EVENT: FIREBALL III
DATE: 29th May, 2011
VENUE: Shilpagram
Ok, this has had some time coming, and I would not bother you with preludes.
So there I was, contributing to the mass for arguably the biggest gig around the year in great guwahati! The crowd was considerable, but a little more would never hurt! The sound was HUGE and the lights were EVERYWHERE, credits to the people behind the consoles!
The gig took off around 6.30 pm with a power-packed drum pad demonstration on behalf of YAHAMA ace acoustic junction which turned out to be much better than expected.
RECTIFIED SPIRITS- the local lads fired up FIREBALL III with their brand of thrash + neo classical melody + math core. Their set was TIGHT, ORIGINAL and ENTERTAINING. DARK HORIZON duo of vocalist Rainjong Lepcha and drummer superior Nishant Hagjer were the shining stars throughout their set. Rain’s high pitched vocal delivery coupled with some psychedelic reverb effects pulled off all strings ,much to the crowd’s visible approval. Nishant has built up a reputation for being extraordinary behind the kit each and every time he get on to pound, and he lived up to everyone’s expectations. Visually attractive and audibly pleasing would be the terms to define him. Rain was not at his usual funk, he was on much more. The only downer about hem was their short set. Just as the crowd was connecting with their music, they called it a day and left us wanting more.
DEFINITELY A BAND TO LOOK OUT FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALICE IN WONDERLAND- From the land of the great hornbill, they were the relatively unknown band at FIREBALL III (underdogs in sporting terms), and my word, they cooked up a frenzy! Although they did not get on too well with the crowd, I personally feel they are one of the most original sounding bands I have come across in the past two years or so. Electronic, melodic, ambient, LOUD, and ‘shirtless’ too (those who were present would get this). Their hyperactive stage act along with their bold, dizzy brand of music did it for many. Absence from the internet scenario does not help in today’s world and this was evident in their set, a bunch of well written songs, hooks and lots of hooks, yet unknown. Why? They are nowhere to be found on cyberspace.
ANOTHER BAND TO LOOK OUT FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHADES OF RETRIBUTION- BRUTAL, RUTHLESS AND IMMENSELY POWERFUL! Freshly back from the Deccan Rock Festival where they shared the stage with none other than the mighty Decapitated from Poland, it was evident from the moment SOR from Duliajan hit the stage, that, they are here to stay. Front man, Vedant inspires awe everywhere he goes, I had heard this time and time again; experienced it first hand when the metal hungry wolf pack surrounding the stage growled in unison. “VEDANT, VEDANT…”were the cries and my word, the manner in which he delivered. Sound issues plagued the band the most that evening but such was their prowess in hypnotism that barely anyone could take their eyes off the stage to utter their disapproval. Vedant had the crowd dancing on his fingers; he could make us do almost anything at his will. They started with ‘Aandulon’ and amazingly, the crowd (also the clouds) did descend upon us! “aah ulai aah”! ‘Bikhakto Homaj’ was up next and this boiled up the blood out of all Assamese ‘dude’s present. I could feel the Assamese soul in me rising and taking ground, so did everyone present I presume. Their next song was the aural onslaught that is ‘Mora XO’ and this was too hot to handle for the crowd.
The result: Broken barricades everywhere!
THE CROWD WAS FU***NG ALL OVER THE STAGE!!!!
All that seemed important was to get a close glimpse of the band that had managed to swerve their senses 360 degree total! The gig had to be interrupted for some time to let the band some breathing space. It took David Koch, himself, to persuade the metal force off the stage and thankfully almost 15 minutes later, the massacre just got worse with the penultimate ‘Bhogoban Kot?’ And suddenly they left, and they left everyone panting for more. Shades of Retribution is an experience in itself which cannot be comprehended in words! Make it a point to check them out at any given opportunity!
