etc. in town already both of which were sell-out gigs.

Irie Fridays: Reggae is not a business but a mission, it shows the mission is gaining momentum, acceptance in a positive way.

Reggae Beach Fest: Reggae is a big business, look at what it’s done to Jamaica, it turned Bob Marley into a world

superstar and many others. In the UAE and the Middle East, it’s starting to break ground and people are embracing it even more, so soon from now we're gonna have five or six reggae nights a week.

What would Bob Marley make of Dubai’s reggae scene?

Bacchanal Fridayz: I think Bob Marley, may his soul rest in peace, would be pleased with the love the music is getting in this part of the world.

Jamrock: Bob Marley would make that Dubai is a growing market with loads of potential and a great hub to spread the culture and love of Reggae music in a positive way.

Drop Dread: I wouldn’t yet say that Dubai has a real Reggae Music scene - there is still a very long way to go before we can make such a claim. It is not as developed as the House scene here. Other than DCC there are no true reggae sounds or DJs, I have not seen many DJs play real dubplates that wow me or the crowd. People have big plans here though but nothing yet has really materialized. It will take time.

Irie Fridays: He would light up another roll just to clear his mind and meditate on the viral spread of Reggae from humble beginnings in an island called Jamaica to the world...

Drop Dread, Q Underground www.facebook.com/DeepCratesCartel Bacchanal Fridayz, every Friday @ Sublime www.facebook.com/bacchanal.uae Jamrock, every Thursday @ Ego Urban Lounge www.facebook.com/Jamrockdubai Reggae Beach Fest, Friday May 10, XL Beach Club www.facebook.com/reggaebeachfest Irie Fridays will return soon for Season 2 www.facebook.com/IrieReggaeDubai

MONSTER MIDDLE EAST Tel: +971.4.883.04.05 Ema

ail: support@monsterme.com www.beatsbydre.com

All white on the night 5 things you never knew about Sensation White

A global dance institution, Sensation White are throwing their first Middle Eastern party on October 31, with 15,000 people expected for their inaugural outdoor event‌

After 14 years and hundreds of events, Sensation White are bringing 1Amsterdam their concept to the Middle East for the first time. First started in in 2000, the dance music brand have welcomed more than 2 million people to their nights across the world.

There is a very strict all white dress code for all the events – that 2 means white jeans galore, and plenty of white shirts with buttons undone. It also makes for a dazzling spectacle.

This is the first ever outdoor Sensation White, and will be held at the 3 sprawling Meydan Complex on Friday October 31. The theme for this event will be ‘Source of Light’, and promises to take clubbers on a magical journey.

Sensation sponsors the charity 10,000 Hours, which inspires young 4 people around the world to help others, including everything from playground renovation to helping in residential homes. For every ticket bought, Dhs5 will go towards the charity.

The line up is being closely guarded at the moment, but previous 5 guests have included Swedish House Mafia, Joris Voorn, Chuckie, Martin Garrix and Nicky Romero, so think big names. www.sensation.com/dubai, early bird tickets Dhs325, on sale from May 6

For Reservations Please Call 800 Cavalli (2282554) or 04 332 9260 or 050 991 0400 Reservations@CavalliClubDubai.com - www.CavalliClubDubai.com

Liverpudlian act The Christians are the latest UK band to showcase their 80s/90s sound in Dubai. We caught up with Garry Christian, one of three brothers to start the band, ahead of their two date run at Century Village‌

Our biggest hit was… actually ‘Harvest for the World’ (a cover of the Isley Brothers song which was solely to raise money for UNICEF), it went to number 8 in the UK charts.

Our best country to tour was… France, 30 dates sponsored by RICARD, and a sea of heads.

Our most random fan gesture/act was… We’ve had fans paint beautiful portraits of the band, buy endless presents, wait outside hotels for hours in the cold and rain (the very good looking ones occasionally got in). I still have lot of fans who are overcome with emotion and tears when they meet me. The words and sentiments of the songs coupled with their personal emotions sometimes overcome them.

The most money we’ve made from a song was…

‘Harvest for the World’ and we were happy to donate all of it to UNICEF. If we could re-do it all tomorrow, the one thing we’d change would be… I’d change the other members of the band.

Being 3 brothers in a band has been… Very turbulent (although Roger left in 87 which was right at the start of the journey).

Although his vocals are featured on The Christians, he left before most of the intense touring and promotion started.

27 years in the music industry has taught us… That everything changes but people will always enjoy hearing their favourite songs live, you can’t put a price on the memories and emotion that our songs evoke in people.

Our gig in Dubai will be… Pretty spectacular. The acoustic set up of The Christians is very special.

