Tiesto in Abu Dhabi

I am a party snob !!!

I have no problem admitting this. Why? Quite simply because I have partied all over the world and no where compares to Montreal ~ the electronic dance music scene, the mentality, the understanding, and the appreciation cannot be beat anywhere (with Ibiza to be tested this summer). 

On Thursday February 17^th, my friend Riz and I went to Abu Dhabi to see Tiesto. Riz had won tickets on a radio show and had offered to drive – so we were off ! The Dubai – Abu Dhabi drive is not as far as the Ottawa – Montreal drive, but a very similar concept. The show was part of Tiesto’s Kaleidoscope tour on the Yas Island in the Flash Forum, and had been rescheduled from back in October (apparently the old venue was not deemed safe). It was a 21+ event, and tickets were selling for about $40 CDN general admission.

We arrived at the Flash Forum around midnight, and Tiesto came on around 12:45am. I am not sure who the opening DJ was, but he was good – laying down some good tracks to get the crowd pumped for the headliner. There is a reason why Tiesto is at the top of the DJ list, and has been for a while now, he is amazing at what he does.  And this means that Tiesto puts on a great show: the lights, the background scenes, the special effects, his attitude/showmanship, and then the music and track selections...all combine perfectly to make for a great night. For the most part, Tiesto’s AD show was trance with hints of harder trance, electro and progressive. To be truthful, I didn’t recognize all of the tracks – of course there were the staples, Silence, Feel it in my Bones, Escape Me, and such. I was rather pleased that he played the “Cameras ready! Prepare the flash” track – not sure of the title or the producer, but it’s a hot track at the moment & I love it!!!

So far this sounds like a good night, right? Right! Well I have not yet brought the crowd into the equation...Not sure if this was attributed to the full moon, or the fact that the UAE does not know how to party, but for the most part the people in attendance were rude, obnoxious, and ridiculously drunk. Riz & I tried finding different areas in the venue, but no matter where we went people had no clue and were not fun to be around. I feel bad for Riz since he had to act as my bodyguard for the night since men were always bothering me. It seemed people were there just to get as drunk as they possibly could, and Tiesto was just the background music to their shenanigans. These people would not stop taking pictures and videos either - it's like they missed the party because they were too busy capturing it. It was more of a concert than a DJ dropping a set...Unfortunately, people could smoke in the venue, and it was a dome like structure so it retained heat quite well, so with the smoke & heat combined, it became difficult to breathe normally. Plus, whenever the beat would drop, people would raise their arms, and the stench was unbearable! For a 21+ event, the crowd did seem rather young and immature.  While I don’t like to judge people’s dancing skills, people were just jumping around to Tiesto’s set, dancing off the beat, or pushing everyone else around. It was the first time that I really missed home...

After an hour, Riz and I were ready to leave – after all the tickets were free, and we were both irritated beyond belief so there was no point in staying. But then, we ran into a group of people I had met out one night, and we hung out with & danced with them.  To be surrounded with fun people I kind of knew did make a huge difference...while the other people around us were still retarded (to be kind), it was much better.  So then we stayed for the entire set, and by the end of it, our mentalities had changed and we enjoyed ourselves. We even got invited to the official Tiesto after-party, where Tiesto himself was going to be, but Riz had to drive back and we had had enough for one night. To be honest, I really don’t think Tiesto would have showed up anyways...   

Tiesto amazes me! When he is behind the decks, he delivers. He knows how to put on a show, and delivers to his fans. He is a hard working man releasing a weekly hour long podcast, releasing bestselling albums, constantly touring the world & selling out huge venues. In following a theme with my last blog post about Tiger Woods, there will seldom be many DJs to create THE brand as Tiesto has done for himself. And while he doesn’t drop the type of music I seek out, I’m certain that any electronic dance music fan can appreciate Tiesto and his rise to fame. At one point or another on our musical journeys, we have liked something that Tiesto has released so it brings us back to that moment – and we can say wow. I will say that compared to the time I saw Tiesto in Montreal at Resolution for Day 1, he was not as into it...It is obvious that Tiesto loves to play Montreal, and you can see it in his sets, his performances, and his way of being. But who doesn’t like to party or spin in Montreal really?  

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In other news, I am still adoring Dubai ~ I am meeting new people, making new friends, enjoying the job, working hard, building a steady tan & loving the beach. I think I am getting more settled as the reality is that I am not here on vacation, but this is now my life, has set in. I am trying to find social groups to join, starting to exercise again, and really, just forming a great everyday routine. I haven’t really done anything too touristy, but all in good time right.

I am smiling & happy!

xox <3 xox