The Uprising | Cover Story

In the last 10 years of live music scene, 1999 and 2000 saw a distinct group of musicians and audience that would take upcoming rock bands to new heights and start a concert culture for a whole new generation. Listing names from the era is not a difficult task; Smarika [Xmarica], Albatross, Flower Generation, Axata, Garima and Monkey Temple.

The International Music Festival (Tudhikhel) 1999 was the first big event that Albatross and Xmarika performed in. In fact, Smarika got invited to play for the same in Basantapur as well. But the concert that really put these two bands in the limelight was 25:99, a rock-concert and dance party organised by Vibes.

25:99 also showcased some of the best upcoming female singers Axata, Sabina, Brinda. Nirnaya, now a famous rapper in Nepal, also sang his original rock version of Bring da' House Down with The All Stars, which was basically Xmarika with Samir on lead guitars. It was the first time Albatross watched Axata perform live. Later that year Albatross invited Axata to fill in as female vocalist for their regular Friday night modern rock gig at the Bamboos Club, Thamel.

By the end of 1999, Albatross was getting invited for several concerts around the city, doing a few college and small venue gigs and continuing their Bamboos stint. They had earned a reputation of a modern rock band covering the likes of RHCP and RATM with Nitesh on vocals. They had only recorded one single at BMI, Broke 17, which had received airplay on KATH 97.9 FM [now Image FM]. Xmarika and The All Stars on the other hand had gotten busy in the hotel circuit, doing seasonal shows at venues like The Radisson and The Annapurna Hotel. Xmarika had cut down on small gigs at the time as they were busy working on originals to record an album.

2000 wasn't very different for those that had gained fame in the local concert circuit the previous year. It was the new comers, Flower Generation, Garima and Exteremists that would prove to be a significant addition. Flower Generation released their single Flower Power in the summer of 2000 which soon became a hit on KATH 97.9 FM and earned a small fan following. The band soon released their full- length English album, the first of its kind for not just an upcoming band but any Nepali band in general. It was a distinct rock album with hints of folk/ retro rock in it. In summer 2000, Vibes organized its second concert with Albatross, The All Stars, Xmarica, Extremists, 3rd Grade Chaos, Saboteur with Garima and Robin N Looza:. 3rd Grade Chaos and Extremists [blues rock] , were formed just for the concert. Extremist's lead guitarist Angel's younger brother Alice is on lead guitars in Cruentus. 21:2k For The Love of Rock, was also Garima's debut concert.

By the end of 2000, the number of concerts being organized in the city had grown noticeably. While the GAA Hall remained a popular venue, Mahendra Police Club was becoming a popular choice. By this time Albatross and Xmarica had become staple headliners for the upcoming scene while many others would come in and go out before establishing themselves.It had gotten to the point where thier names were listed on concert posters without even ther consent, forcing the bands to oblige.

In 2001, Monkey Temple entered the arena with a promising full- length album. The sound was harder than most bands had been playing the last two years. Small concerts were being organized at a steady pace. 21:01 For The Love of Rock, the 3rd annual concert by Vibes, saw Flower Generation on stage a year after their album was released. Hybrid Pressurize, a punk band that had won an inter-school music contest was on the stage too. It was also the concert when X-It [now, Exit with Garima] was formed. Xmarica didn't play in this show but their lead guitarist Amit did sing with Exit. Albatross had their new vocalist Siris steal the show too but soon he had to leave for further education in the US, along with members of Flower Generation, leading to the band's break up. Hybrid Pressurize soon broke up too, punk wouldn't take center stage for another year. Exit went on a long hiatus after the concert but came back strong in 2003 and 2004 with several singles which got nominated and won at the 7th and 8th Annual Hits FM Music Awards.

In 2002 Albatross was on the verge of changing their sound to hard rock and digging deep into their metal roots. Monkey Temple had broken up for the same reason as Flower Generation. After five years of working together, Xmarica and Kashish recorded a song with Axata. It was written by Xmarica's guitarist Bhaskar and went on to earn a nomination for the Best Song by A Female Vocalist for the 7th Annual Hits FM Awards. Soon after recording the song, Axata and Bhaskar both went abroad for their further education. Xmarica and Axata's last show together was at 1905 in December 2001 at The Festival (Vibes). Xmarica's debut album and music video is due release in 2005.

