Music Above All: An Impromptu Gig Takes Beirut by Surprise

Back in 1969, The Beatles famously played together for the very last time on the rooftop of the Apple building in London. It was an undisclosed event meant to take the public by surprise. Last night, a similar happening occurred in Beirut when an unannounced performance took place in thriving nightlife hotspot Mar Mikhael, on a balcony, of all places.

The gig, which took place under the banner of Red Bull Vertical Stage, featured electronic music dynamo Liliane Chlela, member of the bands Hezbel Taleta and The DnB Project, and guitarist Mihran Gurunian, former member of the band Blend, currently playing with Pindoll. Both Chlela and Gurunian recently took part in this year’s edition of the Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp, which was recently held in Dubai.

The two musicians, perched on the balcony above local venue Radio Beirut, assembled their gear and plugged into an intricate audio setup which projected their sounds for the neighborhood to hear, recorded them for documentation, and even broadcast the whole thing online through Radio Beirut’s mixer.

For 45 minutes, onlookers below were treated to an experimental semi-improvised set of electronic beats and noises generated by Chlela, complimented by Gurunian’s drifting effects-drenched guitar work.

Could more unanticipated elevated gigs follow? Look out, and look up.