Stigs back in action

You are about to get a sneak peak into how you can add a twist to a warm, lazy hazy Sunday afternoon! Does this sound enticing?

Rock-n-roll, cartoon characters and an old school 'Western' style theme… What do all these have in common… you may wonder? Well, read on…

It all starts with four bands with four different kinds of heavy metal music taking the stage. These diverse bands include 'Stigmata,' 'Paranoid Earthling,' 'Ritual' and 'Sword of the Spirit.'

"We have been together for seven years," said Suresh de Silva the lead singer of the popular band Stigmata.

Stigmata has released two albums, 'Hollow Dreams' and 'Silent Chaos Serpentine,' which, according to Suresh, have been, well received at home as well as in Japan and the Maldives. The result… they have been called to play in a couple of festivals around Asia.

During the course of the year the band has decided to organize five concerts; out of the five the first, 'Chaos Invited,' was held in May this year and had been a rocking success.

The other will be 'Wanted.' One of the ideas behind having this concert is because a lot of people will be down for their summer break. The name, 'Wanted' Suresh explains is in keeping with their 'old school western style' theme, adding, "We have always been associated with very serious ideas in our music," so they have decided to, "turn the tables and have some fun."

When looking at the poster for the concert itself, you get a feeling that this might be something different to look forward to, and Suresh went on to say that "no-one has ever used this popular animation" for a band in Sri Lanka before. "People who are passionate about rock ‘n’ roll will come" and at the same time, he feels this idea, may bring "a lot of people who are not Stigs fans to come check it out."

"A lot of people will be down from abroad," Suresh said and the summer concert this month is said to add a twist to your summer. The bands will be covering various aspects from covers to originals and will be mixing them up.

The venue once again is Clancy's. Why Clancy's you may wonder? What Suresh says is, "the earlier gig was also at Clancy's and the place has a chilled out atmosphere and ambience," adding, "we find that Clancy's seems like the ideal place to have the gig." In addition, parking in the city is an issue therefore, when it comes to parking there is plenty of room. He also went on to say, "there's a common vibe associated with Clancy's and rock-n-roll events."

They will be playing a couple of new tunes and these are said to have a different concept from the previous ones which were of a serious critical view on current contemporary society. The band is in the process of composing a new album, which they will be releasing soon. "For the new record we wanted to do something different," Suresh said, and the best way to describe the content of the upcoming album is as "psychic voyages and out-of-body experiences!"

"A lot of people who disliked us before, disliked us because we were not good at what we did but we are not the same band we were seven years ago." And you are assured that "This would be a good reason to listen to something different."

Suresh went on to say, "A lot of people don't like rock ‘n’ roll because they don't understand the music," however, "the genre we play incorporates different styles, from soft and subtle to heavy arrangements."

"We rehearse everyday" and a lot of work has been put into this gig and this is "not like the kind of theme that is expected for a rock ‘n’ roll gig," in addition, "the bands will be playing music to go with the theme" and they "want to take it totally out of the box!"

On the topic of the music world, Suresh said, "To create something with artistic value you have to be creative and explore new ground," adding that, "in the music world the period of two to three months is significant to either progress or regress," therefore he feels the concert will be a good opportunity for other artistes as well.

All the bands will be playing a concise and precise set each. Therefore you are assured of not being bored due to the four different styles of heavy metal music. "Come and listen to some good music on a Sunday afternoon – unwind and relax and get a full experience of who and what we are," he said.

The music industry, Suresh went on to say is a congested one, and that "a lot of people are doing a lot of things but not many are ground breaking," and, "the diversity of this show (he feels) is the selling point!" Clancy's as you may know can only hold a limited capacity, so make plans and come a little early, chill and relax before the music starts as 'The Outlaws' bring you, 'Wanted' on Sunday, July 15, at Clancy's from 3.30pm to around 7pm. The tickets will be priced at Rs. 500 and ladies… you can walk in free of charge! The premium sponsor for this event will be Red Bull while the electronic media sponsors are YES FM and MTV.