United We Stand: An experience of music and madness

Throughout history, music has been a powerful string that binds people from all walks of life – whether it's classical melodies or heavy metal.

While a mild heat wave swept over Bangladesh, a crowd of music lovers did not budge from a concert avenue to see their favourite bands perform. Each individual felt united in the fact that the whole crowd was supporting a noble cause. 

TicketBhai organised an electrifying night of music with the concert 'United We Stand' to raise money for farmers and animals affected by the floods that have devastated the nation. The event at the Liberation War Museum featured an impressive lineup including Indalo, AvoidRafa, Mechanix, Bay of Bengal, Aftermath and Dads In The Park. 

The event kicked off as Dads in the Park took the stage. Their opening song, 'Remembrance', stirred a deep sense of longing within all of us. The band's hold on the crowd was evident. Soon, they lifted the energy across the venue with fan-favourites such as, 'Pareidolia,' 'Afeenolove' and 'Calamia.'

To heighten the excitement, AK Rahul, the guitarist of Season Suicide teamed up with Black Zang, creating a magical night for everyone.

A setback occurred though. It revealed that Powersurge and Aftermath would not perform due to unavoidable circumstances and health issues, leaving the audience with heavy hearts.

But just when spirits began to dim, the experimental rock band, Owned, stepped in, instantly igniting the crowd's enthusiasm. They belted out 'Omor' and 'Shomorpon' – the energy changed again, and electricity ran through the airwaves connecting each attendant in unison. 

When the sun was about to set at around 5.45 pm, the band, Bay of Bengal took the stage. Bay of Bengal's 'Opare' hit a little differently after the bloody July. 

As the band moved onto the next song, 'Je Shohore Ami Nei' the lead vocalist, Bakhtiar Hossain played the flute. The melody of the flute alone was enough to supercharge the crowd. Later, nothing could beat the moments when the crowd came together and sang along with 'Jochona Snan,' 'Bidroho,' and 'Dhoritrir Mohanayok' songs. 

It was up to Mechanix to keep the energy up and they rose to the occasion with the song, 'Bisshoy.'

Aftabuzzaman Tridib, tMechanix's vocalist, paid tribute to Ayub Bacchu and sang 'Ghumonto Shohore' – leaving everyone craving for more. The band continued with the songs, 'Hashte Dekho' and 'Sei Tumi Keno Eto Ochena Holey' – bringing the homage a full circle. 

When their new music release 'Ojoggo' was on the screen, moments after the video started, the lights went out. The music echoed in the dark, the organisers struggled with their management, and the lively crowd fell silent. 

What felt like an excessive amount of time was spent tuning instruments before the next act took the stage. This is unfortunately one of the recurring harsh realities of live music in the capital though it can easily be avoided with a dedicated team and proper sound checks in advance. 

Additionally, the venue lights malfunctioned throughout the duration of the event, leaving much to be desired. But just as Indalo stepped on the stage, all was forgotten. 

Their performance did not disappoint. With the sober yet powerful songs 'Miththa' and  'Obosheshe' – a crowd favourite due to the delicate transition from the minute-long vocals of Jon Kabir and clean guitar plucking to harsher vocals and drums – Indalo brought the crowd together. 

Indalo's rendition of Black's iconic 2002 song 'Miththa' has a different hold over the crowd as it resonates with a whole generation.

Surprisingly, in the end, the song that received the most requests was not their most popular hit '1996' but it was 'ISD.'

Even though it was 45 minutes past 9 pm, exceeding the scheduled end time, the crowd was reluctant to leave without seeing AvoidRafa. Rafa's 'Anmone' melodic structure gave the audience a sense of fulfilment. 

During the show, Rafa mentioned, "I'm not sure if you all will enjoy the next song as much as I do, but here it is" before singing 'Tumi Daklei Phirbo.' The crowd joined in too.

'Cholo Arekbar Uri' radiated a powerful energy, as if it was asking us to rise up again after the country's recent turmoil. With the overflowing hope for a vibrant, emerging Bangladesh, these songs provided the perfect spark of energy we all craved.
All proceeds are said to go to farmers and animals affected by the floods.