It was the day of "Rock Xmas", Where Folorn Hope, Cannabis, In Leiu of Fault, Old Castles' Massacre were scheduled to perform in Kandy. The gig was scheduled to start at 3pm, but knowing how things work here we planned to leave Colombo by 11.
I got up at around 8.30am, checked my mail, loaded some music onto my phone to listen to on the way to Kandy, packed my bags (just a couple of Tshirts and a pair of jeans) cause we wernt planning on staying in Kandy for long cause the next day (16th Sunday) was the Soul Skinner reunion gig at ONYX (Taj Samudra) which has been re-named to something which sounds like "Club Neuvou", where Fallen Grace too were scheduled to perform. I simply couldnt miss them out cause for one thing, these guys are one of my favourite bands off the Sri Lankan Extreme Metal scene and i've supported these guys for a long time, secondly this was there first gig with the new line up as Shamil has joined the family.
I left home around 9.30am and picked up Nda (One of my best friends, A guy who iv been knowing for the past 14 years of my life and who was also the bassist of Funeral In Heaven) from Maharagama. Had to drop in at my grand parents house to pick up some clothes. Met Dinuk and his band (Cannabis) and one of his friends at "Hathe Kanuwa" (A place 5 mins away from the Nugegoda junction). Dassa was the guitarist for Cannibis. Quiet bloke, according to Dinuk he doesnt talk much to people unless he knows them for some time. Laker was a quiet and a small-made dude, drummer for Cannabis. And Kusal. "Pissa" we call him. Pissa by (Nick)name, Pissa by nature. (Pissa means Crazy/Mad by the way). A truly crazy fun bugger who could talk in a very very wierd and high pitched voice and made us laugh every single time he did it.
We had a couple of smokes at a near by "Syver kade" and got into a 138 bus to Pettah as we had to take another bus from There to Kandy. I didnt get down from Pettah in a good mood as i had forgotten to bring my earphones (Which i had to plug into my phone) along. For the people who dont know me, i simply cant live without listening to my music. I dragged Nda along with me to some shops to find a pair and told Dinuk and the guys to meet us at the Kandy bus stand. after 15 mins of no luck we went back to the bus depot. Kelum (Another one of my best friends who lives half an hour away from my place) was supposed to meet us there. As i walked towards Dinuk and the gang i noticed he still wasnt there i took out my phone and as i dialed his number, there he comes jogging with his bagpack and black jeans and a black ACDC Tshirt. We got in a bus which right in front of us. People were allready seated, we checked weather there were seats for us to sit on because i didnt fancy standing for 3 hours 'till we reach Kandy.
The bus left the depot at 12 exactly. We were fucking cramped inside but it wasnt really that bad cause we had Pissa and Nda entertaining us with their stupid jokes. It was raining as we stepped into Kandy which was around 3.15pm. We were fucking starving so i tried to remember the place we ate the last time we were in Kandy as that place served some good food. After a 10 minute walk we finally found the place which was a bit far than i remembered. Met Raju and Mackay(Drummer and Guitarist for Forlorn Hope) right in front of the inn. We had our lunch, talked about where we were gonna spend the night (Mackay had allready arranged us to stay at one of his friends bugalow's). Dinuk was getting calls from the venue asking him weather they're coming now and weather they wanted a soundcheck. As a soundcheck for a band was crucial, and we had to go get some Alcohol from the local bar as that too was something we conisdered "crucial". So dinuk and his band left for "The Garden Club" which was where the gig was held, while Kelum, Pissa and Myself went to get the "intoxicants".
We met up at "The Garden Club" half an hour later armed with 2 1/2 Old Arrack Bottles and a couple 'o packs of Goldleaf. It was around 4pm. Dinuk and his band didnt get quite the welcome they deserved as they were asked to buy tickets to play for the show. Which is something i really wouldnt be very happy of doing, Dinuk had decided not to play the show but one of his friends brother who knows the organizer spoke to them and straightened out the mess.
As the Inn we were supposed to stay was half an hour away and it was too much of a hassle to go there and change and come back, Raju (Folorn Hope) arranged us a changing room at "The Garden Club". We changed and had some shots off one bottle we brought (neat). Just in time for Raju (do not confuse him with the drummer of Forlorn Hope). This guy was the frontman for a local Metal band called "Thapas". A very weird Oriental Fusion Metal band. As the band was now inactive he performed solo, one of the best performances for the day i would say as he played some of my favourites.
