My Rant: Kuwaitrock IS canceled | Kuwait-Music.com | February 12, 2011
My Rant: Kuwaitrock IS canceled
Feb 2011 12

My Rant: Kuwaitrock IS canceled42

Posted In Blog and Gossip,Featured

I don’t want to stay silent. This is one of those cases where everybody knows about that bad thing that happened but they look each other in the eyes and pretend that nothing is happening. I want to talk about how I felt when Kuwaitrock got canceled.

And why not? I am hurting, I am feeling pain, I am angry. I am disappointed. I am feeling let down. I am surprised and cannot understand why. It was supposed to be today. We were supposed to be there today. I want to scream and shout. But I don’t want to stay silent and pretend that nothing is wrong.

Nothing left to say. Why is every bloody rock event canceled at the last minute? Is this the trick to avoid giving time to the organizers to work things out? 

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42 Comments

  1. yah5 says:
    February 12, 2011 at 10:59 pm

    I felt like this was going to happen…..

    They don’t care about you dude. Let’s stop trying to make public events and start hosting small, private events.

    Reply
    • Caesar (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 12, 2011 at 11:05 pm

      Hey Yah5, The article was written by Narine, however I believe that if change is going to take place, somebody needs to fight for it. Otherwise it will never come.

      Reply
    • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 13, 2011 at 10:00 am

      yup Yousef. I agree with you, but I’m not writing to make someone feel sorry for me or listen to what I have to say. It’s a good thing to just let frustrations out and share.

      Cuz i’m just thinking to myself, if rock is illegal then they should not allow dawlia, yousifi to sell electric guitars. because it’s illegal.

      May be we have to change the way we are communicating to the authorities, maybe we have to have better relations with them, and try to explain our passion, they are people at the end of the day, and i’m sure out of the 20 people, there could be 1 or 2 of them who likes rock and they could help somehow.

      Either way, we have to talk. If we do not talk and share we will not make any progress…

      just my opinion. and thanks a lot for writing! it makes a difference believe me :)

      Reply
    • Ola Naguib says:
      March 5, 2012 at 10:06 am

      Hi Yah5,

      I’m the producer of a weekly business programme on BBC World News called Middle East Business Report. we have a reporter travelling to Kuwait next week to film a number of stories from there. One of the stories he’ll be filming is about the closure of virgin Mega stores in Kuwait. For that we’d like to meet up with a band in Kuwait and interview them about their opinion on what happened and what they think about censorship in Kuwait and how do they go by around it.

      I would really appreciate it if you could get back to me as soon as possible.

      Thanks a lot,

      Ola Naguib
      Producer
      Middle East Business Report 
      BBC WORLD NEWS 
      w + 971 4 367 8090 
      m + 971 55 5451076
      ola.naguib@bbc.co.uk

      Reply
  2. Ahmad S. Al-Hamily says:
    February 12, 2011 at 11:29 pm

    I say let’s open a secret venue in the desert. The downside to the whole thing is the weather in summer…. Or or getting caught by the police for errrrrm being Satan worshipers …. Or or or they accuse us of selling crack through strumming our guitars …. Or or or or aaaaaah I can’t think of enough reasons for being busted XD

    Reply
  3. Q8GEEK says:
    February 12, 2011 at 11:33 pm

    Any details on what happened and what actually caused it?

    *NOTE: Install some subscribing plug-in. Can be so useful*

    Reply
    • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 13, 2011 at 9:52 am

      hmm Q8geek, you mean subscribe for getting notified via rss/mail about later comments or sign in as the same user every time?
      I might need some recommendation from you.
      Thanks so much!

      Reply
    • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 13, 2011 at 10:24 am

      well i don’t know the details, and usually no one wants to talk about it because i think it’s hurtful. But usually the ‘authorities’ do not allow rock music in kuwait because it is considered evil. But the surprising thing is that why do they grant a permit to cancel it later? Where is the gap? nobody knows, or nobody’s going the extra mile to learn more.
      Because if it was evil, then all the CD’s of the int’l rockers should not be allowed to be sold in the market right?

      Reply
  4. Toufic says:
    February 13, 2011 at 10:54 am

    Guys, people who r forbidding Rock events are the first ones who need to be taught about music. -Evil music??? please guys, I can’t stop laughing: these authorizers need a therapy center and a healing from their psycho uncultured mind,
    I hope they’ll wake up one day and start learning bout music and especially Rock.

    Reply
    • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 14, 2011 at 1:48 pm

      I agree, all we need to do is to patiently educate people about rock, and encourage the crowd to not copy western minds in the way they show enjoying rock music. No matter what energy levels it creates there is always a fine line between using and abusing something.

