TIME TO ROCK: Band members of Five A.M. performing at The Grill in The Grand Hyatt Doha on Friday afternoon.

Local band Five A.M. put up a spirited live performance that included
some old classics and recent chartbusters. By Anand Holla

A breezy afternoon of a November Friday lends itself rather well for some good ol’ free-flowing rock music; more so, if the band happens to be having as much fun as the crowd that is grooving along even while tucking into its brunch.
Qatar’s home-grown multi-national rock band Five A.M. put out a spirited performance at a cheery rock n’ roll brunch at The Grand Hyatt Doha’s The Grill on Friday, surrounded by Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Featuring Malaysian expat Mohammad Rizal or Riz and Danish expat Maiken on the vocals, Singaporean expat Mohamad Agil or Mo’ on guitars, and Filipino expat brother Rich + Peps on drums and bass, Five A.M. truly represents the melting pot of cultures that Doha is.
“Our band has never been limited to one nationality,” frontman Riz says, soon after the concert, “It’s been three years since we have been performing live shows in Qatar, and we have had a British bassist, an Indian drummer, you name it.”
The coming together of musical talents from various parts of the world sparks off something rather unique, feels Riz. “Being part of Five A.M. has been an interesting experience because you work and bond with people who have influences not just from different styles of music but are also culturally different,” Riz points out.
As the mild pre-winter sun bore down gently on the covered lawns outside The Grill restaurant, the band belted one power-packed rock number after the other. After kicking off in style with Rolling in the Deep, Wonderwall, and Wanted Dead or Alive, the five-piece group kept the energy high with a good mix of old school classic rock and the more recent chartbusters.
Sample some of the songs from their setlist: Pride and Joy, Smoke on the Water, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Run to You, With or Without You, Born to be Wild, Highway to Hell, Smooth, Pour Some Sugar on Me, My Sacrifice, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Satisfaction, All the Small Things, I Hate Myself for Loving You, Take a Look Around, and Smells Like Teen Spirit.
“When I arrived in Qatar, there wasn’t much of a live music scene here,” Riz says, “You had these bands playing in the lounges but we wanted to listen to solid rock music that we, as students, would be playing back home. I wanted to form a rock band. By getting in touch with like-minded musicians through Facebook and avenues such as Qatar Living, gathering at someone’s home and jamming, we took off.”
Things started getting serious when hotels and clubs began inviting the band. Riz recalls, “Around three years back, Admiral’s Club organised a series of band performances. We started there. A lot of bands you see in Doha also started out there.”
Soon, the band started getting more serious about their music, and more professional, too. “So we began building a home studio. Previously, it used to be just my guitar and a drum machine,” Riz says, smiling.
Five A.M.’s repertoire traverses rock music from the ‘70s all the way up till now. “We sometimes play metal if the crowd looks like it’s into it, like we play Deep Purple and Black Sabbath in Rose & Thistle or such venues,” says Riz.
The event, in association with Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, had patrons dig into their scrumptious rock n’ roll brunch of American cuisine, while the band played on a three-hour-long set.
“The rock music following here in Doha is great. Many Western expats are into classic rock, while I find a lot of Indian expats are into heavy metal. We get to play across a range of genres, thanks to such a diverse crowd,” says Riz.