Metallic cocktail

By The Stargazer

If you took the time off on May 11, 2008 and took yourself down to Club Nuovo (Taj), you will experience a mix of bands that will take you on the ultimate psychedelic trip. Let the multicoloured illusions take you on a ride with the Paranoid Spirit.

"The theme of the gig is a psychedelic one," said Mirshad from Paranoid Earthling adding that although the bands will play their regular sets, the music in between and the general ambience at the show will revolve around psychedelic themes.

Three bands will take to the stage on the May 11 and what an interesting combination it is. Paranoid Earthling is of course no stranger to the scene. Being in existence for seven years, the Earthlings have built themselves a dedicated fan base. Their music, which can be called a mixture of hard rock, grunge and psychedelic elements, can make anyone go on a journey, which is what they want according to Mirshad, who told us that the purpose of this gig is to make the fans go on a journey beyond the earthly sphere. Paranoid Earthling songs and wallpapers can be downloaded on line at www.myspace.com/paranoidearthling and at the bands personal fan communities such as Facebook and hi5.

Sword of the Spirit (SOS) (www.myspace.com/swordofthespiritsl) is another band that will be playing the show and also one of the organisers of the gig. These guys will take the audience in a different direction with their intense but groove based thrash metal chaos. However, Hasyth, front man of SOS told us that just because they play heavy and intense music doesn't mean they will stray from the theme. "Metal in itself is a trip," he said. "We're looking forward to playing this show and tripping out with our fans," he added. The boys of SOS told us that they will be playing some brand new material of their own and also asked us to be ready for some surprise covers.

Last but not least are the dudes from Kandy. Forsaken is a thrash metal act which began in 2005. Since then, the band has played a number of gigs in Kandy and gathered themselves quite a following. This will be their second show in Colombo and will definitely be an act worth watching. Having seen them the last time they played in Colombo, I must say that no one is going to be disappointed with the show these guys will dish out for us.

There are rumours about little hidden surprises for the fans at the venue. What this might be, we do not know but you should definitely be there to find out. The event is scheduled to start at 6pm and tickets are priced at Rs. 500 per head.

The print sponsor for the event is The Sunday Times. So come experience the trip. Be a part of the psychedelic madness. And find out why the spirit is paranoid.