      Reply
  5. Psychohead says:
    February 13, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    Well guys this debate goes a long long way…
    There was a time when I had personally attended and performed live in public events like the Messilah Beach Annual raft race. There was a promotional gig at Virgin’s a few years ago by the name of RockFest which I helped organize that feaured a few bands.. We had to drop out cos the authorities chunked out Vocals at the last minute… But the gig did happen.

    Series of gigs happened in the green Island as well as the Sha’ab indoor.. Now I can’t totally blame the authorities as well cos of some wanna be rockers who portrayed some compulsive behaviours out of watching live videos of Grind/death metal acts in the US and replicating them here in this land. A big No can work… Can’t blame the kids for what they are registering in their heads.. Now this registered behaviour reflected on their appearences and with the crowd responding with abuse of the place with ‘beverages and smokes’and in certain cases, public displays of affections. After all, all the new generation knew about Rock back then was Foul language, sex, dressin up like their fav musicians and drugs, kinda made them cool but then they never could know that it was the expression and the form of expression more than having their faces painted like ‘The Crow’ and wearing leather overcoats and chains.. I see a big change in the temperament of the bands nowadays who know their music and genre and their knowledge of music has developed and matured significantly.

    What happened was these gigs were busted and a lasting impression was engraved in the minds of the authorities which clearly spelt ‘EVIL’ not mainly because of the music but cos of the behaviour with some abuse of freedom or permits or indulging in practices that don’t go along with the place/country you’re in.. I mean c’mmon u get a gig then why the hell can’t u do it clean !??? It really screwed up sicnce then..
    I remember the gig in Sha’ab indoor with Freefall, Terminus and Earsplit. It was cracking. The covers that were played included Metallica, Deep purple, Dream Theater, Sabbath, Maiden.. There were persons from the local police and CID in there just to check on the misuse of beverages etc but then it was a great clean and rockin gig. I’m sure people who were there still remember that.

    I do see some or the other leniency as of now but still its not all out open. Decent gigs are still on, the likes of the ones in Manshar. Now, NO venue will reject any band that approaches with an unplugged gig with decent crowd that respects the (Not so acceptable for us ) rules of not headbanging and not dancing. It’s how it is.. Why can’t we make the best of it and slowly bring in the change that’s needed. IT CAN CHANGE.

    The gap that has developed between the bands and the authorities is the organizers as well, that do not go the extra mile to know what’s going on and why the refusals much less inform the bands to spread some sort of awareness.. The crowd is not musch help either when they hear something has gone wrong they kick off with abuses and cursing authorities. Moreover, I feel when the gig goes well it should be projected so that it reaches the minds of those who are indifferent to make a new impression in their heads so they can change their perspective from what they register as ‘Evil’ to ‘Hey they actually sing about meaningful stuff’ to make a difference.

    I really don’t know how well would that go but I can surely say this that if we all know what we’re ‘Doing’ and do it ‘United’ instead of just talking we can make that difference. All it needs is to support eachother and let go of our ‘Band Rivalries’ for a change to bring in a better bigger change. That’s the bigger picture that I see.

    I do remember my folks were totally against metal back in the days… When my dad saw the video of Metallica’s ‘One’ He not only got freaked .. He actually hooked on to Maiden and Megadeth cos I used to listen to them alot (still do) :)
    Perspectives do change when the change is brought forward and projected properly..

    I know I’ve written too much. Sorry about that. We can talk all we want, after all its all we’ve been doing for all these years. How many of you think that this Rant or comments would reach the eyes and minds of the people responsible for permits/permissions and how much of an impact or difference would these comments have on them?

    Looking at the comments above… Hell NO!! Its not a rivalry of who’s a moron and who has twisted psycho thoughts about music.. Its about who put them in their heads and how to get them out!! Who’d do it to make them aware of the real meaning of rock music or for that matter any music and how? Its not only about gigs, I’m sure every band that is coming up now does have talent and wants their original stuff on the racks and to be able to receive some or the other recognition for it. Its about music and musicians and their musical aspirations and careers.

    Peace out
    Earsplit

    Reply
    • yah5 says:
      February 13, 2011 at 3:50 pm

      I remember a bunch of that stuff. Random high school kids making out in the corners of the venues. People throwing water everywhere, and even when the security and bands would mention stop throwing water, people still did it. Bands dressing up and acting like death metal and trying to look and act evil.
      But dude come on, this is what people do at concerts. Look at concerts in the US and EU, where they form giant mosh pits and girls throw their shirts off, and theres a bunch of drinking and drugs going on. Compared to the audience in Kuwait and it was no where near bad. It’s not like people should stand and listen like robots.

      The music makes them want to act and be this way. Rock and metal have an energy to them that is not replicated in other types of music, and that’s just the way it is man.

