Playback have the Porters’ dance floor packed on the weekends. We interrogated the band’s drummer Jimmy.
So how did Playback form?
Playback formed about a year and a half ago. Ashleigh [the singer] and I were already playing together and I knew Tom [guitar] from playing shows a few times together in England. Mark [bass] was the last member to join.
What are your most requested songs from the crowd?
Hmmmmmm… Either Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ or ‘Hotel California’ by The Eagles. They’re requested pretty much every night! Some guy keeps requesting ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ by Rednex, we thought he was joking at first but he keeps coming back.
What are your favourite songs to play?
We all have different favourite songs to play! For me it’s ‘Rock And Roll’ by Led Zeppelin, the drum beat is a lot of fun. Mark likes ‘Billionaire’ by Bruno Mars. Ashleigh’s favourite is ‘At Last’ by Etta James – she’s one of the greats! And Tom likes ‘Oye Como Va’ by Carlos Santana.
Do you have a song you like to use to get the crowd up and dancing?
Zorba’s Dance (a Greek wedding song) is always a crowd favourite. When Tom gets his mandolin out that usually gets people up and clapping and dancing. However we do not condone the smashing of any plates because we don’t want to foot the bill! ‘Twist And Shout’ by The Beatles and ‘Somebody I Used To Know’ by Gotye are also guaranteed crowd pleasers.
Are there any other bands in Abu Dhabi you enjoy watching?
Yeah we go and watch all the other bands when we get the chance! The current Harvesters band The Trix are really cool, as well as the guys at PJ’s, Heroes, Warehouse and Tipar.
What’s the hardest part about being a musician in Abu Dhabi?
I don’t think there is anything hard about being a musician in Abu Dhabi. We get to live in a great city, play at a great venue and meet cool people.
Porters, Grand Millennium Al Wahda, Hazza Bin Zayed Street (02 495 3935).
