The Killers at Sandance in Dubai

Imagine this: You are a mega music star.

Think along the lines of Beyoncé, Metallica, Depeche Mode or Jay Z.

You just got done touring Europe and you're setting your sights on the Far East or Australia. But before you make that trip, why not score one more major gig in between?

Enter Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

The UAE has quickly become the sandy highway rest stop for international rock n' roll tours and Dubai's Sandance, a five-star music festival, held on the beach at Atlantis, The Palm is among one of the best entertainment spectacles of the year.

Miranda and I, along with some heavy-drinking friends, descended on Dubai with plenty of good intentions. Of course, it was an epic adventure because I started the day at brunch with these lovely ladies.

I know. I am a very lucky man.

Then it was onto the Atlantis. When the sun was still out and with relaxed souls rested on beach towels in the sand, the show opened with The Wailers. Only one original member was there but it was quite a treat to listen to some good reggae in the middle of the desert.

The drinks started to flow and then the show took another step when Of Monsters And Men came on. I personally thought they sucked. Too many weak lyrics and they had no energy but the Brits absolutely loved them.

During all the madness, the place really started to fill up. Miranda and I found a good spot about 10 rows from the stage during the reggae so we posted up there the whole day. Somehow, our friends were able to find us. I think it's because we wore these red hats. Plus, I'm tall and that always helps.

The Killers were the headline act and they put on a pretty good show. We left just before their final encore because we thought we could get a head start on our exit strategy. Shot this quick video as we tried to break through the frenzied crowd...

Indeed, we were not so lucky with our exit.

The cabbies in Dubai are jerks. At least they were that night. Nothing like the honest and hard-working taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai drivers wanted to negotiate prices with you before they even unlocked their passenger door.

We were staying at the Fairmont at the Palm, which did not bode well for us. From the Atlantis, it would be a short trip and these jack ass cabbies knew they could swindle some big-time dirhams for other tired-legged concert goers headed back into the city. Many of cabbies straight up said "no" when I told them where we needed a ride. No bartering. Nothing.

So we got to the steppin'.

Eventually, we found somebody to give us a ride and we rested our rockstar bones in style by ordering room service and taking a late-night soak in the bath tub. Sorry, you do not get to see any pictures from that part.

The next day, I shook off the concert cobwebs, ignored that constant ringing in my ears and had little trouble trying to negotiate my way off the famous palm tree island in Dubai.

Yes, a very dangerous photo: one hand on the GPS, one hand on the camera while the wheel on the bus goes round and round...

It was another great 24-hour freakout in Dubai, considered by many to be the Adult Playground of the Middle East.

After we left the city limits and we're instantly intrenched by the desolate desert, it was just another high-speed, flat-out burn back to Abu Dhabi. Back to safety. Obscurity.

Fire too hot in Abu Dhabi

So the other night, I was grilling on my balcony when two fire trucks, an ambulance and an emergency pickup truck pulled up and created another traffic jam in front of my building.

"Trouble in the neighborhood," I thought, before flipping my steaks. I didn't think much of it at the time but I guess it sparked some interest so I snapped a few photos.

It was actually the first time I had ever seen fire trucks in this fair city. I feel like in America, they are paraded around all the time as they have a constant presence.

Not here. So any time multiple trucks show up, one would think something out of Backdraft is consuming a building with screaming orphans trying to jump out windows.

About 10 minutes after their trucks pulled up, I noticed a little commotion on the streets.

"Hmm, lots of trouble in the neighborhood," I thought before walking back into my apartment to pour another glass of wine. My lady and I were about to sit down to a delicious dinner and she was inside the kitchen working on mashed potatoes, fresh salad and sautéed mushrooms.

A few minutes later, I heard someone on the balcony next door screaming Arabic into a walkie talkie of some sort. Then it hit me... Oh shit.

The door bell rings.

Next thing I know, we had eight emergency responders huddled inside our apartment looking for a blaze. Most of them took off their shoes before they entered, which was polite but how are you going to fight a fire in your socks?

After they saw a dinner table set and when I showed them the two tenderloins comfortably sizzling on the grill, frustration came to a head and about half of them turned around and stormed out.

There were a few stern warnings from my building's security guard, who had to look tough in front of the almighty firemen but I think the general consensus was that this was a huge waste of their time.

It was the product of paranoid neighbors, I reckon. Sure I like to spray a little lighter fluid on the charcoals to get them going. What American doesn't like to do that? How else are you supposed to start a charcoal grill??



Are you even allowed to have open grills on the balconies in our building? I'm not sure. But this is not the time nor the place to start a debate. I was right; they were wrong. Let's leave it at that.

Oh, and after all the commotion, the steaks were delicious...