Rocking night

Power Metal, Melodic Death/ Thrash metal, Funk or Hard Rock… Whatever genre of rock that appeals to your soul – you've got a chance to experience it all! Just get yourself to "Live Rock Festation" and chill out, let your hair down or quite simply head bang all night through. The date for this out of the box rock concert is June 29, 7pm onwards, and the venue will be Don's Beach Hut, Mount Lavinia.

The beach theme will be accentuated during the concert, with the tag line being "come sink with us." Though the previous plan was for the gig to be held at a poolside, due to unavoidable circumstances from the venue's end, the date and venue of the concert had to be changed. According to the organizers, the event titled "Sundown Splash," will have much in store specially when it comes to variation. "This is probably the first time so many genres of rock music will be performed in one go," says Javeen Soysa of Tantrum, one of the bands organizing the event, along with Sword of the Spirit.

"A live DVD recording of the concert will be done as well, with extra footage of the bands performing. So this could be an interesting chance for you to be a tangible part of the whole experience," he said, adding that it is not going to be just another recording, with the beach and the entirely different atmosphere, give it that extra edge. "An after party will be held following the concert, so all of you present can enjoy yourselves right throughout the night."

Among the other bands performing, Merlock is a Thrash/ Power Metal act formed in the latter part of 2005. The band is a part of "The Rock Company" one of the most prominent outfits for rock and metal bands in the country.

The band generally deals with themes of human nature, emphasizing on the darker side of humanity. The band released their debut studio effort "Crimson Skies" in May 2007 and the track was welcomed warmly by the local metal circle. The track will also be featured in the long-awaited "Rock Company Compilation 3" CD which will also feature the likes of Stigmata, Tantrum and Paranoid Earthling. Merlock's line-up consists of Dumidu on vocals/ lead guitar, Sajith on guitar, Niroshan on drums and Dimuthu on bass.

Winners of TNL Onstage 2006, the FuzMechanX perfrom a fusion of Funk and Hard Rock. The band's musical influences are Audioslave, Incubus, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dream Theater and Steve Vai, with it being formed in January 2005.

They are currently working on an album to be released soon. The FuzMechanX is made up of Ravin on lead vocals and guitar, Roshan on bass and vocals, Jason on drums and Naren on Guitar.

"This gig will be a totally different experience mainly because of the variety in store. So that way, audiences will be able to expect something a little new. As for us, we do play quite a few originals, along with covers, and as future plans, our album release is on the cards sometime this year.

Stepping in at the last minute, Karmic Sulphur will be yet another band performing at the gig. "Our genre of music could be described as stoner rock and we play both originals and covers. Becoming a part of this gig was sort of a last minute thing, but we're looking forward to playing among bands from so many varieties of rock," says Thushara Kulatunga, who handles lead vocals of the band.

Explaining the situation of rock music in Sri Lanka as they see it, Javeen feels that though the support is much more now, there is still room for individuals to support this genre of music. "Compared to other countries in the region and elsewhere, the response and support is still pretty poor, but it has definitely improved over the years. There is great potential in this genre of music, and it's really impressive how so many talented, young people are getting involved and making such great music."

The main sponsor of the event is Red Bull, while the co-sponsor is ACBT. The web sponsor is Rock.lk, and the media sponsor is The Sunday Times. Tickets priced at Rs. 400/- can be purchased at the gate, as well as from any of the band members performing at the gig.