      Reply
    • Caesar (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 13, 2011 at 9:46 pm

      If there’s anyone who would know all too well about this, I’d take it from you man- Cheers for that!

      Reply
    • Ahmad Saleh Al-Hamily says:
      February 14, 2011 at 2:27 am

      Wow that was the longest reply ever.
      I totally agree though.

      Reply
    • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 14, 2011 at 2:03 pm

      great piece Earsplit! I always think there is a way if there is a will. And just because the west enjoys rock music with the forbidden stuff, it doesn’t mean it has to be copied here.

      If we have a different culture then let’s enjoy rock music and make it compatible with the culture that we have here, what’s wrong with it anyways? I was born and brought up in Syria, and I am very fortunate that I was not exposed to all the garbage the westerners are going through in their teenage and youth years. Yet I enjoy rock and death metal like crazy, and I don’t feel like I need to drink, do drugs or anything like that.

      Most of the time what we see on the other side is overrated.

      Why not associate rock music with high energy levels but things that are accepted her in this part of the world? We are not copy cats right?

      Reply
      • Jessi says:
        February 26, 2011 at 2:29 am

        How about this idea. Since the Authorities have a problem with Rock bc it’s associated with ‘hoodlums,’ why not have a BENEFIT CONCERT featuring LOCAL MUSICIANS of Varying Genres? You’ve got to play with the words & announce that the concert will be held to benefit…. some type of charity- or hold a Tribute Concert to honor…someone or a cause for Human Rights. Take the talk of rock out, but it will be included among the music performed. Bc not everyone plays rock/metal. Make it so that there is a mix of traditional Kuwaiti music, acoustic, jazz, alternative, Indie (you can use the titles “alternative, indie, progressive to mean ‘rock’). Show the authorities that music from the locals CAN actually CONTRIBUTE positively to Kuwait. Ya gotta kiss some butt but thats also knowing how to work the system. You’ve got a great vision but it needs to adapt to the current culture. If it’s a Benefit, announce that proceeds/money will be donated to send relief to… Libya, to orphans in Iraq… I mean make it legit.

        Reply
  6. 426 HEMI says:
    February 13, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    Regular arabi music concerts are tricky enough to coordinate with Kuwait’s super-strict and retarded rules, honestly how do you expect Rock concerts to even exist here?

    You guys are doing it wrong, rock music was built on constant dissatisfaction and rebellion. Read up on your rock history and see how much blood, sweat and tears the artists had to shed and how long it took average people to change their negative views on it… and this applies to most music not just rock… people have died for their art not just had their lil’ cozy highschool show cancelled.

    You should have focused on more private venues and performed A LOT more underground shows to get more young people hooked on it for life so that they would grow up fed up and uncomfortable enough with the system to want to change it or die trying. Something like that takes real commitment, solid determination and a struggle across MANY GENERATIONS not just a few years. This cannot exist in a society like Kuwait bc people here are simply too comfortably sedated.

    The reality is the environment here does not cultivate rock in any way, shape or form. You can’t play your show, then get picked up by your mama or Indian driver to go home and be in bed by 10 and call yourself a “hardcore” musician. This is a joke. You have to change your life, you have live the music (not just by dressing like a retard). You have to feel the pain before you deserve the pleasure. The first steps are internal and those rub off on your external. And this has to happen to A LOT of people in order for things to “change” otherwise they won’t.

    Most rockers I’ve met in Kuwait are angsty, trend-whoring highschoolers that eventually grow out of it completely once they leave school or leave the country. There is no real “rock scene” in Kuwait and whatever there was is completely dead now. RIP.

    Reply
  7. Caesar (Kuwait Music) says:
    February 13, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    “The reality is the environment here does not cultivate rock in any way, shape or form” Couldnt have said it better myself :)

    Reply
    • Ahmad Saleh Al-Hamily says:
      February 14, 2011 at 2:31 am

      There is always an alternative Caesar. If there is a wall blocking your path. You don’t try and destroy it with your bare hands.
      You try a different route.

      I know there is a different way because what is happening here happened in the God Ol’ US of A when the whole thing started back in the old days.

      Maybe creating an alternative venue would do the trick or making alternative methods.

      I dunno the ‘alternative’ but I’m willing to try and find out what it is.

      Reply
      • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
        February 14, 2011 at 2:07 pm

        I believe things can change. But first our intentions should be good, we shouldn’t look into bringing the same rock scene to kuwait. We should look into creating a different rock scene unique to the geography of the country and the traditions we have here. I wouldn’t want to lose them anyways!

        So why not start connecting with Arabic bands and try to do concerts with them, mixed audience, soft rock? Would it be too much to compromise and take the expectations one level down? Would it harm the ego of the rockers?

        Reply
        • Ahmad Saleh Al-Hamily says:
          February 15, 2011 at 1:28 am

          I dunno Narine.

