Monday, August 17th, 2009
Amman, Jordan
What an awesome gig!! Thank you again to FlameOz getting the most rockingest of jobs - out in Jordan!! And who would have thought it - Jordan is just brilliant!! (how many more exclamation points do I need to stress that enough? - but its true, Jordan rocks).
Peacefully nestled between Iraq, Isreal, WestBank and Palestine, and not a million miles away from the UAE, Jordan is superficially quite similar to other middle eastern countries I’ve been to (Dubai, Bahrain), but so much lighter and more uplifting, and the heat there not so oppressive. It was a dry heat, so I wasn’t sweating buckets, but just basking in the sunlight and warmth mmmmmm
What stood out the most about the place was the amazing hospitality of its people. Jordan being a predominantly Muslim country, is not as strict and exclusive as Saudi Arabia for example. There are lots of women without covered faces, alcohol isn’t illegal there (not that I would judge a country on how drunk I can get there! hic!), and the religions are not massively thrust upon you, sinners! (there is also a small Christian following in the country)(…hehe just a little guy called Christain who goes round behind you the whole time…)
I really enjoyed waking up in the early hours upon hearing the first call to prayer - it is a very beautiful song and sound. Just so long as I could drift back to sleep again, that’s all good.
So, the gig - the main stage of the Amman summer festival, and event that runs through the month of July. Big crowds, arabic superstars, lots of fun!
AND HILARIOUS, we were the opening act for the various solo Jordanian heart-throb singers each night, and on the closing night of the festival was this guy —> called Hussain Selman… what a character! Hilariously, he took quite a strong liking to me backstage and gathered photographers around us to take photos of “his future bride”, then proceeded to sing love songs to me from the stage (much to the annoyance of the screaming teenagers in the crowd) hahhahah I might have been embarrassed if it wasn’t so damn funny!
And no, I didn’t succumb to his advances! He had all the airs and graces of a superstar and all the brains of a trampoline.
boing.
bye!