The Christians, May 8 and 9, Century Village

Stuck for ideas on what to call your new club night, and want to join the Gold Rush (hang on, that’s a good name for a night), then we’ve got the solution for you. It’ll just take 30 seconds, and then you can flaunt your gregarious wealth and jizz Dhs10,000 over everyone’s Dolce and Karama suits at your brand new club night. Welcome to the elite (another good name for a club night, damn we’re good)

Choose two names from this list…

M. Richlist A. Magnum N. Fiesta B. VIP O. Lust C. Opulent P. Passion D. Envy Q. Diamond E. St Tropez R. Platinum F. Ibiza G. VVVIP S. Decadent H. Models T. Bullfrog I. Hot Babes U. Luxury J. Champagne V. Titanium K. Yacht W. Billionaire L. Super Yacht X. Yolo Z. Bottles

Then pick a day of the week Sundays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays

Dubai Club Ni gh t

Name Generator

And voila, you’re now a nightclub promoter in Dubai. See you at the VVVIP Champagne bar!

A night of house classics, the way it used to be

PRESENTS

cory centric kristian valdini charl chaka thursday 8 may 2014

FREE ENTRANCE 360째, JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL I +21 I DOORS OPEN 6:00PM TABLE BOOKINGS: 056 682 6617 I INFO@INFUSION.AE TWITTER.COM/INFUSIONMAG I TWITTER.COM/360DUBAI FACEBOOK.COM/INFUSIONMAGAZINE I FACEBOOK.COM/360DUBAI W W W . I N F U S I O N . A E

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ENTRY: AED 140

DOORS OPEN 8PM I SHOW STARTS 9PM I STRICTLY 21+ LEVEL41 INFUSIONMAGAZINE

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ARTY GUIDE

ONTHE THE RADAR ON RADAR

May 19 Mark Fanciulli, Boutiq

May 23 – Dubai Rock Fest, Al Nasr Leisureland

MaY 22 Boyzone, Tennis Stadium

May 28 Kings of Leon, Atlantis MaY 23 Justin Timberlake, du Arena

May 28 Trevor Noah, DUCTAC

May 30 James Zabiela, Nasimi

June 6 Showtek, Zero Gravity

June 19 DJ Marky, Music Room

For a full list of what’s on, please head to infusion.ae. Please submit your listings to andy@infusion.ae for possible inclusion.

PARTY GUIDE

MaY 29 Black Sabbath, du Arena

June 6 Jamie Jones, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

ARTY GUIDE

Sunday 4 Magnum Sundays, Boudoir

Hard-hitting urban DJ line up of Brooklyn, Emtee and Shero deliver the hip hop and RnB cuts. 10pm-3am. Weekly.

Occupy Sundays, Cavalli

Brand new Sunday night, where you have to gain guestlist to the event via the occupysundays.com website.

9pm-late.

Monday 5 Club Classics, Boudoir

All the classic house and electro cuts courtesy of DJ Destroyer. 10pm-3am.

Eclectic Mondays, Amika

Hardsoul Records and ‘Waiting For You’ producer Greg Van Bueren plays, with support from Farhad B Captain. 10pm-3am.

Hip hop Mondays, Cirque Le Soir

Bustling early-week party with hip hop vibes from start to finish courtesy of DJ Bliss.

10.30pm-3am.

Madmen, Z:One

A dedicated men’s night, with 2 free drinks for the dudes and a 60s playlist. 6-9pm.

Mixed Mondays, XL Beach Club

The first 100 ladies and first 75 men get free drinks all night, with Dhs50 a drink ladies and Dhs100 beer buckets after that.

7pm-3am.

Manic Mondays, Zinc

Greg Stainer and Andy Swift play old and new skull anthems, with a 10pm-midnight happy hour. 10pm-3am, ladies and couples free. Weekly.

Therapy, Boutiq

Big mid week deep house and techno night. 11pm-3am.

Tuesday 6 B:Lush, Media One

4 free drinks for ladies, with Da Sendri dropping funk, soul, disco and house. 7-10pm, free.

Barasti

Popular ladies night, with a Dhs50 entrance fee getting you free flowing bubbly all night.

6pm-late, Dhs50.

Champagne and Strawberries night, Horizon Lounge

3 complimentary glasses of Mojitos or Bubbly from 6pm, with a happy hour from 4-8pm.

Day and Night, Cavalli

Brand new ladies night from New York natives the Koch Brothers, with DJ Stutter on the turntables. 8pm, 4 free drinks for ladies.

En Vogue, Armani Prive

Darko De Jan takes control of this high class ladies night, with complimentary mojitos until 1am for ladies. 10pm-3am.

Girls Don’t Q, Q43, Media One Hotel

3 free drinks for ladies at this brand new, gorgeous-looking Media City venue. 6pm-1am.

Hunters Gentlemen’s night, Hunters (Westin) 50% off your steak or red wine at this male-focussed mid-weeker. 7pm-late.

Pink Ladies Pin Up Night, Mahiki

Complimentary pink Champagne, with plenty of guilty pleasures on the decks in this paradisethemed club. 7pm-late.

Pop Your Cherry, Cirque Le Soir

More mid-week funkiness at the popular circus-themed club with Tim Kay headlining.

10.30pm-3am.

