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| Sunday, 9 October 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Rock Saturday... the revolution
continues...
It was the September 24, a bit past 8 pm and the tone and ambience was just right at the Women's International Club. The garden at the location was brimming with groups of Rock music lovers who made it a point to come over to witness the Rock Saturday in spite of many events that took place in Colombo that night.
The atmosphere was highly charged with a combination of high energy and expectation of what Rock Saturday promises to deliver to this die hard following of Rock music lovers who have been instrumental in sparking off a revolution in originality that is sweeping this Nation today. The event although a bit late in starting off launched with Dilan Jayakody who severed the silence with his fantastic voice and acoustic array of originals and covers, a suitable warm up session. Classic Rock inspired Spitfire played an acoustic set of two songs, of which 'We all die young' from the Rock Star soundtrack was an awesome acoustic rendition of the song. Gospel Classic Rock Giants Noah's Ark took to the stage as a trio with front lady Raajnie shimmering the audience with groove, feel and plenty of soul. By this point the Women's International Hall was jam packed with Rock and Metal fanatics or simple music enthusiasts of all ages. It was time to end the acoustic set and new comers Siblings of Hatred and their black Metal attack had a good crowd onto their feet...and this was where the head banging had its initial green light.
Metal stalwarts Insanity ripped Colombo 7 apart with their tantalizing rendition of ACDC's 'Highway to Hell' and the band played a well groomed set of songs which included a couple of originals proving that they will be heavy stakeholders in the future of Sri Lanka's Rock movement as well. And then came the onslaught by the metal giants Stigmata. They practically ripped the audience in awe with their 'in your face' opener "My Malice." Although the song is relatively new it practically fired the audience in to a frenzy. Stigmata belted out a set of songs which included the new "Swine Maker" and "Lucid" which has become an anthem for the band. Paranoid Earthling proved to everyone why they are the Princes of the Hard Rock Groove, with killer originals 'Bringing Down the Sun', 'Half Cast' and 'Pull me Under'. The night ended in a fitting climax with Whirlwind, performing a heavily articulated list of songs with the combination of lead man Misha and vocalist Maria adding a haunting touch to their hard hitting sound. They also played a praiseworthy cover version of Cradle of Filth's "Nymphetamine". The September Rock Saturday was an experience of solid local talent going in the right direction in having developed music through which we could finally reach the world. It was personally a wonderful experience for me to see the Sri Lankan Rock movement headed by Rock Company growing into a steadfast, stable industry reaping new talent and nurturing artistes of all walks of life. The versatility was immense, though the sound could've been better considering the band's poured their souls out and it is a sad thing that there truly is no one in the country to provide a good sound system with a responsible crew to prevent any mishaps. However for the most part, the night was more than memorable considering that the bands and artistes outdid themselves despite the sounds being not up to mark. The audience was collectively encouraging with their encores and numerous support towards their favorite bands. Lastly the ambience of the venue is still lingering in my head because it is such a cool venue where one could access easily and also chill out and enjoy an evening of pure bliss. The September Rock Saturday was a totally satisfying experience that gave me a different kind of hangover of the very pleasant kind by being fortunate in attending a phenomenal gig. ..Well...intoxication does come in a myriad of forms...in this case it just happened to be Rock 'n Roll. |
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Anyone could easily identify a kind of brotherhood reminiscent of a
cult ranging from tattoos, piercing, jeans and leather attire to the
camaraderie among those who were present. Musicians from Rock Company
bands billed to play that day were seen mingling with the fans who
seemingly were gaining a lot merely by being able to chat to their idols
whose music they have come to love and adore. 
Only time will tell if Siblings of Hatred will progress to become a
more cohesive unit, depicting a larger interest in the music they make
rather than the image it sports. But this band was reeking with potential,
and they stand out from a lot of the Rock and Metal acts in the country at
present. 
