With just three days to go before their sell-out show in Dubai, One Direction fever is at an all-time high as we await the imminent arrival of the boys for the final show of the current leg of their On the Road Again tour. While we know the band are more than capable of delivering a rousing performance – even now that they are down to four members following the shock departure of Zayn Malik last week – we spoke to Thomas Ovesen, the chief executive of the promoter Done Events, about the things the lads won’t be getting up to during their stay.
No after-party
There is no official One Direction after-party planned, so don’t fall victim to any opportunistic promoters trying to lure you into their nightspot with the prospect of seeing Niall Horan spinning the decks. Besides, if that was to actually happen, it would be a rather surreal experience, with half of the fans barred from entering the venue due to being underage, while the other, older, half inside wouldn’t dare show their 1D love for fear of losing what’s left of their clubbing cred.
No meet and greets
It’s the rumour that refuses to die. Ever since tickets went on sale last year, there has been chatter that the boys, being the nice, friendly folk that they are, would indulge in a few meet and greets with their most devoted fans. Some of these rumours included mythical, Willy Wonka-style “golden tickets” that could apparently be obtained from secret industry sources at astronomical prices. Sadly, like Santa, or indeed, Willy Wonka, there was no such thing and, unlike Justin Bieber, One Direction will not be doing any meet and greets. “That’s not happening, I can assure you,” Ovesen says. “If any-one else is saying that, I would love to know so I can send my lawyers to them with a desist note because that is not correct.”
He said the boys want to rest up in Dubai “to deliver the best possible show”.
No sightseeing with Zayn Malik
The only plus side of Zayn Malik leaving the band before their Dubai debut was the fact we had nine days to adjust. OK, it’s not much of a silver lining, but spare a thought for the poor One Directioners in South Africa who found out about Malik’s treachery – sorry, I mean departure so that he could be a “normal 22-year-old” – only a day before 1D landed in the country. Judging from those South African shows, the boys wasted no time in moving forward and beginning a new chapter as a four-piece. Malik has been removed from the video montages, while Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson have picked up his share of the vocals.
No press conference
This one will elicit huge groans from the regional media. At present, One Direction will not be talking to journalists at any time during their Dubai stay. “They said on this tour they want to just focus on their performance,” Ovesen says. “You have to understand that on this tour they are on stage for nearly two hours and they want to finish this tour with a blast.”
No additional tickets
Take a deep breath, as this is going to hurt. While there is some history of UAE events declaring a sell-out, only to have hundreds of tickets mysteriously appear on the day of the show, Ovesen says he means it when he says there are no more tickets for this one. He also has a warning for those who might be tempted to try to get into the event illegally without a ticket. “No new tickets will be released into the market,” he says. “There will be lots of police around, CCTV and controls at the door – so whatever you are thinking of doing, it is simply not going to work.”
Oh, and there is also no chance of a last-minute addition of a second Dubai gig – “This is the last show of the tour,” Ovesen says, emphatically.
No local supporting act
It would be a thankless task. Who would actually want that slot? “I mean, what kind of support act would want to go on stage in front of more than 30,000 people who are all thinking: ‘When are One Direction coming on?’” says Ovesen. “I don’t know many supporting acts that would enjoy that experience very much.” There are also health reasons too – with no support act, the waiting time for young fans will be limited. That said, Ovesen says early arrivals will not be “just standing around” and entertainment is being planned to pass the time before the big show.
And now the good news:
Yes, the boys will be on time
It is understandable to be a bit cynical about the 8pm starting time on Saturday, April 4 after Justin Bieber was nearly three hours late for both of his Dubai shows and Rihanna strolled onto stage 90 minutes late in Abu Dhabi. One Direction are cut from a different cloth, however, and pride themselves on being on time.
Yes, you can bring your selfie stick
There is a growing industry movement against selfie sticks at gigs, with many major European music venues banning them. One Direction fans don’t have to worry, Done Events’ Thomas Ovesen says, they don’t have such a policy. “My personal view is the show is best enjoyed when you are facing the stage and not with your back to it because you need to take a selfie,” Ovesen says. “I think it’s kind of ridiculous and it takes a lot of space in your pocket – but I also appreciate that a lot of people enjoy capturing their favourite memories in selfies.”
One Direction will perform at The Sevens Stadium Dubai on Saturday, April 4. Doors open at 4pm and the show begins at 8pm. Tickets are sold out. For more details, visit www.doneevents.com
sasaeed@thenational.ae