INFUSION PICK! This Is, Tabla

Brand new ladies night with free drinks and hip hop and RnB throwbacks from Ntayi, Brooklyn and David Craig.

10.30pm, free. Weekly.

House and melodic tech at this new ladies night. 10pm.

Wednesday 7 90 Degrees North, Story Rooftop

Deep house and tech house from Dubai DJ Matt Charles and friends. 6pm-late. Weekly.

Aces, Boutiq

Party mashups with Shef Codes and Parisian guest DJ Emir. 10pm-3am. Weekly.

AfroBeats, 2Liv

Djs Aklef, Skinny Loop and Shoni drop the Afro-Urban tunes from the likes of

Bootik, Vanity (Al Murooj Rotana)

Excellent mid-week house party, with support from resident Fred Stone. 11pm3am. Weekly.

Diamond Wednesdays, XL Beach Club Shero and Brooklyn drop the urban tunes at this popular weekly night. 9pm-3am.

Weekly.

Flashdance, Cavalli 80s classics all night long at the high end club. 8pm-late.

Weekly.

Horizon Heroes, Horizon Lounge

A gentleman’s night, with bucket deals and good pub grub. 7pm. Weekly.

Mahiki Retro Wednesdays

All the classics from the last 4 decades. 7pm-late. Weekly.

Soulful Sessions, 360 The ever-excellent Schooly delivers the grown up soul classics. 8pm-late. Weekly.

Societe School Night Retro pop hits, classic TV shows (including Biker Grove and Grange Hill) and Dhs30 vodka Red Bulls. 10pm.

Weekly.

Toys in the Attic, The Act

A new theatrical themed night, focusing on your childhood toys that are gone, but not forgotten, alongside their excellent Peruvian food.

8.30pm, repeated Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

PARTY GUIDE

White Tuesdays, White Dubai

Wizkid, 2Face, Fuse and more. 9.45pm-3am. Weekly.

ARTY GUIDE

Thursday 8 Abri & The Funk Radius, Pizza Express JLT Abri and the extremely funky Funk Radius drop funk, soul, hip hop and rock covers and originals at this bustling Thursday night joint. 9pm, weekly.

Analog Room, Q Underground

All things electronic, at this cult weekly Thursday night spot.

9pm-3am, Dhs75. Weekly.

Boudoir

Free shots for ladies until 1am, and commercial RnB and house. 10pm-3am. Weekly.

Conan Manchester, Loca

Foot-tapping funk, soul and rock and roll from Conan at one of our favourite bars in town.

Weekly Thursday and Friday.

Jamrock, Ego Lounge

Calypso, dub, reggae and urban from Sir Taz and DJ Crown Prince. 10pm-3am, ladies free before midnight, weekly.

Laughter Factory, Movenpick, JBR

Mark Nelson, Peter Johansson, Michael Fabbri make the funnies. 9pm, Dhs140.

Live Thursdays, District Lounge

Layla and the Free Sound Project play a range of covers live in their own style, with support from DJ Rich-E. 8pm-late.

POP, N’Dulge

80s, 90s and 2000s on the terrace courtesy of mixmaster Dean Curtis. 9pm-3am, ladies free before 11, Dhs100.

Reade St feat. The Revenge, Story Rooftop

Nu-Disco and disco grooves from UK DJ The Revenge with Conan Liquid and Matthew Charles on support. 9pm-3am, Dhs100 after 10pm.

The Christians, Century Village

80s/90s pop trio run through their back catalogue, including ‘Harvest for the World.’ 8pm.

Repeated Friday.

INFUSION PICK!

Tommy Trash, Nasimi

Australian Electro and EDM star Tommy Trash makes his debut for Bong Events’ latest night. 8pm, Dhs180 on the door.

Vintage, Societe Dubai

80s, 90s and 00s at this alternative venue in the Marina, with tables for 4 starting from Dhs1100. 10pm-3am.

We Are One, 2Liv Palm Sofitel

All things urban at this jumping Thursday night spot. 10pm-3am.

Weekly, Thursday and Friday.

White Dubai

Electro, house and EDM at this popular rooftop club. 10pm3am. Repeated Friday.

Friday 9 Audio tonic, 360

Markii, Rich Showell and JC Pinto house it up Above, while Below is a battle of the beats with Mach 4, Somalie and Kasparov trading blows.

4pm-3am, free.

Bacchanal Fridayz, Sublime

Caribbean and reggae tunes from this brand new night.

9pm-3am, Dhs60, ladies free before 11pm. Weekly.

Deep Crates feat.

DJ Shortkut, Q Underground

Another international booking, with hip hop/scratch DJ Shortkut joined by Break DJ Lobito and the rest of the residents. 9pm-3am, Dhs100.

Electric Days, Tamanya Terrace

Super popular terrace party, with house and techno vibes.

6pm-1am, guestlist only via doorlist@electricdays.net.

Freaks and Beats, Cirque Le Soir

Nick Tohme heads up this weekly night, where entertainment is at the fore.

