Two nights ago, we had the opportunity of attending a local gig: Unchained Melody – by none other than Stigmata, a metal band that carved a niche in Sri Lanka in their field.
This was our first time ever attending a metal gig and we’re not metalheads, but even we have to say that their performance was absolutely stellar. Opening the show, they had Sanjeev Niles, a classical baritone who consistently captivated audiences with his incredible vocal talents. The man’s vocal range was absolutely incredible; playing a mix of covers and originals surrounding the theme “darkness”, his beautiful renditions of the songs had the audience swaying on their feet, eagerly waiting for the next song.
Taking the stage, Stigmata too opened with a slow rendition of Unchained Melody to fit with their theme that quickly took on the band’s unique sounds and had the audience riled up for a night of metal in no time.
From what we observed of the gig, what we really enjoyed was the sense of community everyone seemed to have. It was clear that all the metalheads were there solely for the music; not just to socialise. That itself speaks volumes of Stigmata’s performance – they truly have an unbreakable bond with their audience and both were feeding off each other’s energy.
We had a chat with some of the metalheads on how they found the gig – especially since this was the first Stigmata gig in over two years. Binoy Abeywickrama enthusiastically expressed that the gig was brilliant. “As always, Stigmata gigs are something else; they have a unique vibe and we adore it,” he added.
S
hehan Rathnayake also shared that they really missed the experience of live original music, especially in the local rock gig scene. “It’s good to see that none of our boys have gotten rusty; despite not playing for two years, the boys are still on top of their game. Stigmata’s cover of Unchained Melody was a killer surprise,” he commented.
Asha De Silva exclaimed that Sanjeev Niles was a superb opening act; adding that he made it look effortless. “The whole gig was well worth the money and the feeling of nostalgia it evoked. I’m looking forward to bringing back the good ol’ days of regular gigs,” she told us.
We were fortunate enough to catch lead vocalist Suresh de Silva right after the gig, and he immediately questioned us on how we found it. Upon telling him that it was our first metal gig and that we were pleasantly surprised at how good it was, he shared that this sentiment was echoed by most of the guests as well. “A good 60% of the audience were people that turned up for the first time. We saw people from the fashion industry, we saw people advertising, entrepreneurs, and many people that turned up for the first time,” he told us.
On a personal note, he shared that this was their first gig in two years and they had a remarkable setup of event partners and people that came together. “Thanks to them and our team, I felt the show went incredibly well. Wherever there were small shortcomings and things to improve on, professionally, we will look into it in the future,” he stated. Some of these things were beyond their control, like the power outage at the start of the show, and the few power fluctuations between. “That’s why we picked a venue that could accommodate a good crowd – it had the rooftop, banquet hall, ample parking, and a generator,” he added.
On an ending note, he told us that he had been receiving calls the whole day from attendees and event partners alike gushing about how great the gig was. He added that even for the venue, such an event was a first, and even the staff there had received the show well.
When asked what they have coming up, he revealed that this was the first of a string of gigs that they are hoping to do. “We are very excited to build a bond with our audience,” he concluded.
