Well done to Carl & The Reda Mafia after the local band was selected to support Bon Jovi’s massive gig at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi. The amazing news was sprung on the band during what they thought was a regular meeting with their White Cube management to discuss their forthcoming album.

Frontman Carl Frenais said he and his bandmates “blacked out” for a few moments before going, well, a little bit loopy with excitement.carl-and-the-reda-mafia-1

Explaining that the band hadn’t even been together for a year, Carl told Hype: “To play du Arena alone is a massive step forward for us, but opening for one of the biggest bands in the world is something any up-and-coming band would dream of. The nerves will start building as we come closer to the gig but right now we’re still in celebration mode!

“The first song I sang even before a nursery rhyme was Bed Of Roses so this means the world to me,” added Carl. “We’re now focused on giving it our best and putting on a good show for the 25,000-odd people at du Arena. Luckily, we have some catchy original material that should get the crowd singing along before Bon Jovi take to the stage.”

The four-piece funk-jam/rock collective recently opened for The Wanton Bishops at The Other Side in Dubai and are putting the finishing touches to their debut album, What The.

Here’s some of what they do:

DETAILS: du Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Thursday, October 1, at 6pm, Dhs395 to Dhs895. Taxi: du Arena. Tel: (800) 86823. ticketmaster.ae