Thirty Seconds to Mars close Dubai Music Week with a bigger than big bang

Artifact is a documentary film directed by Leto under his pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins.

Jared Leto hasn't arrived. Well, that's what he thinks anyway. The Oscar winning actor, singer, songwriter, and director, was in Dubai with his band Thirty Seconds to Mars to close Dubai Music Week on Friday. Leto also had a special treat for super fans. At an intimate screening at the Dubai World Trade Centre, fans had the chance to see his documentary Artifact and sit in on a talk and Q&A session with Leto.
Artifact is a documentary film directed by Leto under his pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins. The groundbreaking film, which took almost four years to complete, documents the modern music business through the experiences of Thirty Seconds to Mars, who were caught in a legal dispute with their record label EMI, which filed a $30 million breach of contract lawsuit against them in 2008.
The film is an eye opener on the traps and pitfalls many musicians can fall into when signing a record deal. It gives audiences a glimpse into the corruption and abuse of artists' creative integrity for maximum profit. The film also depicts how the band came together during this difficult time in their professional careers to create their latest album, This is War.
"We did something different with this film - we brought it on tour," Leto said to fans after the screening, "and I've never done that with any films I've made and it was kind of a very fun thing to do, to take the film around the world and play it for different people and interact with people and talk with them about it. That was a real gift, because the film was incredibly personal. I mean I literally took you into my house in the movie. I've never done anything like that before."
Seeing Leto up close, it wasn't a surprise to note that he was dressed in a way that only he could get away with. With a tie dyed, rainbow shirt and slicked back, pink blond hair, remnants of his latest role as The Joker in the much-anticipated upcoming superhero film Suicide Squad were still there. Despite his dark style and surreal wit, Leto engaged with fans in an open and genuine manner, sharing his experiences about the difficulties he's faced in the music industries and his career as an actor.
"It was the most difficult time of our professional lives," he says, "it taught us that really important lesson that it is an absolute necessity to fight for what you believe in no matter what the cost. I remember many nights trying to go to bed thinking, oh my God, I'm fighting this entire industry. Are they going to blacklist me or are they going to stop me from ever releasing the album? Are they going to ruin my career?"
Leto's career has been far from ruined despite Artifact, which raises a lot of important questions about corruption in the music industry. This is War sold nearly four million albums and over one million singles worldwide. Since its release, Leto has appeared in films such as Mr. Nobody, Dallas Buyers Club, for which he won an Academy Award and the upcoming Suicide Squad alongside actors Will Smith, Ben Affleck, super model Cara Delevingne, and Emmy award winner Viola Davis.
"I can't wait for you guys to see this (Suicide Squad)," Leto laughs, "it is so strange, they are going to lock me away in a box after this movie comes out. It is . . . I don't even know what to say."
Beyond his singing and acting abilities, Leto is also known for his philanthropy, supporting causes such as Childhood Diabetes and Habitat for Humanity to name a few. More impressive to add to his list of accolades, Leto is the founder of VyRt, an American provider of on-demand Internet streaming media, which features digital distribution, online shopping and also includes social networking. It's a venture that came out of his frustrations with what was lacking in the music industry.
"I think it's common for most artists, the biggest artists, to make a lot of money so the record companies pay them because they are making so much," he says, "the big artists subsidize a lot of risk out there but it's a shame because there should be a way for artists, who only make 5,000 views to have some kind of return on that. And that's why I started VyRT. You can make a living on VyRT sharing content. You can make enough money to make more content. If we didn't have VyRT we couldn't have content, we couldn't record shows and broadcast shows live."
Leto explained that digital technology is obviously the way forward in music, though it's not particularly clear how that will shape in the industry in the future.
"I think the (music) industry is in a really interesting spot. The good thing about technology is that it's given us the opportunity to distribute our music and to convey our message, and when I say 'our' I mean all of us. You can distribute any kind of content you want. You can go home tonight and write a song and put it on YouTube and if two or three of your friends like it, then they can tell another 10 friends and a hundred million people can hear your song."
Where Leto really shines, where you can see why he is so passionate about creating moments and sharing his music, is on stage when he's performing live. Thirty Seconds to Mars closing Dubai Music week was definitely a show to remember. After local supporting band Juliana Down warmed up the crowd, Thirty Seconds to Mars took over the stage. Leto ushered the crowd into the theatrical music world of his mind.
The show started with a dramatic playing of O Fortuna from Carmina Burana where Leto then emerged to face his frenzied screaming fans. The T-shaped stage was his playground where he entertained not only with his intrinsic performance, but involved the crowd in any way he could. Interacting with people, humouring them, asking for requests and their opinions on which social media platform he should upload videos he took of them. There were glitter bursts and beach balls floating over the crowd while Leto changed the tempo from acoustic songs to hits from This is War.
It's hard to imagine how one person can have a strong drive both on stage and off the stage. Leto admits that it doesn't come from a place where he is secure in his own success but from a much deeper, evolving space.
"I've always been compelled beyond a reasonable doubt to do what I do. I don't think I would continue to do it if I wasn't compelled," he says, "Life is too short. You absolutely must do the thing that you love to do, even if it means it will be a very difficult path. You know how many days I had where I thought I would never, ever, succeed in music, in film, in any of it? All of the time. I never had it pre ordained, written anywhere. I was never handed a key to the kingdom. In fact it was the opposite, they tried to kick me out many times. It was only through hard work, perseverance, passion, commitment, that I was able to make a life for myself doing what I was compelled to do."
Even when it comes to his definition of success Leto finds it as a developing idea as opposed to a concrete or material thing.
"I used to think when I was younger, once you've succeeded you're there, you've arrived at a certain place. But there actually is no arrival. It's always evolving. You always have to keep working really hard, you have to keep the next dream in sight, in your mind."
When asked what the future holds for him, Leto was a bit cryptic with his answer.
"I don't know. Maybe one day I'll just pack it up and walk away, just take a long walk into the desert. That would be interesting. It's a beautiful world out there. I think I'll keep doing this as long as I'm compelled to do it. I don't know what the future has in store. We'll see."
Before you get disheartened, the future is definitely looking bright for Leto. With a few personal projects Great White Open and Beyond the Horizon coming out within the next year and being reportedly worth over $40 million (Dh147 million) we doubt Leto will be going anywhere. Despite all of this, Leto doesn't seem to take anything for granted, believing that none of his success or work can truly last forever.
"There is never a time where you achieve something and it's there forever. All of it goes away. So all of my life, my work, it will be gone at some point and that's what makes it special. It's a moment, in time. A very precious moment in time for me. I am very grateful that I've been able to achieve my dreams and I think what's special about some of my dreams is that they are reliant on the dreams of other people. I couldn't make and share this film if it wasn't for you. I couldn't play this concert if it wasn't for all of you. So having to rely on you and needing you to believe in me, makes everything even more meaningful."