          Going to bands practice it a show for me. Maybe building a network of practice based gigs is key. Why try to mellow music into a system that doesn’t want it. It has nothing to do with compromising. I like to play and sing about subjects that are serious and not so serious. I mean I could go political in a song and yet sing about the drum machine that I got. But the sound wouldn’t be accepted I suppose.

          I’ll give if a small example of what I’m trying to say:

          Two songs about coffee and Mugs

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBNNEd3_SnA

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGzgwbnB7eM

          I don’t think this would be accepted. period. despite the fact that these songs are about errrrm silly things.

          And I know I live in a different plant with this type of music and I just I dunno love it XD

          Reply
          • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
            February 15, 2011 at 12:28 pm

            Ahmad youtube for some reason blocked at work (don’t know the logic behind it). i’ll check your music as soon as out of this limited world here.

            Reply
          • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
            February 16, 2011 at 8:42 am

            yup I know exactly what you mean. I was just thinking to myself… i still am.. why not try and get a rock band play one song in an arabic concert?! no?

            Reply
  8. Dobokong says:
    February 15, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    My experienced was really bad organizing event in kuwait… specially a live concert… I did once, a live concert at the shaab park… but guess what… It did happened though, unfortunately I got the approval a day before the concert… all the band arrived 2 day before the concert… I’ve got my permit initially… the initial permit was cancelled due to unknow reason :) and lost thousands of KDs… Chao!

    Reply
  9. Rakan says:
    February 15, 2011 at 11:10 pm

    i dont know why people dont fight for thier rights in this country anymore. its like nobody has ever read the constitution.
    Article 34, look it up
    however there is a huge gaping loop hole, the two magical words “by law”, basically it says every “right” is actually a privilege, and the law can take it away if it sees fit. the writers were clever :P . but we should fight cause the dont give a reason whatsoever, and that IS against the constitution. but what do i know im just a high school kid :P

    Reply
    • Nariné (Kuwait Music) says:
      February 16, 2011 at 8:26 am

      well…life taught me that things don’t work by laws. Relations are everything Rakan. I learnt that even if you rightful, you still need to be ‘nice’ and patiently get the message through by being a communicator. Nobody will accept to carry out a job for if I force them to do it, but if I am nice and I take my time to explain to them then I have a chance to receive it on a golden plate.

      unfortunately we are in a day and age where we want alot of things, and we want them fast. We get a job and ask for a raise, we get a mobile then want to replace it with a newer one. If we only could take one step at a time and create a solid base to that step before thinking to move forward…. and you’re not just a high school kid. .. that high school kid in me still makes me believe I can do and achieve so many things the real-age me wouldn’t do :) .

      Reply
  10. Outsider says:
    February 21, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Guys,
    All of the above comments show a passion for music and a real desire to express opinions and to have a voice in an otherwise oppressive environment. In Kuwait you really do have something to sing / shout about with passion, the restrictions in Kuwait on civil liberties and the rights of expression are severely repressed, for me this should be fanning the flames for young upcoming bands to take up arms (guitars) and make a statement to challenge the accepted normality and languid attitudes. You can see what is going on around the region, real change is required but real action is required too. Singing about what annoys us is what Rock is made on, if that’s a girlfriend / wife / police / traffic / toaster it doesn’t matter. If you look in history when rock has really thrived is when the general population have a problem with the establishment (look at 80’s UK) (60’s&70’s US), this is when there was real passion for change and it was oozing through music. The question is, how do you breed this passion? It’s not by doing an insipid, conventional performance in lifeless auditorium without anyone dancing. It’s underground in dark, sweaty, intimate, electric environments where you can build on a small fanbase of connected people. It’s also nothing to do with drugs and sex, it’s about having a good time!! You don’t need to be off your face to jump of a stage into a crowd of people.
    If it’s a change in attitudes you want people will need to stand up and fight for what they believe in.

    It’s just do people really care that much??

    Reply
    • Ahmad Saleh Al-Hamily says:
      March 2, 2011 at 1:33 am

      I’ve been trying to convey the same idea for ages. Its good that shows are being organized every once and awhile but you just can’t focus on that as the only source for exposure.

      I really like this rely has something to say actually.

      Reply
  11. Simi says:
    February 26, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    Sorry to hear abt this Caesar… totally understand ur frustration…

    Reply
  12. Brandon Fernandes says:
    May 25, 2011 at 9:08 am

    why not ask some US ARMY personnel for permission to play in their bases or something :) , they might accept the idea + they could be the best form of crowd control if things go out of place.

    just saying.

    Reply
  13. jp says:
    May 28, 2011 at 10:12 am

    Um, any reason why my comment wasn’t published? Just asking, since this is supposed to be a forum to express views..

    Reply
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