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| Sunday, 20 October 2002 |
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"We listen to a song, we try it once and we do our version of that particular song; `Sound Journey'- it doesn't sound like any other band," Shane Berenger, leader of the band, says matter-of-factly. Sound Journey has five members who claim to be a `very happy bunch'. The band includes Shane Berenger on Lead guitar and vocals, Bonny Appaswamy-guitar and vocals, Suresh de Silva- keyboards and vocals, Rohan Nethsinghe-bass and vocals and Reza Faiz on drums. What's the name to do with the music? "Well, sound is something to do with music and generally we are a loud band. And we ain't gonna stop here, we have a long journey ahead of us and it's Sound and Journey for us. It won't be a thing that will stop half way. That is the thing with the name," says Shane. "The group who came together as a band in July 2001 play at Rhythm and Blues every weekend and at Molly's, the Irish Pub on Thursdays. They also do a lot of concerts and other gigs. "In fact, we are planning to do a short gig in Bombay in December," says Bonny. Do they have a particular style? "Well, it's a varied repertoire, each person has his own style. I do my type of music and Shane does his, while Suresh, Rohan and Reza do theirs," says Bonny. "It's rather a rare selection," says Shane. The group that their selection is different and unique. Basically a rock band with concert inclinations, they also have alternative, soul and basic stuff, in their ever expanding repertoire. "We are certainly not only a rock band and we don't do common stuff either," says Bonny. Talking about the `Sound Journey'-men, Bonny reveals that all five of them have several years experience in music. "I've got 15 to 16 years experience as a professional and I have played in several bands in countries like Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Shane and Suresh were with Eternal Soul, with Judy about three years back." He also, puns on the fact that the band is named 'Sound Journey' because everybody has substantial experience and they are a sound band." What's their target audience? According to Bonny the band caters to young adults in Colombo, who go to pubs and who listen to their kind a music. They also cater to people who enjoy the 60s, 70s and 80s sounds. Do they have a fan club? Bonny smiles,"Definitely, we've got a lot of people who come regularly to see us in action, and fortunately we've got a very good line-up which is very compatible to the current music trends," What does `Sound Journey' feel about other local bands that do well in the industry? "Well bands differ, their music differ, each band has a different style and the end product is dissimilar to ours. There is no competition in that sense. The only band that does matching stuff is `Wildfire' which does the music from the same era," explains Bonny adding, "It's good to have such variety in Sri Lanka. It's totally live music and there's no competition since everybody seems to do it differently." Shane says that `Sound Journey' is a spirited band that recreate intense music. "There's a lot of liveliness in the band cause we hit it hard, it's not just listening, it's something to watch," he proceeds, "There are so many followers and age is no barrier for `Sound Journey' music. We cater to all ages." Are they satisfied? "As a leader, I'm totally satisfied with the band and it's good to have the kind of understanding we have as a team. We do a song today, but it might sound totally different tomorrow," Shane gloats. "We play it very loose, nothing is restricted," says Reza. Where do they stand among the lot of competitors around them? "We don't stand anywhere since we do it differently," boasts Reza. Nevertheless, Bonny admits that they are doing quite well with the rest of the bands. "We stand good and we take it as it comes," he adds. "I think we stand where we should stand and we hope to proceed the way we are and get better while we are at it," says Shane. "We want the public to come and see us," the bunch invites. What do they think about the Golden Clef Awards? "It is a good thing as long as there aren't any favourations," Shane grins. |
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