10pm-3am. Weekly.

Get your air guitar on with this globe trotting tribute act. 9pm, Dhs100.

Laughter Factory, Movenpick, JBR

Mark Nelson, Peter Johansson, Michael Fabbri make the funnies. 9pm, Dhs140.

House of Afrika, Dek on 8

The residents return for another tribal house workout.

4pm-3am, free.

Hush, Vanity

Mo Muscles and Shef Codes drop old school hip hop and R&B tracks. 10pm-3am.

Weekly.

Marco Carola, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

House and tech house from the Vagabundos main man.

11am-11pm, reservation@ bluemarlinibiza-uae.com

INFUSION PICK!

Machu Warriors feat. Ray Okpara, Story Rooftop

Half Nigerian DJ Okpara hits up the ever on point Machu Warriors night for a set of percussive tech house. 9pm, Dhs100.

Massive Fridays, Sensation

Urban, hip hop and RnB vibes ever Friday at this Sheikh Zayed Road hangout.

10.30pm.

Pinoy RockFesT, Al Nasr Leisureland

Slapshock, Siakol, The Youth and Barbie Almalbis perform live. With Jmaxlolo providing “Tunog Kalye” music. Tickets from Dhs125 at Platinumlist, Virgin tickets

Rock Your Sanity, Boutiq

House of all shapes and sizes at this very cool 2 room venue in the Address Hotel, Dubai Mall. Weekly.

INFUSION PICK! Sandance, Atlantis

Pet Shop Boys, Fatboy Slim, Arrested Development, Goldfish and more close out the latest Sandance season.

3pm, Dhs350.

PARTY GUIDE

Guns’n’Roses Tribute, Music Room

INFUSION PICK!

ARTY GUIDE

Soak, Dek on 8

INFUSION PICK!

Sunset Soul, Cuba, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel

Tanto Metro and Devonte head up this busy monthly reggae party, with support from Masterstepz, Teddy Jam and more. 3pm-3am, Dhs100.

Afternoon pool party, with ‘help yourself’ drink stations, food and music. 2-6pm, Dhs295

Trusted DJs David Craig and Schooly rotate, dropping a classic urban soundtrack.

Tonight I’m A Single Lady, Movida

Free drinks for ladies from 11pm-1am, and resident DJ Mitchell on the decks.

11pm-3am. Weekly.

Saturday 10 411, People By Crystal

DJ Bliss and Shef Codes drop Urban classics, new and old, at this World Cup Edition.

10pm-3am. Weekly.

INFUSION PICK!

Basement, Boutique 7 Hotel, Tecom Brand new techno night, with Cid Inc headlining, with support from Subandrio and Nishan Lee. 10pm, free entry. Weekly.

Homegrown, 360

Sunset house grooves to peak time floor fillers from the Homegrown crew. 4pm-3am, free.

Go Baby Go, Sho Cho

Day time and evening Saturday brunch from the Electric Days crew. 3-7pm, Dhs250 for food and 6 drinks.

Laidback, Dek on 8

Chilled Balearic vibes from Da Sendri and Jack Woodcock, with Dhs125 Saturday brunch.

12midday-late. Weekly.

Reggae Beach Fest, XL Beach Club

Saturday Brunch, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

Wind down your weekend with live cooking stations and funky tunes. Weekly. 1pm-5.30pm, Dhs295, reservation@ bluemarlinibiza-uae.com

Wednesday 14 Laughter Factory, Zinc

Mark Nelson, Peter Johansson, Michael Fabbri make the funnies. 9pm, Dhs140.

Thursday 15 Dev, Zero Gravity

American pop, electro and R&B star Dev brings her ‘Booty Bounce’ and ‘Bass Down Low’ sound to the Middle East for the first time. 7pm, Dhs120 advance, Dhs150 on the door.

INFUSION PICK!

Globalfunk feat.

LTJ Bukem, Music Room

The region’s leading Drum and Bass night returns, with smooth funk and tech grooves from Bukem and SP:MC. 9pm3am, Dhs100.

Laughter Factory, Grand Millenium

Mark Nelson, Peter Johansson, Michael Fabbri make the funnies. 9pm, Dhs140.

Neil Finn, Tennis Stadium

INFUSION PICK!

Groove on the Grass feat. Ellen Allien, Emirates Golf Course

Crowded House frontman brings his melancholy pop edge to Dubai for his Dizzy Heights Tour. 6pm, Dhs300.

The season finale for the much-loved house and techno party, with BPitch main lady Ellen Allien joined

by NY duo Bob Moses.

6pm-3am, Dhs160 advance.

Nicole Moudaber, Nasimi

INFUSION PICK!

Summer Rock Fest, Domeland, Chi

Afro, deep and tech house vibes from the bustling weekly party, with Jo’Burg DJ Black Coffee headlining.

4pm-3am, free.

Deep tech vibes from the American DJ who’s a firm favourite of Carl Cox and Danny Tenaglia. 7pm-3am, Dhs100.

