By Qasim AbdAllah Moini
There is only one way to experience music - live, raw and in the flesh. The majority of local pop and powderpuff rock acts prefer to perform with the aid of various tools that ‘enhance’ their performances, namely digital audiotapes and CD players. Known as lip-synching, this totally defeats the purpose of performing live.
Thankfully, there has been a culture developing in the major urban centres such as Karachi and Lahore that promotes the art of live performance. Underground bands, to their credit, have been the nuclei of this burgeoning scene. More and more live performances by raw, unpolished bands should be promoted to not only separate the men from the boys, but to also give the record buying public direct access to the music of their choice without all the bells and whistles of the giant, multinational-backed mega concerts that have taken the circuit by storm.
RockFest has become something of a Karachi tradition that was started back in 2000. In its third avatar held on the 25th of October at a Karachi hotel, once again some of the best and most of the rest from the underground scene gave their all in a marathon show that lasted four and a half hours. This time around nine bands were featured, including Razm, Seth, the Northern Alliance, Drift, Faisal’s band (for want of a better name), Hell Dormant, Insanity, Wreckage and Paranoid.
The mostly male crowd (go figure) made up a colourful mix of questionable characters, metalheads and random hangers on. About 7:30pm, an hour and a half behind schedule, RockFest 2002 was rolled out as the forgettable Paranoid opened the show. One has to admit that the guitarist did a decent job on Iron Maiden’s anthem Fear of the dark, but the vocals were mumbled and needed significant work. The band also took way too long between songs and were not playing the crowd at all. It seemed they needed a severe lesson in Rock Stardom 101. Paranoid followed with Metallica’s For whom the bell tolls, but again the effect of this powerful song was lost due to chewed up words being delivered instead of vocals.
A band called Wreckage followed, and their Leader of men had a very Tool-like groove to it. Alas the rap-rock influences started shining through, as Korn’s Blind was covered. This guy’s vocals were much better than the previous bands’. Insanity took the stage thereafter, and followed up with more nu-metal schtick, as the diabolical Papa Roach was heard. But that’s what the kids of today want to hear. Woe unto these times. As the head grew heavy with the maximum wattage of the amplifiers and unusual scents started to sink in, the real bands started whetting the appetites of the gathered disciples of the cult of rock.
Faisal’s band (we are told this is a working title) opened with a Joe Satriani tune, and as they switched over into a Maiden song, this prompted a youthquake, as hyper young men jumped on stage for a synchronized head banging session. The lead singer definitely worked the crowd well, and the rhythm section was tight. The guitarist did a good job in relaying the Deep Purple, Jimmy Hendrix and Pearl Jam tunes they covered.
Drift were introduced as the band that would change the face of music in Pakistan. Now where have we heard that one before? But seriously, they were able musicians with taste, as the bass line from Live’s TBD was heard during their sound check. One can tell a lot about a band by the noodling in its soundcheck. Jim Morrison’s inter-dimensional poetry was employed to open their set, as they ripped through a close version of the Doors’ Break on through to the other side. At long last, Drift were the first band of the whole lot so far to attempt an original song. Three cheers. Unfortunately the vocals were drowned out in the mix, but the 70s stoner rock influences, especially early George Harrison was clearly audible in the tune Sit and watch the waves. Jethro Tull’s Locomotive Breath was also done - now that was a real curve ball.
Razm were the standouts of the affair for two reasons - they escaped the cliched alt-rock/nu-metal power chord crunching that every other band was using by playing quicker punk progressions, and they attempted Urdu originals. That deserves respect. The lead singer/bassist - clad in a black cloak and imitating Iggy Pop’s wild antics - was a burst of energy in what had been up till now a mostly staid affair. The band was strong in each individual discipline, as the drummer, having played with Najam Shiraz previously - treated the crowd to acrobatic rolls and a pounding double kick. A fiery version of System of a Down’s Chop Suey sent the crowd into a frothing, frenzied rapture. So strong was their delivery of the difficult tune that it prompted an encore.
Seth, a band that has made quite a name for itself in underground circles, flew in from Lahore to deliver its death metal odes. The pulverizing grooves and untamed growls changed the mood of the moment. As the guitarist donned a Jason-like ice hockey mask, the mosh pit started to form as the crowd responded to the thrash/hardcore riffs. It was difficult to tell if the band was doing covers or originals, as unfortunately, this reviewer doesn’t speak growl.
Hell Dormant and the Northern Alliance - or as some would claim pretenders to the Northern Alliance name - rounded off RockFest 2002 with intense performances, as by this time, the show had turned into a death metal bedlam with undecipherable lyrics and grinding sounds resembling the rotting corpse of popular music. Pandemonium can be interesting.
And so ended another RockFest. One hopes that this becomes a yearly tradition and inspires others to take up the Holy Grail of the promotion of independent underground music, freeing it from the clutches of corporate vultures. The only major gripe we had was the fact that most of the bands used the crutch of covers to help them hobble along their five-song sets. Until and unless you do originals, and that too in your own language, you will never gain the respect that a true musician and artist deserves. So march on towards your quest for glory, and let’s hope that these kinds of events flourish to promote the good, the bad, and the very ugly.
link : http://www.dawn.com/weekly/images/images4.htm
God bless u all…
DerVaisH