- A tribute to Dr. Gayan Danthanarayana and Natalie Soysa
It has been a while since we have had the pleasure of enjoying the energetic experience of a metal concert. After a pandemic-induced hiatus of almost two years, the rock and metal community has been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to headbang to their favourite music from their favourite bands.
Raavan Kommand together with Third Ear Productions is putting that wait to an end, bringing ‘Fistful of Steel,’ featuring four prominent bands from the metal and rock scene of Sri Lanka; Genocide Shrines, Paranoid Earthling, Mass Damnation, Abyss, and a debut performance by Pharmakon Messiah.
The concert is also a tribute to two of the community’s fallen siblings and pillars of strength, Dr. Gayan Danthanarayana (lead guitarist of Neurocracy, and recording engineer), and Natalie Soysa (photojournalist and activist); the former having bid farewell to us in the wake of the first wave of Covid, and the latter having lost their valiant battle with cancer.
Brunch spoke to the organisers and the spokesperson of each band to find out more about the gig, the impact of the pandemic on their music, challenges, triumphs, and more.
The organisers’ perspective
Established in 2010, Raavan Kommand is an event organiser/distributor/DIY record label based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, dedicated to promoting local artists from the extreme (underground) metal scene in the island. The organiser has taken the lead in launching a series of metal concerts in Colombo, featuring bands from many cities around the country, as well as India.
Speaking to Brunch, Lahiru De Silva from Raavan Kommand said that the members of Raavan Kommand spoke to Third Ear Productions Curator Thushara Kulatunga in January this year. “We all wanted to plan a gig. We got suggestions from all the parties that would be involved in the gig and decided that the name of the gig would be ‘Fistful of Steel,’” he shared.
Third Ear Productions was founded in 2019 with the aim of promoting original music and its first production was ‘Tour of Wagon Park,’ a series of gigs where the popular ‘baila’ blues band performed in Galle, Kalpitiya, and at IdeaHell in Colombo, amassing an audience of 350 on average per show.
Chatting with Brunch, Kulatunga shared that they were looking forward to seeing the audience enjoying the music after a long hiatus. “All the health and safety precautions will be taken for this gig and we are also thankful to each of the sponsors and everyone who has supported us for making this possible. We look forward to a night of great music after a long wait,” he said.
Farewell to the fallen
‘Fistful of Steel’ is a tribute concert to two individuals whose passing has heavily impacted the rock and metal community – Dr. Gayan Danthanarayana and Natalie Soysa. “We have been very fortunate to have even known Gayan and Natalie. Gayan has been a source of inspiration and Natalie I believe we have known for over 15 years,” Chathuranga ‘C-Trident’ of Genocide Shrines told us, talking about the huge loss that the rock and metal community had suffered in the wake of their passing, and stressing on the fact that this gig was a way to say thank you to the dearly departed. He further stated that they would also be celebrating 10 years since their first EP release, which is also a milestone that they would be celebrating onstage at ‘Fistful of Steel’.
Genocide Shrines is a black/death metal band formed in 2011 and it has headlined at many of the extreme metal music events staged in Colombo and Gampaha. In 2013 the band performed in Thailand and in 2017 at the pre-party of Bangalore Open Air in India. It lays claim to an EP, one full-length album, two live albums, and two split EPs released by record labels in countries such as the US, Germany, Canada, Mexico, India, etc.
A time to create
While the pandemic did keep us away from going to concerts and public gatherings, many artistes seem to have taken the opportunity of isolation in their stride, creating art and conceptualising even more than before. For instance, Pharamakon Messiah is a band that actually started off as a studio project and came together entirely during the pandemic. It will be making its debut at ‘Fistful of Steel’.
Speaking to Brunch, Sharada Kalhara, guitarist for Pharmakon Messiah, shared that the lockdowns had also allowed for time and space for people to slow down, thereby facilitating a backdrop for more artists to step out in the rock and metal community. “The kind of music that we make really speaks to us on a deep level, and I think that keeps us motivated despite the adversities that we may face. We invite everybody to come and experience the wide range of metal music that will be played at the concert,” he said. Pharmakon Messiah will debut at ‘Fistful of Steel,’ presenting its original music with lyrical themes revolving around untouched topics, plunging stakes through everything normal.
A little awareness that goes a long way
The rock and metal community in Sri Lanka is one that has faced much stereotyping and bias for decades. However, the community has been growing and gathering more awareness with each concert that is played and with the incredible creativity that each band has displayed throughout the years, even representing Sri Lanka at international music festivals.
Sharing his thoughts and experiences with Brunch, Mirshad Buckman, founding member, singer, and guitarist of Paranoid Earthling, said that a little more awareness and open-mindedness can go a long way to support a genre of music that is as meaningful and unique as any other. Being a member of a band that has represented Sri Lanka internationally, such as at SAARC Bands Festival (India, 2009), the Sound Central Festival (Kabul, 2012), and at the Nations for Peace (India, 2016), Buckman says that Sri Lanka is afflicted by a lack of sponsorships for the rock and metal community.
“I believe that if we have more awareness about the meaning of the music that we play, we can gain more sponsorships. The lack of sponsors is a challenge that all bands face here and it is one that we will continue to face until we open up our minds to the genre of music,” he shared. His thoughts echo those of the other artistes, who expressed that there needs to be more awareness within the country for this genre of music.
To find a meaning
Artistes and creators often do what they do best, because they seek meaning and contentment in what they do. They find release and a sense of peace in the art that they pour life into. Speaking about why they do what they do, Tony Jayatilake of Mass Damnation – a band that has evolved into a solid symbiosis of death metal with progressive and melodic elements whilst staying true to its roots, since its inception in 2010 – said that they find a deep sense of meaning in what their music creates.
“I don’t know how to put into words why I do what I do, but I will definitely say that it is incredibly rewarding, especially when we play live. It may be hard to always sustain that, but we know that we are connecting with people in a way that is beautiful and fun. I think it creates a sense of meaning within me and I think that if I wasn’t doing this, I probably wouldn’t be this happy.”
Mass Damnation represented Sri Lanka at the Bangalore Open Air Festival in India in 2019 after it won the metal battle at Colombo Open Air that was held in 2018 December, and is now expecting to release a full-length album in mid-2022, which is anticipated to be crushingly heavy, innovative, and intelligent, marking a huge leap forward in the band’s songwriting.
Also taking stage at the concert will be Abyss, a metal band founded in 2014, known for its intense, heavy, and groovy music. Efforts to contact the band, unfortunately, proved futile.
Info Box:
Fistful of Steel takes place on Saturday, 2 April from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at IdeaHell, 45/6, Alwis Place, Colombo 3. Tickets are priced at Rs. 2,000 and can be purchased on the day of the gig at the entrance.