Etc Events Ltd hosted ‘School of Rock: Volume 1’ at ICCB on
15 September featuring A K Rahul, Plasmic Knock, Aftermath, Karnival, Shonar
Bangla Circus, Avoid Rafa, Warfaze headlined by the one and only James.
Concertgoers in Dhaka had an excellent weekend.
Two of the biggest shows scheduled in the ongoing month took
place at the International Convention City Bashundhara Hall-04 (ICCB), a venue
that has sort of turned into a pilgrimage for enjoying live music. On Friday,
one of the most anticipated concerts of the year 'School of Rock' was held at
ICCB. This was arranged right after Darshan Raval graced the venue the day
before. But the energy was ever the same and ever so lively. When you attend
concerts pretty much every weekend like we do at The Business Standard, you
start looking for minute details which set each show apart from the rest.
There's not much wiggle room because the shows mostly
feature the same bands playing the same sets over and over again. However, most
concerts have 'the good, the bad and the ugly' elements. School of Rock did
too, but there was no 'ugly' when it came to the show. Let's get the dirty
stuff out of the way first before we dive into the nitty-gritty of some of the
mesmerising performances that were on full display on the night. ICCB's hollow
structure greatly hinders audio quality. The fan favourite band Karnival's
performance was cut short due to sound issues.
Vocalist Tinu Rashid had to guide the sound engineer for
on-stage monitor adjustments numerous times just to get that optimal balance.
"There were some power drops leading to some of our pedals not engaging.
Salmi [lead guitarist] was facing the same. The sound felt too muddy and
reverberated as well," explained Tinu Rashid, the vocalist of Karnival. Karnival
performed 'Control Room,' 'Sheishob Din Ratri,' a mellow rendition of 'Amar
Shotto' and ended their set with their most popular number, 'Bhrom.' But despite
all the difficulties, the fans were by no means left unentertained.
Karnival made sure to deliver their fullest during their
set. Let's also talk about the best performance of the night, in my opinion,
and this is a big statement given the fact the show was headlined by arguably
the biggest name in Bangladesh music. In the last decade, following Raef Al
Hasan Rafa's departure from Aurthohin to prioritise his band, Avoid Rafa, live performances
have often left audiences somewhat dissatisfied. Despite Rafa's popular songs,
occasional vocal inconsistencies have been noted.
