Dubai Sound City - countdown to the festival launch...

Organised and staffed by Liverpool companies, the festival has flown in more than 100 bands, including Happy Mondays, Echo and The Bunnymen, and The Human League, plus 40 expert speakers, coming in over the weekend on more than 1000 flights and altogether taking up 5000 hotel bed nights. It's enough to make your head spin.
"Booking this lot alone has been a mammoth task, and not without the odd hissy fit and diva distraction - mentioning no names," laughs Festival organiser and LIPA lecturer Dave.
"Everything has come together and teams in Liverpool and Dubai are burning the midnight oil to deliver what will be the most amazing winter festival in the sun.
"Now it is finally here it really feels like we have created something special.
"The next few days are going to be scary but if we manage to get through this then our amazing teams both from Liverpool and Dubai will have managed to do something that has never been done before.
"We are proud to be carrying the flag for Liverpool in what has become a truly international brand."
Dave's hoping that over the next few days he gets chance to actually watch the bands play.
Today's highlights will see performances from Happy Mondays, Ocean Colour Scene, De La Soul, The Courteeners, Gabrielle Cilmi, Wave Machines, Sound of Guns and Bicycle Thieves.
Tomorrow there'll be Super Furry Animals, The Wombats, Alphabeat, The Parlotones, Post War Years and Echo & the Bunnymen.
"I'm particularly looking forward to our old Liverpool compadres Echo and The Bunnymen after listening to their new album," says Dave. "Then there's Sound City favourites The Wombats, up and coming starlets Sound Of Guns and the office favourites Wave Machines."
Liverpool indie favourites Wave Machines are themselves tipping Post War Years.
"Yeah, Post War Years are the thing we're most excited about seeing in Dubai," says bass player James. "Although we've seen them loads, it's been a while since the last time, and we've heard reports that they've stepped up the octane level, bashing out tunes from their album which we haven't heard live yet."
South African stars The Parlotones add: "We're looking forward to some sunshine and heat after spending five weeks in Europe. We're keen to watch the legendary Echo & The Bunnymen. Our last show in Dubai was awesome so we're looking forward to playing again."
Dubai's burgeoning local music scene is just as important, and the best local bands are sharing the stage time with the top acts.
The headliners are performing at the Irish Village, while other key events are spread across the area's music venues including Chi@The Lodge and 360º.
And as well as the musical line-up, there's also a series of conference panels discussing the emerging music scene, at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, a five-star business hotel.
Speakers have included Bobby Talwar, director of events company Only Much Louder, that recently put on India's first international festival, The Big Chill, in Goa.
"Sound City is as much about doing the business as it is about the live music," explains Dave. "As with Liverpool we have brought in some of the highest level execs and new thinkers and doers.
"We have big wigs such as Alan Wills from Deltasonic Records, and as with Liverpool our aim is to look at the most pertinent issues of the day and try to stir things up as much as we can.
"We're also running late night secret parties and shindigs in some of the venues. These include the Alpha and Chi as well as the stunning 360 which is set on its own pier in the middle of the Gulf Sea.
"Year one is a real statement of intent. Booking this lot alone has been a mammoth task, but it promises to be the world's hottest winter music festival."

We'll be reporting on all the action from Sound City throughout the weekend. To see exclusive news, reviews and interviews, and to leave your questions and reviews, see the liveblog at http://musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/