CAUTION: YOU MIGHT JUST BREAK YOUR NECK HEADBANGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
INSTRUMENTAL PROJECT- Mystically, a light drizzle did start after SOR left the stage. Holy Caesar, quite some timing for the rain gods! The crowd needed to throw some heat off and I needed to take a break! Resuming my pilgrimage, on stage was a cluster of prodigal musicians consisting of Mihir (ex-Eclipse) and Britanta (Silver Tears) on the guitars, Raktim (Silver Tears) on the keytar (yeah, and that’s not a typo), Joshiringdo (Dark Horizon) on the bass and Twinkle (Eclipse) on the drums. Their set was all about blazing guitar solos, thumping bass lines and a thunderous keytar attack. They displayed some heart thumbing instrumental virtuoso which would inspire every kid to pick up a guitar!
LUCID RECESS- The whole scenario changed when LR took centre stage and believe me, this is not an exaggeration. Now Lucid Recess is a band that has put Assam on the national map and it is all but natural that people do know them, and know them well. But the reception they received was something even they did not expect. I personally have been following the band from their inception and from my perspective; this was by far the best gig they have played! Everything was just spot on this time around, the sound, the stage act, the crowd connection, everything! No offence to the preceding bands, but LR did put their stamp on FIREBALL with an IMPACT which only they seemed to be capable of imprinting! One of the biggest factors contributing to their success would have to be their wide ranged domain! Almost everyone knew the songs and that does help! On top of that, they were displaying some rare stage antics which does suit them well! To quote Amitabh, “using a line6 wireless system is as comfortable as wearing a boxer”! Those who were present would tell you that LR was a spectacle to the eye and especially Partha was on FIRE! Until that moment, the night totally belonged to him. I cannot put in words the joy and charisma he brings into the band. Spot on throughout. Siddharth was the usual knight he always is and Amitabh was doing a fabulous job anchoring the music and leading from the front. No one could have mistaken their set. It was their usual set on paper, but this time, they had an extra dimension to it. They started with an improvised version of ‘Socially Active Warrior’ and they did manage to ACTIVATE the WARRIORS. ‘The Tribe’ and ‘Colorful Déjà vu’ followed. But the band reached the zenith only on ‘Painstaking Obsession’. It was a sight to behold. EVERYBODY AROUND ME WAS SINGING THE SONG (A sight you get to see only on live DVDs of your favorite ‘white’ bands).They ended their set with a very unusual rendition of ‘The Maze’ which went down very well with the crowd. Definitely the best closure to their dream that night!
After coming off stage, I had a quick chat with the guys and to my utter amazement, they confessed that all that could have possibly gone wrong, did go wrong. Partha dropping his stick, a random ‘stage walker’ tripping on Siddharth’s wire, a grasshopper dancing over his guitar and a spider crawling under his shirt etc, and yet these guys managed to pull off their best gig?
A FORCE TO RECKON WITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
INDUS CREED- I know I cannot do justice to anyone if I try to put this in words. Sorry guys, you got to be there to understand this part. A band at the helm of the Indian music scene for decades, the band most of us grew up listening to, and a band which I never thought I would be able to experience. I do not think I’m capable enough to review this particular band and I better not try. Just to give you a fair idea,
THIS WAS BY FAR THE BEST GIG I HAVE EVER BEEN TO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Individuals like Uday Benegal, Mahesh Tinaikar, Jai Row Kavi and the rest are the ones you get to know through the internet and mostly through the pages of your favorite magazines, and to witness them in their element is a pleasure that does not befall on us too often!
I’d rather suggest you to have a peek into the night through these pictures which speak louder than my words can.
Signing off, I would like to thank one person who often goes unnoticed because of the silence he maintains! DAVID KOCH. Nothing could have been possible without this man. He has been doing this and doing this for years, and yet, he is as tireless as ever. I feel blessed to have such a selfless and honest individual in my time. If you are reading this, just know that you are THE ONE and you are the REAL ROCKSTAR!
A BIG THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US!
- Deborsi Hazarika
(Photographs by Jyotish Dutta)