More rock and roll in Bur Dubai, with The Boxtones joined by Sri Lankan band Chitral Sompala, DJ Jeff and more. 9pm, Dhs80.

audio tonic feat.

Jozif, 360

Culprit’s Jozif drops a deep, tech house Above, while Lick My Deck supremo Shaun Soomro does the techno honours Below.

4pm-3am, free.

INFUSION PICK!

Dixon, Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE

Innervisions main man Dixon is re-booked after his cancellation earlier this year – expect fluid house and techno vibes on the hallowed terrace. 11am-11pm, reservation@bluemarlinibizauae.com

Mary Black, McGettigans JLT

Your last chance to catch Irish music star Mary Black on her last ever international tour. 8pm, Dhs120.

INFUSION PICK! Sasha, Monte Carlo Beach Resort

House legend Sasha headlines an all day/night affair, with Dany Neville, Soulfisher and more on support. 4pm, Dhs195

INFUSION PICK!

Warehouse Dubai feat. EZ and Jaguar Skills, Level 41

Another huge bass double header, with garage pioneer EZ joined by scratch champion Jaguar Skills.

9pm, Dhs150.

PARTY GUIDE

Friday 16

House of Afrika feat. Black Coffee, Dek on 8

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Call 800 SUSHI (78744) or visit chezshushi.com Eat or collect at our restaurant. Find us at Shop 18, Wasl Square, (opposite Safa Park) Al Wasl Road, Dubai.

Look AND

LISTEN Music be the food of love, so read on...

> Music News > Album Reviews > Addictive Rock > DJ Booth > Soundstage > DJ Top 10

Look and Listen

Music News...

Ray Okpara plays Machu Warriors

The ever on point Machu Warriors is at it again, with another forward thinking booking, as half Nigerian DJ and producer Ray Okpara plays at the Story Rooftop on Friday May 9. Specialising in percussive, driving house and techno, he’s joined by residents Haidz, Daylomar and Gabriel Floriani from 9pm.

MUSIC BITES “Sorry to disappoint, but we won’t be commenting on this one” The White House refuses to comment on an online petition signed by nearly 300,000 people that asks for Justin Beiber’s Green Card to be revoked.

Gatecrasher Ibiza launches Is it time to start getting excited about Ibiza summer plans already? Hells yes. Gatecrasher have just launched their first 7 nights a week club in the heart of San Antonio at the old Eden club site, with a 3,000 capacity club powered by a Void Soundsystem. The move is the latest in San Antonio’s revitalization, with Es Paradis and Ocean Beach Club bringing a bit of glamour back to the town.

Look and Listen

Album Reviews...

Todd Terje – It’s Album Time Nu-Disco/House

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I

toddterje.com/

Is it possible for an album to be so retro it’s modern? Or better yet futuristic? That’s exactly what Todd Terje’s debut album is all about.

It’s a flashback to the 80s when the world was dreaming about the future. Everything from TV (Star Trek), movies (Back to the Future) and music (Kraftwerk) featured strange hairdos, space and synths. On It’s Album Time, Norwegian producer Terje has made the music the 80s predicted we would be listening to in 2014. Single ’Dolorean Dynamite’ says it all: it could easily be the soundtrack to a roadtrip with Marty McFly. ‘Swing Star part 1’ and ‘Part 2’ are so packed with futuristic sounds that you are glad he produced two of them. ‘Johnny and Mary’ featuring Bryan Ferry brings the album to a slower tempo mid way through the album, helping to break it up, demonstrating that Terje isn’t just about disco bangers. But there are plenty of disco bangers, and few bigger than ‘Inspector Norse,’ which has been doing dancefloor damage for a while now. The sound of the (retro) future has arrived.

– Steph McMurray

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Look and Listen ALBUM BITES Matthew Conley – Imaginary Places

Electronic/Experimental matthewconley.bandcamp.com

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So much music today is linear, it’s uniform, it’s mass produced, mass marketed pop. So it’s refreshing to hear Dubai producer Matthew Conley is at the opposite end of that sonic spectrum. Just take opening track, ‘Imaginary Places,’ which sounds like he’s trying to percolate of all Warp Records’ back catalogue into 6 minutes of fizzing electronic skirmishes.

Written and created while on discovery in Goa, Imaginary Places is a lush, downtempo, but challenging album, featuring nine tracks of discordant sonic weaponary that all have a rocksolid melodic grounding.

Some of the wilder tracks, like ‘Oort Cloud’ and ‘Hyperspaced’ could have been a co-production with Bjork and Squarepusher, thanks to their simple/ complex structure and fluctuating rhythm, while ‘Chime In’ has a subtle Arabic swing to it, and skipping Four Tet style beats. Dubai based beats with a real difference.

