Local sounds
Metronome is probably the biggest showcase of UAE-based musicians the capital has ever hosted.
Launching on Saturday at Cafe Arabia, the festival – hosted by the music collective White Cube – will feature more than 30 performances throughout August.
Each Saturday, eight acts will perform a 20-minute set at a coffee shop, with the audio streamed live on the White Cube Facebook page.
The organiser, Waleed Shah, who is also part of the team behind the open-mic night at the B-Lounge at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort, says the festival is weighted towards singer-songwriters.
“Part of it came about because of the kind of artists we weren’t seeing at those open-mic nights,” he says. “Because it’s such a big stage and favours really big sound, it catered more towards bands and rock music.
“By doing new shows in coffee shops, with a smaller stage and no drums, we would get a different kind of artist.”
The performers
However, the festival talent will not consist of just singers with guitars.
“We want to be as eclectic and diverse as we can,” says Shah. “A lot of the artists have not released anything yet, but they are talented and you are seeing them at the early stages of their careers.”
Of the 30 acts taking part – two of them will play twice during the month – hail from a range of musical genres.
Those who already signed up to perform include the duo Mural, who perform stripped-down drum-and-bass music.
Also taking to the stage are Arabic rappers Sarah El Gohary and Molham. They join more established local names such as the rock group The Boxtones and the folk crew Physical Graffiti (performing on Saturday), who have released a debut album and EP, respectively.
The venues
Looking for a more intimate and central space, Shah decided to hit up some of the capital’s independent coffee shops.
In addition to Cafe Arabia, the other hosts are Argo Tea (August 16) and Urban Bites (August 23) in Khalidiya, with the final show at The Space in Al Muntazah (beside the Park Rotana hotel) on August 30.
Shah says he deliberately avoided approaching the larger, established coffee chains.
“The managers over there rarely have decision-making powers,” he says. “By going to locally owned cafes, the owners are there and they can get behind the idea straight away.”
The beat goes on
When Metronome concludes, Shah will turn his attention back to the weekly open-mic nights at the Sheraton, which will return for a new season next month.
But he says the festival is not intended to be one-off event. Metronome, Shah says, is an important part of White Cube’s strategy to present live performances in Abu Dhabi every week.
Plans are already being made to turn the coffee-shop gigs into regularly scheduled events across the capital. Shah says he is constantly on the lookout for new artists.
“I am always interested in getting to know more musicians from the area,” he says. “So please, get in touch and let’s see what we can do.”
• Metronome opens at Cafe Arabia, 15th Street (opposite Al Mushrif Park) at 6pm on Saturday. Visit facebook.com/WhiteCubeUAE for more details about the festival