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| Sunday, 17 November 2002 |
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Er..ok, so 'Stigmata' (ahem) has Andrew on guitar, Shehan on bass, Tenny on rhythm guitar, Dilukshan on drums and Suresh on vocals. "We are very selective about our venues," states Suresh, their leader adding the fact that they don't want to be one of the rat-race bands. "We played at MKOP, Taj at the Halloween Party and we've played at Clancy's once. It's just that we don't want to be confined to one particular place, 'cause the possibilities of going stale then are pretty high." When did they start playing? "We started something like two and a half years back, with a few Interact shows," taking a dip down memory lane. "The first major gig was at 'Circle of Life' in 2001, and Rock Cafe," Suresh talks.."Actually a band's demise or growth can be decided during the first year. Stigmata became a much tighter band during our first year, but we grew up," (they sure look) Stigmata did not want to yield to conventional needs. "We don't play conventional stuff, instead we chose to do it our way. We do different music and Stigmata is recognised as a 'Heavy Metal' band," they say. "We do covers of Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Led Zeppelin from the mainstream bands. But we also do music that's not heard much, like Iced Earth, Judas Priest, Cradle of filth and System of a down. Yet focus on our originals," Stigmata goes on. "We have lots of teenage fans, plus, the 40s, 60s folk who enjoy retro," Suresh reveals, adding, "Well, it depends on how open minded they are. If they have a flair for something different, they sure can come to catch our music. At almost every gig we see new faces, but we have a set crowd of about 200 to 300." Suresh defines "Stigmata' as a combination of honesty and originality that goes beyond money value. "That's what makes Stigmata what it is today," the guys say. We have a very unique sound of our own," they explain. "Each of our originals have an identity of their own. I think we are the only 'Heavy Metal' band in the country," claims Andrew. What has Stigmata to say in favour of the contemporary western music industry in Sri Lanka? "Improved. And it's good. There are lots of talented bands, who don't get a chance, which is bad," says Suresh. "The learning period is tough. People might try to overlook your music but you've got to learn," Shehan joins in. "But it's a wonderful thing to see a variety of music, and to have a band playing every night at different venues," they say. They don't believe in being perfect. "But we can come close to it and, it doesn't hurt to try. You've got to be a perfectionist." Talking about their debut album, Stigmata say that they want to do stuff that's utterly original which will hit the crowd, hard. "We are recording our debut album called 'Hollow Dreams'. We pay a lot of attention to what we do; from the structure of the music to the music itself. "Suresh says emphasising on the fact that when it comes to originals, they do things that interest them as well as the crowds. "What's the point in playing music that won't hit the crowds then nobody would care to listen? A lot of contemporary bands who do well in the field catering to all tastes, lack originality," they say. Where does Stigmata stand with the rest of the local bands? "We don't stand with them, we simply stand out," they crack. Nevertheless, Suresh speaks again on second thoughts, "Well, whatever said and done, the key to success is being humble. You've got to have your feet on the ground; forgetting where you started is pathetic." They also add the fact that they are willing to help anybody, " And that's being down right humble. Actually that's what keeps us going," Shehan says. How do they feel as a band? "Well, all five of us are different," they agree. "Not just living in general but individually we have such a clash in our music tastes." They say they hate pop. "You've got good pop music, well written and composed; we respect that. It's soothing to some.. all we are saying is pop happens to be something that's not in our system." Future plans? "To become better musicians. We have a long way to go and we are still learning," they say. What does Stigmata think about the Golden Clef awards? "It sounds cool, well the name sounds very effective," says Shehan. "We are looking forward to seeing what happens 'cause it's a good opportunity for us to know where we stand. Besides, competition is fun sometimes," adds Suresh. They say that the industry is in a cocoon. "As Sri Lankans, geographically we are in a lucky spot considering the fact that we get to hear different types of music. People should learn to give originality a chance; We are not talking impracticabilities here, it can be done," they echo in unison. by Umangi de Mel |
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About
nomenclature; "Actually we preferred something short, it's nothing to
do with the movie though, voice the outfit who have hit the high spots
they came up with 'Stigmata'(?!).