MUSIC THAT MATTERS Send tracks/edits/remixes to andy@infusion.ae

Salar Ansari – Ummc Glitchy, minimal techno from one of Analog Room’s main residents. soundcloud.com/salaransari/ salar-ansari-ummc

Its All Warped – Hassan Alwan Fresh from celebrating their 10th birthday, homegrown techno night Warped invited local DJ Hassan down on podcast duties. soundcloud.com/warped-music/ itsallwarped-with-hassan-alwan Safe-T – Names and Faces Balearic, sun-drenched house with a nostalgic vibe from funk/ soul/house DJ Safe-T. soundcloud.com/safetmesanovic/safe-t-names-faces Phil Keiran – Computer Games (Ejaz Remix) Pumping, tech-heavy remix from the 2Liv resident DJ. soundcloud.com/dj-ejaz-trilogydubai/phil-kieran-computergames-ejaz-remix Haidz – Rhythmic Mirage Nicely pitched deep/tech house set from the Plus Minus resident, that builds nicely through the gears. soundcloud.com/haidz/rm36a

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Following excellent albums from Tim Hassall and The Boxtones, Nikotin are the latest Dubai act to step up to the musical plate with their debut album. We caught up with the band following the release of Panodrama to find out more‌

Congratulations on the album, it took 5 years to come together after you started – what was the working process like, how many hours went into the album?

Cruize: Thank you. The album took a little over two years to complete. Being an independent band and one that’s self–financed, we took our time to get it right and every second and penny was totally worth it!

We all had our respective day jobs and working 6 days a week doesn’t leave much time to do anything else. My routine usually started out with 9 hours at the engineering design firm where I work as a Structural Engineer, after which most would find

me rushing off to the studio to work on the album. More importantly, we took every step to make sure that we were happy with the record before release.

And what are the influences, what does it sound like, can you sum it up?

Charlie: The one thing we tried to do with Panodrama was keep it dynamic and fresh.

We worked towards giving the listener a fresh perspective with every song. Every song has a message and I don’t think any of us can really pick a favorite from the album, as there’s something different that every song can deliver.

You got fans involved for the album with a crowd-sourced initiative as fans sent in their clips of your track ‘Overloaded’ – sounds like a fun idea, but was it more trouble than you thought?

Cruize: Initially I thought to myself – ‘What the hell did I just get myself into?’

We knew

we had a good idea but we needed to come up with a plan of execution. It took a bit of brainstorming and some geek know-how on my part to figure out how we could achieve this internet collaboration. In the end we received a whole bunch of entries from our fans and to us that was a success.

Cruize: We’re always learning!

Sharing the big stage with the likes of those names was an amazing experience. There’s always something to take back from those gigs. Be it an international band or a regional band, we’ve always learnt something every time we hit stage or gone to a concert.

Being a band in Dubai can be a hard job – have there been points where you wonder why you do it?

Charlie: Everyday! In the end, it all comes down to those moments when we look back at what we’ve achieved so far and the support of the fans and the people we have around us.

Honestly, it’s these things that keep us going.

The live music scene seems to have taken a dip recently with fewer venues and opportunities – have you felt the same, how can it improve?

Kenan: The UAE music scene has grown exponentially in the past couple of years and has seen some great international acts touching down in Dubai.

Apart from that, in my opinion, the local scene is still growing.

There are bands, but just not enough venues to cater to the ever-growing local music population especially when it comes down to genres such as rock and metal. Mainstage, Holy Noise and Rock Nation are local initiatives that are working hard to push the scene forward. Recently, acoustic music initiative, Freshly Ground sounds and Rock Camp For Girls have really put together interesting concepts for local talent, which I think, is absolutely great.

And is there a dream to break out of Dubai for the band?

Frederick: Dubai is home base and always will be.

Playing festivals outside the country has been a long time dream for all of us and we really look forward to taking our music to international stages.

You’ve supported some big names like The Kooks and Nickelback – did you learn anything from those bigger bands, and do you think you could match them on the live stage now?

nikotinmusic.com

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DJ Booth: DJ CJ

We get up close and personal with O1NE Yas Island’s DJ CJ, AKA Charbel Hojeij, one of the Formula 1 DJs who’s shared stage time with Shaggy, 50 Cent and more…

One thing you might not know about me is…

I’m a motor racer.

My worst ever job was…

As a salesman. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to that.

DJing is much like… Breathing.

UAE’s clubbing scene is… So 2008, but there’s been a lot of progress and this year looks positive!

I’m really proud of…

My accomplishments. It used to be all just a part of my dream and now, I’m happy and grateful to be where I am today.

What track could you drop in every set…

Tsunami, by Dvbbs and Borgeous.

I can’t live without…

The inspiration of music, it’s what keeps me going.

My biggest DJ achievements to date…

Are warming up for Depeche Mode and live performances with international DJs, a great honour!

If you could DJ in any decade which would it be…

The 90s.

If I could go back-to-back with any other DJ it would be…

DJ Tiesto!

I’m not a politician but… I’m the master of the decks. soundcloud.com/charbelhojeij-cj

www.facebook.com/clubbeats

Soundstage

Nervecell One of the biggest bands in the region, we caught up with Dubai heavy metal band Nervecell ahead of their return to the live arena at the Dubai Rock Fest on May 23

My first musical influence was… Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera.