By the end of 2002, the concert scene had taken a sharp turn. The rock scene had been ripped apart into the punk and metal scene with fewer bands playing a proper rock set. While almost every small concert between 1999 and 2002 saw at least 500 people in the audience, music events, big or small, since 2002 have seen an erratic fluctuation in the number of attendees. The upcoming artist scene was, for better or for worse, over whelmed by a phenomenon that has now become popularly known as the underground scene.

The Underground Scene…so far!

While the scene prior to 2001 consisted almost entirely of cover bands, the year witnessed a massive change in the way rock music would be played in the valley. It was marked by the arrival of several bands that focused on creating original material. They did not care about mainstream acceptance nor did they compromise on the music they played. Unlike bands earlier, they played their own chosen genres of music, and there were certainly no crowd pleasers. These were bands that did everything the grassroots way, from the recording and distribution of their demos to organizing gigs. This was, undoubtedly, the start of a scene that we now call the "Underground."

For ease of understanding (and writing), 2001 and 2002 shall be labelled the "First Wave."

The First Wave

2001 started with a bang with the release of The Himalayan Metal Of Death, a demo by Nepal's first Death Metal act Ugra Karma in May. The band earned a cult following with the demo, but their hype and following didn't last for long mainly because the band rarely performed live and even when they did, they couldn't quite deliver the goods. Instead, the later part of the year saw the emergence of two bands that completely turned the live scene around – Nastik, who played Hardcore-ish Metal and Punk rockers 5th Grade Dropout (5GD). These two bands, along with Refused 13 , Rai Ko Ris and X-Mantra would prove to be the most essential bands of the First Wave. This was also the part of the year that ktmrocks.com emerged. The website was the first completely rock related site in the country, and it's main focus was on the local scene. It was a major help to the emerging bands with its event news, coverage, band profiles as well as for the gigs it organized.

Nastik and 5th Grade Dropout, on the invitation of Umes of ktmrocks.com, performed at the Tri-Chandra College Fete on the 14th of December. This was Nastik's first ever gig, and 5GD's second (after a forgettable concert a few months earlier), and it showed that the bands had truly arrived. A week later, 5GD performed at Station Pub along with fellow punk rockers Rai Ko Ris and Guy Goru, in what was the first punk rock gig in Nepal.

2002 was an important year for the scene because of its important gigs and a groundbreaking album release.

The year's first concert, Headbanger's Zone at GAA Hall on the 12 of January, was monumental because of two reasons. Firstly, it was X-Mantra's first ever concert and secondly, Nastik, X-Mantra and 5GD proved that the Underground scene was here to stay. "It was really great," says Subel, bassist of 5GD (currently of Tom, Dick & Harry) who played his first gig with the band that day, "The turnout was pretty big and a lot of people were reacting really well to the originals that the bands played."

The following month, metallers Refused 13 organized and performed at a massive concert called Keep Suffering at Nakhipot Basketball Court. Despite the venue being remote and obscure, a large number of people turned up for the show. Nastik was the opening band, but it was the headliners themselves who stole the show with their intensity, something that they would later be known for, and that performance inspired a number of people in the audience. As Brijraj, vocalist of local Black Metal band Cruentus recalls, "Seeing Refused 13 perform that day seriously made me want to form a band of my own."

Meanwhile, Nastik, Rai Ko Ris, 5GD and Guy Goru had formed the DIY Collective that performed monthly gigs at various places in Thamel, the most notable being Jump Club. These gigs were independently organized without any external help, and at Rs. 50, tickets were a lot cheaper than other concerts. The pub was an almost perfect place for these bands who preferred intimate settings rather than large concert halls. "Those gigs were pretty wild and packed," remembers Sushil, bassist of Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles. "There was a lot of energy. I tried breaking a bulb once but I hurt my hand instead," he laughs. These gigs were also the only places where the bands sold their demos/albums, which, otherwise, couldn't be purchased anywhere else.

X-Mantra, on the other hand, were getting noticed even among mainstream audiences because of their single Salik which appeared on Tik N Tok's rock compilation Music Isles. That this band was going to make it big was apparent from Day 1, when they made their concert debut. They already had a hit single, and their album was eagerly awaited. Bikers' Day Out on April 13th, an event organized by WAVE and Vibes, was when they released their debut Crying For Peace, a politically charged album. This was probably the most important rock release in the country and although it had a few setbacks (poor recording quality, etc.), they backed it up with tight live performances. The album also had a larger distribution base and entered the music charts as well. X-Mantra was also the first Nepali metal band (and only so far) to have a music video for their single Saheed, which was aired by several TV channels.

