Rock N Rhythm: A bittersweet experience for fans
The rock concert featured Aurthohin, Shonar Bangla Circus, Karnival, Aftermath, Owned, Encore, Level Five, Savagery, Calypso, Chitropot and Ashes at the International Convention City Bashundhara on Friday
Going back in time, let's say to the 1990s, open-air concerts in Dhaka had a very different energy.
Outdoor concerts were more frequent and, needless to say, all the more wilder as it brought in huge crowds.
During their set list, being the flamboyant performer that Bassbaba is, he attempted a bass flip, which initially went horribly wrong as the strap disconnected from the guitar and utter chaos commenced.
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The crowd was desperate enough to topple over the barricades set by security or bind ropes together to use as grapple hooks to enter the already max-capacity galleries at the venues.
That craziness most certainly has dimmed down overtime, but the anticipation surrounding 'Rock N Rhythm' was sky high. It had been a while since the last time music fans in the city were treated to an open air concert that featured a plethora of popular bands.
The Friday night show at the ICCB Expo Zone, however, left fans with a bittersweet experience. Most of the bands' musical prowess was buffed over by the weak management and subpar sound system.
Stepping into the arena, you could feel the generic atmosphere that prevails in such concerts. It's the usual scene: fans donning band T-shirts, groups of friends sitting in a circular formation, couples having their moments of embrace whenever a romantic number is being performed. Of course, there was the constant, coordinated waving of the mobile flashlight whenever a well-known song was performed.
Undoubtedly the best parts of the show were saved for last, in the final two to three hours. The headliners sounded amazing!
Ashes is one of those bands that has a cult following that has transcended the borders of Bangladesh. It really wasn't surprising to see a massive influx of people rushing in just before Zunayed Evan and co. took to the stage.
Arguably the best part of Ashes' set was when the entire audience sang 'Tamak Pata' in unison whilst recording the performance on their phones.
As usual, it was down to the showstopper Bassbaba Sumon, dressed in a tan suit, to garner the most attention and probably the loudest cheer when Aurthohin got up on the stage.
Sumon later posted on Facebook "Ajker concert jiboneo bhulbo na! <3," which translates to "I will never forget today's show." However, the reason as to why he might have posted that might surprise you.
During their set list, being the flamboyant performer that Bassbaba is, he attempted a bass flip. It went horribly wrong as the strap disconnected from the guitar. Utter chaos commenced.
However, upon getting strapped on again, Sumon made another attempt at the bass flip, this time succeeding to a massive ovation from the crowd. Everyone had a laugh!
That wasn't the only 'technical difficulty' that Aurthohin faced Friday night. One of Bassbaba's strings broke during their performance. But that was never going to be a stumbling block for the ever defiant Sumon. He still completed the set despite having one less string to noodle with.
There, however, was visibly a stark difference in the quality of the management, sound and the treatment of other bands, before the headliners took the stage.
Owned is a band with their own niche following. Their fanbase made up a certain portion of the audience. However, the band was relegated to performing only three songs due to time crunch! That did not sit well with a lot of fans.
It was even more frustrating when Karnival got up on stage. Karnival is a band which makes its hay by virtue of the brilliant sound they create. You just don't listen to Karnival's music, you feel it. But on Friday, the reality couldn't have been farther from it.
The sound was so unbalanced that during the course of their three and a half song setlist, you could notice the visble frustration on the band members' faces.
"We had to get off the stage even before getting started. We know it's difficult for organisers to manage so many things, but what is the point of inviting so many acts if you can't grant enough time to the performers," said Karnival.
"There were some external factors beyond our control. We worked really hard to organise this event. As you see, most people came in late and the scheduled bands did not want to perform in front of a small audience. We also had to take breaks for namaz," said Iftikhar Ifty, MD of Adventor Communications (organisers of the show).
"We had to end the show by 10 PM, and because of unavoidable circumstances we were forced to shorten slots for some of the bands. Our hands were tied and we really couldn't do much about it," he added.