The best band in Dubai is… Apparently us (Nervecell) if you go by the number of albums we’ve sold in the region in comparison to our peers and not by the number of Facebook “Likes” on our page. There are many local bands out there who buy Facebook “Likes”, we’re not one of them.

We are quite content with our real fans!

We’ve not played in Dubai recently because… We deliberately decided to do so, sometimes it’s just necessary to stay out of the limelight. We like to give something new back to the fans every time we perform in the city. Whether it includes changing our set-list or performing new songs, it’s all about giving the fans something to come back to and look forward for when we next get on stage!

Our music has been compared to… Morbid Angel, Deicide, Slayer, Testament.

When we make it, the one thing we want on our rider is… A masseuse.

Our musical motto is… Staying true to ourselves and remaining persistent.

Best gig you’ve played?

Opening for Metallica in front of an audience of 30,000 people!

And the worst?

Probably a local show from back in 2002 in Abu Dhabi... no stage, no monitors, just as raw as it get haha.

Best lyrics of all time? Cannibal Corpse, ‘I Will Kill You’. nervecell.net

Haidz Plus Minus Sessions soundcloud.com/haidz

Dan Caster, Bjoern Stoerig - Nouvelle Future (Oliver Schories Remix) Raik - La Musique(Original Mix) Gardens of God - Ys (Original Mix) Joe T Vannelli , Hot Since 82 - The End feat Csilla (Sabb Remix) Raxon - Metro Life (Original Mix Mainer - In My Room (Original Mix) Marco Effe, Francesco Carone - Canto D’Amore (Few Nolder Remix) Mikalogic - Levitation (Original Mix) Patrick Topping - Get Beasty (Original Mix Adana Twins - Schiwago ( Original Mix

Sarah Lawrence soundcloud.com/ djsarahlawrence

Deepmilo - Mad Max Monster (Original Mix) John Tejada - Better Days (Original Mix) Kat Su - El Diablo (Orignal Mix) Max Bett - I’m Here (Original Mix) JDG - Psyched (Original Mix) Koen Goeneveld - DJstsjz (Original Mix) Gaiser - Some Slip (Original Mix) Umek - Sunday at El Row (Original Mix) Trent Cantrell - I Want a Freak (Original Mix) Dr Jekyl & Disco Damage - London is Bangin’ (Muzikjunki Remix)

Ejaz soundcloud.com/djejaz-trilogy-dubai

Guy Gerber & Dixon - No Distance Petar Dundov - Origins Butch - Peyote Marc Marzenit - Mystery Ocean King Unique - Westway Pele -You And Me Tale of Us, Vaal - Concor Tomy DeClerque - Breath Testpilot-Sunspot (Pig And Dan Remix) Slam – Remain

To submit your Top 10, send in the above format to andy@infusion.ae

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CLOSER Opinions, thoughts and gibberish...

> Weird News > Eat Sleep Rave Repeat > Movies > Angry Monkey

Looking Closer

Weird News...

A close shave

Who knew a bad haircut could spark a diplomatic situation between North Korea and a South Ealing hair dresser? M&M Hair Academy, not unfairly, used a picture of Kim JongUn with the caption ‘Bad Hair Day?’ underneath to promote their 15% discount. All fun and games, until North Korean diplomats waded in and asked the UK Government to ‘stop the provocation.’ The news comes soon after it was reported that male university students in North Korea were told they had to have an identical haircut to Kim Jong-Un, but there was no mention of a 15% group discount...

Be my pattycake?

Having met under the Golden Arches, Steven and Emily Asher could think of nowhere better to get married than in their local branch of McDonalds. Their Dhs800 fast food feast fed their 33 guests in a roped off area at the Cribbs Causeway restaurant.

Describing it as “the happiest day of our lives”, the pair arrived for their big bash in a stretch limo before the 28-year-old groom washed down a Chicken Legend meal with a strawberry milkshake and Emily, 21, toasted their nuptials with a Coke and tucked into a chicken nugget meal.

The happy couple were treated to a bottle of celebratory champers by the manager, but had to hold off on the bubbles because of McDonald’s ban on booze.

eat sleep rave repeat

Cielo

Sky Lounge If, like London taxi drivers, you don’t like to go ‘sarf of the river’ any more, then the newly launched Cielo Sky Lounge could just change your mind. A beautifully designed terrace overlooking the Creek, we sent down our roving food reporter Stephen Day to check out the new cocktails and Tapas joint

ooftop lounges, shoe shops, coffee bars and dodgy estate agents – all things that Dubai has in abundance.

So I could hardly contain my excitement when Infusion’s Editor called suggesting we review the latest rooftop lounge as it must have been at least a week since the last one opened. However the Cielo Sky Lounge is slightly different; firstly it’s up on the Creek at the Hyatt Golf & Yacht Club, secondly it’s an addition to a full Spanish restaurant below and finally it’s a cocktail and tapas bar.

