The last time I had the pleasure of watching the Middle East’s premier rock band Point of View perform with guitar god Bumblefoot, it was on the small stage at Ibrida Club.
Two years later, and the stage was altogether much bigger as they combined again to lead a powerhouse performance at the Bahrain International Circuit
As part of the third Bahrain HOG Rally, the Dubai rockers performed a selection of their belting hits from their album Revolutionize the Revolutionary before being joined on stage by the magnificently-bearded axeman to perform some of his own songs.
At first, due to the festivalesque set-up of the arena, the audience had to watch from afar as the former Guns N’ Roses member belted out his ferocious tunes and screaming guitar solos.
However, after asking the security to open the barrier, the crowd poured forward to be right on the edge of the stage and create a more intimate atmosphere. This worked wonders for the small but energetic crowd, as fans lapped up the chance to be inches from the star.
In turn, Bumblefoot took the chance to go crowdsurfing and lie at the front of the stage while he shredded away … and posed for selfies at the same time!
Supported by the superb musicianship of Point of View, who have definitely stepped it up a notch and improved both their technical and showmanship ability since their last visit to these shores, this was
a concert that all fans of rock and metal who stayed at home should be disappointed they missed out on!
Two universal favourites, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Sweet Child O’ Mine, closed out the night and got a rousing vocal response from the audience who showed no signs of slowing down after head-banging and clapping all evening.
Earlier on, support act Hot Laser cemented their status as Bahrain’s best glam rockers as their energetic set filled with a mix of 70s classics and original songs set the tone perfectly.
The keyboard-led rendition of Aerosmith’s Dream On was a particular stand-out. Kudos to the team at
Clockwork for putting this gig together, and long may they continue their fine work to push the genre. Rock on!
