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First the good news: the California-based alternative metal band Alien Ant Farm (AAF) will headline the UAE's first music fest for teenagers titled Back 2 School. And the bad news? This could be your last chance to catch the foursome perform together on stage.
If the AAF's lead vocalist Dryden Mitchell's plans are anything to go by, the members have decided to go their separate ways. Dryden Mitchell, for one, is in the process of cobbling a new band with some of his rocker friends while the bassist Alex Barretto has been accepted into Berkeley to pursue a degree in music.
"It was bound to happen. We were friends for a long time and enemies for even longer. We have come to a point where we are ready to move on," says Mitchell who was on his way back home after attending a concert in San Diego.
The band - which enjoyed success with its major-label release ANThology in 2001 and became etched in a rocker's collective memory with their cover of Michael Jackson's hit Smooth Criminal at the same time - has seen a series of ups and downs.
Like all rock bands, the rise and fall of the AAF could be attributed to regular line-up changes and unfortunate developments like the winding up of record company Dreamworks who were slated to release their third album truANT.
Another debilitating setback came in 2002 when the band met with a massive road accident and left Mitchell bed-ridden for over a year.
"When I hear people commenting that we were brave to have survived such tragedies, all I want to say is that it is unfortunate that we had to go through such [trouble] in the first place. We were not brave, we simply had no choice but to survive it," says an angst-ridden Mitchell.
Cleaning up his act
But eager to turn over a new leaf, AAF's lead vocalist says that his new band would be a departure from the old sounds and will also give him a chance to 'clean up'.
"My new band, which is still in its nascent stage, will be more serious and heavier in tone. And this time around I will ensure that I am more aware of my surroundings and that I cherish the experience.
During the AAF days I was mostly in an inebriated state," says Mitchell, who adds that marriage in many ways had mellowed him considerably.
So does that mean it is time to bid goodbye to the quirky videos, that made AAF stand out from the regular metal-banging crowd? Case in point: the band infamously crashed the BET Awards, which had a scheduled performance by Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguillera for their music video of These Days.
"We did not take ourselves too seriously nor did we have this urge to be known as a cool band. We were more than happy to make a fool of ourselves. But that was then …" says an ambivalent Mitchell.
"If you want to catch all the fun that we had during our road trips, then get yourself the DVD of BUSted. It has all the fun behind-the-scenes, live recordings and a documentary too. Better still, you should catch all the action live in Dubai."
Talent search
It's not every day that an event tailored exclusively for teenagers makes its way to Dubai. For all those who are under 18, the UAE's first talent-hunt, part of the Back 2 School fest, will provide the perfect platform to showcase their talents.
Organised by CSM events in association with GEMS Education, a series of competitions to nail down the most talented photographers, rock bands, painters, writers and T-shirt print designers will be held at the event in Festival City this Friday.
Get in on the action
Date: October 17
Venue: Dubai Festival City
Time: 2pm to midnight
Tickets: Dh150 (single); Dh500 (family), Dh125 (single, Gems School students) and Dh450 (family, Gems school)
More information: www.back2schoolfest.com
Did you know?
AAF was chosen as headline act for the Back 2 School concert based on the results of an online poll among local teenagers, beating out Cheetah Girls and Sean Kingston.
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