Now I consider myself a well-travelled foodie, having happily eaten in some of the world’s best restaurants, but I’m also totally in love with the

R

simple street food that has become so on trend.

And as long as it’s done properly, Tapas is about as good as it gets.

Things didn’t get off to the best of starts, as I mis-read the booking and turned up a full 24 hours early, but the FOH were un-phased and we were promptly shown to our table with 2 large beanbag type affairs each side, not entirely practical for eating but pleasant enough. The lounge area itself is a mixture of tables, benches, sofas and a bar seating area, all shiny white with neon blue trim and a fantastic 360˚ view of the Creek and surrounding cityscape. Michael our

waiter introduced himself, and after I asked for drink recommendations, served up a Tequila based Mexican Smile for me and an Earl Grey G&T for my guest. The drinks were pricey, but were well put together and mixed well with the pumping house soundtrack.

We opted for a range of light dishes to start, including some dishes that were served off menu from the main restaurant downstairs, a nice accommodation. The chicken wings, prawns in garlic sauce and olives all arrived in a timely manner, and were full of flavour, with the spicy Sobrasada sausage the highlight.

After another round of impressive drinks - a Spanish Mai Thai and a Pineapple Batidas - it was onto a second round of small plates. The baby squid won best dish of the night, while the deep fried aubergine, Cielo mini burgers and clams were good as well.

There has been a revolution going on in Spanish cuisine over the last decade: not only does Spain hold have world beater like the Roca brothers’ mind blowing El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, before it closed in 2012 Ferran Adria’s El Bulli ruled the culinary world. These restaurants changed the way Spanish food was perceived and as a by-

product of their ground breaking techniques, brought Tapas kicking and screaming into the 21nd century. And while the Tapas at Cielo was perfectly good, Dhs45 is a little steep for 3 pieces of melted Manchego cheese on a red pepper.

Until desert, Cielo had been an evening of good food at an exceptionally pretty venue.

We were presented with a delicate, airy plate of Churros, Spanish donuts, with white chocolate dipping sauce, Leche Frita (fried milk) with almond cream and strawberry jam and the most amazing rice pudding croquettes with vanilla foam. Each

of these plates put a smile on our faces, every mouthful was better than the last and presentation had plenty of thought behind it.

After dashing for a taxi when the heavens opened – not a problem Cielo is likely to face for the next 6 months – all we could talk about on the journey home was the desert.

That, and with a little bit of tweaking, Cielo Sky Lounge could be a great addition to the rooftop terrace club.

Cielo, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, 04 416 1800 facebook.com/ cielodubai

MOVIE Neighbours Surprisingly good Zac Efron vehicle, as a couple with a newborn baby (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) face unexpected difficulties after they are forced to live next to a fraternity house.

Classification: 15 Director: Nicholas Stoller Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron

Joe

Eerily reminiscent of the Matthew McConaughey film Mud, an ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.

Classification: 18 Director: David Gordon Green Starring: Nicolas Cage, Gary Poulter

PREVIEWS The Amazing Spider Man 2

Much improved Spider Man reboot, with a strong plot and storyline, not to mention great casting with Andrew Garfield playing the webbed wonder as he does battle with a host of baddies.

Classification: PG 13 Director: Marc Webb Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Godzilla The world’s most famous monster is pitted against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence. Hope comes in the shape of Monsters director, Gareth Edwards, who should elevate this into high quality fodder.

Classification: PG 13 Director: Gareth Edwards Starring: Bryan Cranston, Andy Serkis, Elizabeth Olsen

Disclaimer: Film release schedules are subject to change, please check reelcinemas.ae, grandcinemas.com and voxcinemas.com for full schedules.

Grammar Nazi In the jungle, the Monkey’s natural arena, we communicate in various ways. We scratch our balls, rub our bums, and pick fleas from the ones we love in a blatant show of emotion. We also have 64 different guttural screams that mean banana. We’re advanced like that.

But even with my communication abilities which put C-3PO to shame, I’m still shocked by the bastardisation of language out here. It’s no an evolution, it’s the linguistic equivalent of Shakespeare being flushed down the Gary Glitter. Dubai is the Elephant Graveyard of the language world, where grammar comes to die.

LOL is not an appropriate end to an online conversation, or when you can’t think of anything to write. I am not your M8, and likely never will be. If I was indeed ROFL, then I doubt I’d be able to type ROFL coherently you internet cockmonkey. Now, FOAD, you’ve been pwnd.

Monkey Out...

The Angry Monkeys’ views are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Infusion Magazine.

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L Club Opens every Tuesday and Thursday Tuesday is « Fairies Night» a new style of Ladies Night, with the best retro English, French, Spanish Hits, performed by Nadine Chammas.

Thursday is «Celebrities Night», The club is known to be the place where many celebrities enjoy clubbing and celebrating with the audience, with Micho Performing the best Arabic hits.

For reservation call +971 52 810 3333