Whether the crowds arrived en masse for the rave-like stylings of electronic duo Axwell-Ingrosso or were instead left entranced by the talents of East London band Rudimental (pictured), music fans of all stripes were left more than satisfied Friday night with another memorable Dubai edition of Sandance.
Beneath a full moon, things kicked off with a bang as Sydney synthpop band Empire of the Sun put in some serious stage effort with their out-of-this-world costumes and props that resembled a galactic journey that fans were more than happy to join in on. When the pair broke out with one of their biggest tracks Alive amidst a flurry of lasers and mind-blowing visuals, their was a general consensus that the party had officially begun.
Next on the line-up was British group Clean Bandit who proved to be another crowd favourite after mellowing things out with their signature brand of electronic-meets-classical music. They played their big hits Rather Be and Extraordinary along with a few 90s covers like Show Me Love that were done complete justice.
True for many of the thousands in attendance, it was Rudimental (pictured) that brought them here and the drum and bass band held nothing back as they put on full display their seemingly close friendships with each other and their music. There were good vibes all around as the band members - Amir Amor, Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden and DJ Locksmith, along with a number of touring extras - pushed and pulled the emotions of the crowd with tracks like Waiting All Night, Feel the Love and Free sans Emeli Sande, yet still packing a punch.
Former Swedish House Mafia members Axwell and Ingrosso (who, somewhat surprisingly, just signed with hip-hop label Def Jam Records) were also in their element as they showcased material off their upcoming debut album. By the latter half of the night, the pair managed to give a much-needed jolt to the crowds as they - along with the rest of the festival’s artists - delivered a good mix of decent stage performances, impressive live vocals and an over-all winning night of music.
By Mohamad Khadry
