Killers call time on bench warmers

The Killers' Brandon Flowers on stage during the Lollapalooza Festival.

UAE music fans partial to tapping their feet from the comfort of stadium seating during concert events should avoid The Killers' gig in Abu Dhabi on December 8, or wear comfortable shoes, event organisers have revealed.

The American group has specifically requested the venue located at Emirates Palace be designed in a standing-room only configuration – a first for the outdoor arena which has hosted the likes of Coldplay, Mercury Rev and Christina Aguilera in recent years.

“There won’t be any seats located in the venue whatsoever,” confirmed Lee Charteris, operations director for Abu Dhabi-based event promoter Flash.

“The band wants everyone to stand up and they’re adamant about it. I think it will be great to be honest. I think it will be a different show to the likes of Coldplay. It’s in the same space but I think it will have a completely different vibe.”

Two days later, Flash will turn the venue around for the inaugural Creamfields dance music event, which will feature headline artists including Underworld and Calvin Harris.

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While production partners were yet to be confirmed by Flash at the time of press, Charteris said the gigs, which come hot on the heels of the Yasalam concert series staged in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, highlighted Abu Dhabi’s budding reputation as the region’s number one destination for live events.

“I’m optimistic we’ll soon be producing major events monthly in the capital, and who knows where we’ll go from here,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talk about building an arena here, and I’m confident that will happen sooner rather than later.

“There’s definitely room for the market to grow in the UAE particularly during the summer months.”

Charteris, who headed up the production team for Yasalam, which featured Beyonce, Kings of Leon, Jamiroquai and Aerosmith, said international perceptions of Abu Dhabi and Dubai as cashed-up one-off concert destinations were slowly changing.

“Historically, most shows here have been destination concerts, and many of these guys have come here solely for the money, but things are changing,” he says. “Now, we’re finding a lot of acts who are on their way to Australia or Asia are looking to put on shows here, and if this trend increases all promoters and their production partners in the UAE will benefit.”