Not your typical musical ensemble- Missing Link certainly stands out from the local line up. Aside from playing genres that aren’t widly performed in Sri Lanka, the band comprises three doctors- one stationed at Lady Ridgeway and the other two at hospitals in Puttalam and Kalmunai, and a finance guy in Colombo. With their hectic schedules you’d bet they’d need more than just a love for music to keep their band functioning; they need unbridled passion. And that’s exactly what Missing Link has had since they started out in 2007.
The four folk, country, rock and retro musicians are all vocalists and play an instrument each. Allan Outschoorn is a guitarist, Suran Kuruppu plays lead guitar, Hirantha Ariyadasa plays percussions- Cajun, and Heshan Attapattu is another lead guitarist.
A four member band sans a bass guitarist playing folk and rock music might seem unbelievable but that’s where talent comes into play. The band has mastered a unique method of playing their instruments that they are capable of producing a ‘whole sound’ says Hirantha.
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| The foursome: Finding time for music amidst a busy schedule |
“The basic structure of the song is maintained” adds Allan, “we don’t change the songs too much and with just four instruments we make the same sound as a full band”.
The songs they perform come from various influences such as James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Guns And Roses. Missing Link steers clear away from the hacked songs though and cover the little-known songs that their audiences appreciate so much more.
And that’s what’s extraordinary about Missing Link- even with limited time, they’ve managed to perform gigs of high quality. A combination of talent, dedication and an ideology to produce music that they can be proud of is what makes the band stand out.
“We are quite particular about how we sound and we’ve invested in high quality sound equipment,” shares Hirantha adding, “we want to enjoy our music, so we first perform for ourselves and because it’s only when you enjoy playing does the audience enjoy the music too.” Lead guitarist Suran adds that the band tends to concentrate on sharpening their skills, instead of experimenting too much so they can ensure their performances are rock solid.
Having performed at a wedding recently and staying back for the interview, Suran’s spent a whole night travelling by bus from Kalumani and Hirantha a whole morning’s bus ride from Puttalam. They clearly have no gripes about the bus ride; performing music they enjoy and doing it well is all worth it. “The others I see from time to time during the week but Suran, I only see him on the weekends”, says Allan explaining how rarely they meet.
Though they have limited time, the band plays regular gigs on weekends and is able to schedule other performances, even during the week with some prior notice. You can catch Missing Link perform every Saturday at Breeze Bar except on the last Saturday of the month on which they perform at SSC. On Fridays you should be able to see them strumming to a Simon and Garfunkel cover at Ace Pub.
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