Albatross too was back with a completely new lineup, with more originals and music that was harder than what they usually played. "We changed our musical direction after Anurag (vocals) joined our band," says Sunny, guitarist of Albatross. "At the same time we were also inspired by bands such as Nastik, 5GD and Ugra Karma. We felt like we had a lot of support," he adds. The band also recorded an album titled Hi:Fly which still hasn't been widely distributed although it remains an underground favourite i.e. a favourite among those who have been lucky enough to hear it. But Albatross's history has always been plagued by lineup changes, and this lineup, which was by far their best, too didn't last long. Anurag and Diwas (guitars) left for further studies and the band was left without a vocalist. Their last concert with this lineup was a gig the band themselves organized called Metal Mayhem at Station Pub in August. Their performance was magnificent to say the least and to many it was a sad occasion too since it was the end of a terrific lineup. "I was really satisfied with that gig," reminisces Sunny, "That day I felt like I had achieved a great deal musically." Also of particular notice were the autograph hunters, most of them female!

By late 2002, the First Wave bands had dropped off from the scene. The DIY Collective was no longer active, Refused 13 started to play gigs that were few and far between, Nastik went on a long hiatus and 5th Grade Dropout had disbanded. This led to the Second Wave.

The Second Wave

The Second Wave consisted of bands that were formed a few years earlier but hadn't quite made a mark, or hadn't figured out their sound yet. The list included bands such as Third World Chaos (TWC), Brutal, Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles (I2ST), and later in the year, Cruentus.

In 2003, for a change, bands were branching out outside the valley. January saw Albatross (without a vocalist) and Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles (consisting of former members of 5GD, Rai Ko Ris and Malai Dogle Tokyo) going on their first tour together to PKR. Along with local band Blitzkritz and PKR's mainstay Grease, they played at Old Blues Pub, Lakeside. The gig saw a turnout of some 150 people, which was relatively successful. The entire tour itself was a memorable affair for the two bands. "It was a chaotic affair from the first day to the last," says Sunny about the tour, "We didn't break anything in the hotels, but it was a real rock-star life." The trip also sealed a bond between the bands, and this would lead to a bigger group in the following months.

A second tour to Pokhara followed in April. This time it was five bands from KTM – Albatross, Third World Chaos , I2ST, Brutal and a newly reformed Nastik – and Attitude, GetOut! and Noctural Emrance (sic) from Pokhara. The bands themselves organized the gig, all the way from the capital. The concert, at Hard Rock, was a mammoth 5-hour long affair and it gave the concert-starved city the entertainment that it needed.

In later months, these five bands played anywhere they could, any place that could be rented cheap or for free. There were gigs at tiny, cramped maximum-50-people places, to pubs to dance restaurants. One particular afternoon gig in a dance restaurant ended in a free dance session for the group in the evening (and it wasn't the band members who danced!). Of course, hardly 20 people attended these gigs since they were such low-key affairs, but crowd attendance didn't seem to matter.

During the later part of the year, bigger concerts started occurring more frequently, mostly at Mahendra Police Club. True, a police club definitely isn't a place for a rock concert, in fact it's the antithesis of what rock n roll is all about, but in a city where venues are either too expensive and few to be found, the Club was perfect. Ironically, the cops rarely intervened during concerts here while their interference in venues outside is a common occurrence.

2003 was also when TWC , Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles and Nastik recorded their demos, but by the end of the year I2ST and Nastik had dropped out from the scene. In a story similar to the year before, I2ST and Brutal went on a hiatus and Nastik broke up. Albatross too disappeared from the scene and haven't played together for more than a year now, although Sunny and Avaya (bass, Albatross) did team up with Sareen Deuja (vocals, Monkey Temple) and Alok (drums, Xmarica) for a one-off gig as PowerMAX 2004 (M= Monkey Temple, A =Albatross, X =Xmarica) at Bamboos a few months ago. However, one bright spot was Zakee (vocals, Nastik) and Albatross teaming up for a project called Abattoir. The album they recorded was completed before Zakee went abroad, but more than a year later, it still hasn't been released. It might still see the light of day pretty soon though as Sunny plans to release it within 3 months.

