By Nishal Lama
While Bangalore is gearing up for one of the biggest music festivals in the country – The Summer Storm – people, too, seem to be waiting for the gig in anticipation, of course with the metal horns raised up in the air.
Raising the bar on music, Boomerang, the band from the distant land of Mizoram, rocked Hard Rock Café, Bangalore, in a gig yesterday. It was a warm-up session for the band and to give the public a taste of what was lined up for Bangalore on May 15. The band will be opening for the Summer Storm Festival, where the quartet will share the stage with Lamb of God, the headlining act. Other bands playing will be Scribe, Mumbai, Extinct Reflection and Bhoomi from Bangalore.
Sitting on couches, just before the gig, just after sound check, we sat down for a chat about their music, Mizoram and the road ahead. For first time, for a music festival in the city, of such magnitude, a band from the North-East of India will be playing the opening set.
The band members are Atea (vocals), Boom (Guitars), Joshua (Bass) and RS aka Rosangliana; while the latter two preferred to be the silent listeners throughout the chit chat, Atea and Boom did all the talking.Extracts:
MyBangalore: Sharing a stage with a band like Lamb Of God must have been a dream come true-especially for a band from the North-East. What will be the celebration like?
Boom: When we first heard about The Summer Storm Festival, we just wanted to get access to the concert (that happened a few months back), wanting to see them performing. And now, we will be playing at the same concert. It’s a big thing for us, super big (laughs). We didn’t expect such an unexpected thing to happen. We are delighted and will try to bring some great music during the concert.
We don’t know about celebration, but this is definitely a great thing to look forward to. I am sure we will be able to deliver some great music in days to come, but we definitely hope that the best is yet to come.
MB. How old is Boomerang?
Atea: We formed this band in 2005, and have been playing together ever since we did a local gig in Mizoram. It was small, but it made us realize that the four of us could bring in some great music together. It has been a delightful journey so far, but we hope to make it better. The improvisation always continues.
MB. What is the Boomerang sound?
Boom: Nothing. We like to call ourselves a junk-rock band (laughs). Well, on the more serious note, I think our music is blended with a bit of jazz, funk, rock and metal. Blues inspire us a lot as well.
MB. So, what does Boomerang listen to when they are not making their own music?
Atea: Since Rage Against The Machine (RATM) is one of our favourite bands, we love to listen to a lot of their numbers. But there are others like Incubus and John Mayer that we love to listen to as well. But, RATM will always be our favourite.
MB: It’s believed that North-East India has some great musicians, but they are not exposed to a platform like this. What’s your take on that?
Boom: Yes, music is something that people are quite acquainted with in our state, and it’s the same with other states like Meghalaya and Nagaland, amongst others. Lack of platform is a major cause of concern for musicians there, for they don’t get the right stage to exhibit their talent. If these things are looked upon, then I am sure there will be some great bands that can come up.
MB. One of your favourite bands from the country?
Boom: Soulmate from Shillong. They are incredible. Tripti (Vocals) and Rudy (Guitars) make an amazing pair on stage. But there are others like Junkyard Grooves, Thermal and a Quarter that we love listening to. There are lot others, but it will be difficult to name them all.
MB. Is this your first gig in Bangalore? What do you think about this city?
Atea: No, we have played here a couple of times already. We remember playing in Kyra and B Flat where we got a very nice response.
Bangalore is a great city, and it’s a great place for musicians too. That should be one of the reasons why the city has always got gigs happening. The crowd is very responsive and it’s a great place for any band to come and perform. Onlookers always matter during live in concerts. We have had a great time here so far.
MB. 15th will be a big day. What are your expectations?
Boom: We are not really a great fan of metal music, but Lamb Of God is definitely huge. They are our favourite when it comes to this genre of music. We love listening to their music. Needless to say, we are looking forward to be performing in the concert.
MB. Have you got anything special for the day?
Atea: We will play music (that’s the whole idea), some good music (laughs). We will be playing all our own compositions, and hope that people will be receptive.
[ via mybangalore ]
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