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| Sunday, 26 January 2003 |
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They may not even have that typical 'rock' look and may even have the looks of a gospel band. But the four guys who look simple and down to earth, play a bit of gospel tunes and are Christian to the core, are reluctant to call themselves a `Gospel' band. Instead they prefer to classify themselves as a rock band and go by the unlikely moniker 'Mute', all things that are soundless, dull and boring. Needless to say the name gives no indication of their power playing. Nevertheless, dedicated band comprises Ravin on bass, Sanjay on lead vocals, Amrik on drums and Warren on guitar. "We started off as an alternative rock band but gradually got down to playing hard rock. It took us about six months to come up with a name," says Warren. Counteracting the `Mute' part of it, their music got heavier, he says. They prefer to call themselves a `rock band' since they play all kinds of rock, soft, metal or hard. `Mute' came together as a band in September 2001.."September 11th, to be precise," chuckles Warren saying that it was a total coincidence. The foursome that started with a boom on an indelible day, performed their first ever show with `Kreb's Cycle'. "It was at `Bliss' in March 2002," they say. In the same year, the foursome performed at `Escape', a charity show for abused kids. The guys have also played at 'On stage 2003' and are proud when they say that they made it to the semi finals. "We played at the `Den' and the same year, we had a chance to do a guest performance at Crescat with `Phase 3'," says Warren adding that it was an unplugged session. "It was the first time we played unplugged and I thought the response was quite good," he says. Like many other bands `Mute' doesn't play at a fixed venue. Surprisingly, they don't seem to mind. "During the last year, we played a lot of alternative stuff like 'Life House' and 'Creed' before our play list got heavier and we switched to playing stuff like 'System of the Down, 'Nickel Back' and 'Godsmack'," the guys explain. Talking about original music, they have come up with two songs called `Sinner' and `Lately'. "Those are written by Ravin," Warren reveals. `Mute' is yet another band that manages sans a leader. According to the guys, each one has an equal say. "We've played in church and therefore we know each other too well to pick up fights. So far we haven't had any conflicts," Warren says. The conflict-free band caters to the needs of gospel music lovers, though in a different manner. "We re-do a few gospel tunes into rock. We do it in such a way that people heads bang to it," he beams insisting that they are not a gospel band. According to Warren, Sri Lankan rock bands lack recognition and exposure. "Rock music is the fad now. People who have no idea about rock music,the bands says. They are of the opinion that there are only a handful of genuine rock bands in Sri Lanka. "Switch on the television, you get to see lot of bands playing Sinhala tunes, but sad to say the number of bands playing English music those are few and far between. They add that the band 'Wildfire' has caught on like Wildfire although. "We've got so many other upcoming bands that are equally capable of rocking the country they lack the exposure," they elaborate. They recognise `Stigmata' as one of the best upcoming bands. "Stigmata is quite good at playing classic rock. Most of the songs are of a high standard." In his opinion, the bands that are diverse should try to concentrate most on what they play best. Warren thinks that the clubs should assist more young bands giving them a chance to play. At the same time, he insists that senior bands should make more room for the young groups. `Mute' is a band that loves their crowd. "People who come to see us in action are really into rock. They enjoy our music which is pretty encouraging". Their ultimate goal is to produce music that will have a greater impact on their audience. "All four of us come from strong Christian backgrounds. And we are pretty selective about our play list. The lyrics matter a lot. Cause we want the 'heart broken' that come to us, to go back in high spirits." they say. Passionate about rock, the young foursome say that they plan to launch themselves properly and make a real comeback, this year. "Ravin who is just 15 has to finish his Ordinary Level Examination after "which we plan to start all over again and do a few gigs," he says. by Umangi de Mel |
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Rock Music... soft rock.. hard
rock... passionate stuff that pull at the heartstrings.... This is their
kind of music, melodies that have no barriers, but synchronise with lyrics
that are sweet to the ears. They might not be tattooed or pierced all
over.