The Third Wave

2004 was probably one of the biggest years in the underground scene. The year coincided with the rise of several new bands, a couple of significant album releases, plenty of concerts and a magazine.

One band that rode high on the wave of popularity throughout the year was Black Metal band Cruentus. Although they were formed in 2001, it wasn't until 2003/2004 that they really came into their own. Their intense live performances created a huge buzz in the circuit, and there's no denying the fact that they're one of the most popular acts in the scene today. They also won several competitions during the year, the most recent being the beat contest organized by Vox Pop in October. They are now at work in the studio recording an album.

2004 was also a year in which bands with different styles came into being. A good example of this would be Antim Grahan, probably the find of the year in the Underground scene. Formed in early 2004, the band grew to become one of the better acts in the circuit within a span of a few short months. Their melodic Black Metal style was something that hadn't been witnessed live in the city before, and that uniqueness factor earned them quite a following. They also came out with a full-length album titled Forever Winter later in the year and a tour to PRK followed in November. The band released their second album Tales From The Darkened Woods, recently.

In mid-2004, X-Mantra too came out with their sophomore effort Kurshi, the follow up to the successful Crying For Peace. They had a new guitarist in the lineup, and the album was heavier than their debut with the same political direction. A video too followed, and by this time the band had risen from the underground to a more mainstream audience. However, calling them "commercial" would not be fair as they never compromised on their sound or their philosophy, it was just that their albums were more high profile and had a wider distribution base. The band also went through a lineup change during the year, with Puru (bass) and Pawan (guitar) leaving. The members have, however, been replaced and they will be releasing a third album pretty soon.

The most significant event in 2004 was probably ktmrocks.com launching its magazine and record label. The website has always been consistent in it's support to the local rock scene ever since it's inception, and at the end of the year they expanded by starting a record label called Ktmrocks Records and their magazine Ktmrocks – The Underground Uproar. Antim Grahan is the only band on their roster currently, although more bands are to be signed on to the label in the coming months. The first issue of the 'zine, with Antim Grahan on the cover, came out in November and was sold out in a few weeks. The magazine, like the website, focuses mostly on the local scene, with band profiles, concert and album reviews and news, but since the scene is much too small to fill up an entire magazine, it also features international acts and news.

On the gig front, Antim Grahan and Rajan of X-Mantra started their event management company called Mantra – The Metal Chant and organized a number of concerts in mid-2004. The Metal Mania series took place every month in various places in Thamel and featured a number of established and upcoming bands. Ktmrocks organized the "Underground Uproar" gig in November at Vu. Pu. Sainik Club, which was also the day they launched their magazine.

Much of 2004 saw the underground scene growing. Although Third World Chaos split up after recording a 4-song demo titled Inferno, plenty of newer bands stepped up. Holy Coronas, Breeding Pestilence, Epitaph and Shanon Scam were some of the bands that cropped up, and Brutal, Rai Ko Ris and Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles returned. Ktmrocks was also registered as a full-fledged company.

2005 promises to be an even better year than the last. Antim Grahan has already released their sophomore effort, while X-Mantra, Cruentus, Holocaust and Inside 2 Stoopid Triangles are all scheduled to come out with albums this year. However, the question now arises. Is the underground scene really growing? By the looks of it, yes. But there are other factors that should be considered, the most important being, money. One of the biggest setbacks is that bands rarely get paid for gigs. There are organizers aplenty but few are willing to pay. The "you-work-we-keep-the-profit" mentality still reigns, and this has a negative effect on the bands, who rarely have enough cash to pay for their instruments since members in the scene are mostly students, or have low-paying jobs. Listeners too are extremely limited in terms of size. As Balesh, of punk rock band Shanon Scam says, "Underground bands abroad can make a living without selling out because of the size of the scene. The number of albums they sell are more than what Nabin Bhattarai sells here." However, this is the initial stage of what any scene in any country goes through. It is still too early to comment on how big it will get, but the signs can be seen. Cruentus winning the beat contest (something that couldn't have happened a few years ago), Ktmrocks' magazine, regardles of the number of copies being printed, selling out it's first issue and quite a number of bands coming out with demos/originals is evidence enough of the fact that the underground scene is truly rising.