Cannabis was 2nd up. They opened their set list with a cover of Deep Purple's "Black Night". Pretty good cover for a new band. After the cover "Purple Haze" by a man who needs no introduction, Cannibis performed one of their originals, simply entitled "Puppets". Then they covered "Ace of Spades", also by a band who needs no introduction at all. Dinuk dedicated the song to me haha....
Above - Cannabis
Time went by as bands such as "Fire Sign", "In Leiu of Fault" and "Eternal Fear" performed. We were hanging out in the bar as bottles of "White Diamond" ,"Gal Arrakku" found themselves into our hands. I had the plesure of meeting some of my friends from the rock.lk forum. Mordecai, Gambit and Chamila were 3 of them. All fun buggers, Gambit (Risitha) was apparantly a doctor. Mordecai was one fun bugger who drowned lots of shots of Alchohol neat. I could tell Nda was wasted as he was telling me he's not "high" enough. "Pissa" was filling up his empty coke bottle with alchohol which we had saved for the night.... a bit more than half of one bottle was left which was stored away safely for the night.
Forlorn Hope got onstage. Played originals such as "Blessed are the Weak" and "Congregate" which were two of my favourite songs off the SL Metal scene. Buddika was having a good time licking the goat head (yes it was real, 2 or 3 hours after being servered) which was on the stage. Forlorn Hope also covered one of my favourite tracks by a band belonging to the 2nd Wave of Black Metal, Gorgoroth. "The Devil is Calling" was very well covered, as the mosh pit started to get a bit hectic. Nda was flinging himself on everyone.
After Forlorn Hope, Kandy brutal death metallers "Old Castles Massacre" got on stage. They performed some of their originals including "Matride". Covered Six Feet Under's "Deathklaat" as a response to an encore from the crowd. And again had to perform "Matricide" once again as people started to want more, but the organizers were getting a bit hot under the collar they had to wrap it up by 10pm.
Above - Old Castles Massacre
After the show was finished we were hanging out outside, as some issues were being dealt with by Mackay (Guitarist for Forlorn Hope, and a member of the organizing comitee). They were in short of 6000 rupees for the venue as they were getting the sponsored money the next day. Also the people who hired sounds were complaining that the drum was not quite in good shape.
Everything was dealt with as Mackay and our gang who came from colombo and myself started our journey to the Inn. This place was about 45mins away on foot. But to our luck we managed to find a "3 wheeler" after about 10, 15 mins of walking who we convinced to drop us off for just 200 rupees.
The place was really well kept. Which had four rooms. 4 could sleep in 1 without any problem at all. Dinuk, Nda, Kelum and myself shared one room as Pissa, Dassa and Laker shared another. We were tired as fuck. After Dinuk set up his phone with Dassa's small computer speakers he brought along for us to listen to some music, We gathered around the remnants of the 2nd Old Arrack bottle we brought from the Kandy town.
After finishing the bottle we all decided to get some rest as we had to leave the place at 5.30 to catch the train back to Colombo. By the time we got up Sharli (Old Castles Massacre), Buddika (Forlorn Hope) and some others had allready come and were in their rooms. As we told them our plans they too decided to catch the train with us. so our gang including Sharli, Buddika, Kuthub and some others started our long journey to the Kandy train station which took us around 30 mins to reach. Kelum was sent to the counter to get us all tickets. After a quick bite of Roti from the small shop next to station we quickly got in to the train and found ourselves somfortable seats. We couldnt catch the Express as it had left at 6.15. The time now was 6.25.
During the train ride back home we had some good fun smoking, eating "isso wade" cause we were damn hungry as well. Pissa was cracking us all up as usual which made the ride even more amusing.
By the time we got to colombo it was around 10.30-11.00pm. It was time to go our seperate ways home. After we all bid farewell. We (our gang) had a smoke and drink and got on a bus back home. Had an awesome time getting drunk and meeting friends, not to mention the music. Cant wait to go back to Kandy next Saturday for the "Heavy as Heavy Gets" show Organized by "Rock Company". Kudos to the Kandyan Metal scene! Hail Sri Lankan Metal!
Above - Sharli, Buddika and Pissa
Above - Sharli and Dinuk
Above - Cannibis (What fuck is pissa doing??)
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