Rock N Rhythm 3.0: A show to take you back in time and space

Music taste is subjective. There is no good or bad. People have different influences. Some like their music to be on the heavier side, some prefer it to be mellow and soft. 

However, there is one thing that every listener or music lover has in common - their first influence. We all have that one artist or band that blew our minds. We all have that one core memory, when we pressed the 'play' button on that one song on a lazy evening in our bedroom that was probably referred to us by a friend, and after listening to it - everything changed.

At the Rock N Rhythm 3.0: Tribute Fiesta, a factor that tied the thousands in the audience and the artists alike was their love and nostalgia for foreign bands. That love for music brought in the crowd at ICCB Hall 4 last Friday, and it was the same love for said bands that brought the performers up on stage to pay homage to the songs and artists that made them who they are today.

Rock N Rhythm 3.0. Photo: Shovy Zibran

The love and nostalgia for Metallica was evident in Saimum Hasan Nahian's (Powersurge guitarist) voice when he said, " Metallica was the first influence on my guitar playing. Beginners usually learn chords first, but I started off by playing Metallica songs. Metallica is in my blood. I used to play these songs in my bedroom growing up and to play these today in front of an audience feels heavenly. I get so energised that I feel like tearing the stage apart!"

The energy levels that Nahian was talking about were shared by the filled-to-the-brim audience. Crazy metalheads broke down barricades in front of the stage from the sheer adrenaline pumping through their veins, as Powersurge brought the roof down when 'One's' double bass kicked in. 

After One, Powersurge teased the crowd by not playing the harmony solo to 'Master of Puppets' and rather transitioning into 'Battery' to end their set; which undoubtedly was the heaviest sounding performance of the night.

Karnival went up next and brought some calm to the storm left by Powersurge, as they covered Radiohead. Even though the entire crowd sang along to 'Creep', the decibels got even higher when they played their original and most revered track 'Bhrom'. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for the fans as they tasted the best of both worlds.

Karnival. Photo: Shovy Zibran

Later, Indalo paid tribute to Chris Cornell, Chester Benington and Zeheen Ahmed when they covered Audioslave's 'Like a Stone'. They had last performed the song in 2017 in a Chris Cornell tribute show at  RCC. We lost Zeheen Ahmed the very next day and Indalo dedicated 'Like a Stone' to the trio.

Arbovirus were scheduled to cover Linkin Park and Green Day - bands which inspired an entire generation of listeners not only worldwide, but also in Bangladesh. Arbovirus entered the stage to "Chester! Chester! Chester!" chants and they made sure to not disappoint the crowd. They didn't just not disappoint, they created utter chaos.

The entire venue shook when 'Numb' and 'In the End' were being played. The audience knew every single lyric to both of the legendary tracks. However, it was only after ending their set with original 'Omanush' that Arbovirus presented the most jaw dropping moment of the concert - breaking a guitar on stage. An action befitting the title of the song they had just  performed, isn't it?

Cryptic Fate were up next and their set kicked off with the ever so famous passages from the Bible's Revelation 12:12 and 13:18, which also happen to be the intro to 'The Number of the Beast.'

The crowd was rather disappointing during Cryptic Fate's set. It felt as if they failed to resonate with the iconic tracks being covered so meticulously. Even during 'Fear of the Dark', the crowd felt indifferent. This was the only drawback to an otherwise impressive performance from Shakib Chowdhury and co.

Nemesis was next and they brought in a mellow vibe to the entire concert. Chris Martin's lines felt just right in Zohad's voice. However, he didn't have to do much of the singing because when you cover Coldplay's 'Yellow', 'Fix You' and 'Viva La Vida'- the audience can take care of most of the heavy lifting by singing in unison.

Photo: Shovy Zibran

Artcell were the showstoppers and they had an interesting playlist. Iqbal Asif Jewel said before starting their set, "All the bands performing today paid tributes to foreign bands. How about we end the night by paying tribute to our very own Bangladeshi artists?"

Artcell started off with a tribute medley which comprised songs such as 'Bangladesh', 'Neela' 'Ghumonto Shohore' and 'Boshey Achi'. They also surprised the crowd by performing 'Otritiyo' for the first time in front of a live audience. However, it was very ironic that in a tribute show for Western bands, it was during the performance of 'Dukkho Bilash' that the crowd was at their loudest.