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jammin'
Warid's Summer Club Night
– A return to live rock
Concerts may have become a rarity in Pakistan, but Warid's
Summer Club Night brought back some of Pakistan's best talent
to the stage, in a live show that musicians and audience alike
were full of praise for. It brought back memories of days where
concerts happened regularly and provided young people with entertainment
and music at its best.
By Usman
Raza Jamil
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Growing up in
Lahore during the mid nineties we, as alternative and rock music loving
adolescents, would throng to concert halls and auditoriums to enjoy
underground and rock bands in Lahore perform live and unadulterated
versions of our favorite international and local rock songs. Back
then it was all about the music. As times have progressed and with
the injection of corporate entities in Pakistan, the scene has changed
whereby nationally recognized pop acts play corporate events at hotels,
where audiences are more prone to soullessly enjoying the performances
from their tables rather than moving to the music.
Last week changed that. Warid hosted Summer Club Night, held at the
Royal Palm Country Club, Lahore featuring acts such as Mauj, Ali Azmat,
Zeeshan Parwez and Caramel and in the process, gave around 500 of
us a musical experience which we wouldn't soon be forgetting and would
transform us back to the good old days of Al-Hamra Hall One. This
time the setting was much more like a club abroad, where the live
music featured was mind-blowing, the ambience enriched the experience
and the audience wanted more even after the lights went out on the
event into the wee hours of the next day!
Once the club began rocking with live music, there was absolutely
no looking back. And everything about that evening, from the ambiance
to the great sound certified that. The marquee at the Royal Palm was
transformed, dividing the area into a dance floor on ground level
and a lounge on top. The place was surrounded by an illuminating purple
light set against a black backdrop. As we neared the end of the platform,
the view of where the magic happened became even more prominent. |
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Atop the stage
was the illuminating sign of 'Warid Summer Club Night'; the gigantic
speakers surrounding the stage; the effective lighting and the dance
floor with smoke machines in tow, for all those like us who enjoy
being up front and close to the musicians. The event itself was
organized by Elements, who in collaboration with the team at Warid
did a great job in making sure that the event was branded subtly
rather than an "in-your-face" way and for creating an
environment which catered to the needs of the sophisticated yuppies
and of the dedicated live music lovers such as myself!
Before the first act came on stage, DJ Muhammad Agha gave the audience
some great house music to get us all pumped up for the performances
to follow. With the smoke machines on the floor already bellowing
out the mist and with large sections of the crowd making their way
down to the floor in anticipation of wrapping their heads around
some great live music, the ever-charismatic Ahmed Ali Butt came
up on stage to enthusiastically introduce Mauj as the first act
of the night.
With the House music played by the DJ fading out, Omran Shafique,
Sikandar Mufti, Sameer Ahmed and Hamza Jafri got us all going with
an awesome jam. With the release of their much awaited album still
being hotly anticipated, we were treated to a set which included
songs like Awaaz, Khayaal, Mona and the crowd favorites, Khushfehmee
and Paheliyan. Omran Shafique, as the frontman for the band, seemed
at ease, getting the crowd involved, belting out lyrics and shredding
guitar solos for everyone to enjoy. It was a musically tight performance,
which sounded great and set the tone for the night.
Next
up, Ali Azmat was welcomed onto the stage by cheers and loud applause
by the audience. Joining him on stage was the mercurial drum genius
that is John Louis Pinto aka Gumby and the sensation tehno spinning
wizard from Peshawar, Zeeshan Parwez; Omran Shafique on guitar and
Kamran Zafar on bass. Churning out hits such as Mein Challa, Neend
Aati Nahee, Dosti, some new numbers from his upcoming album Klashinfolk
and an absolutely mind-blowing rendition of Garaj Baras, Ali Azmat
- the showman and the musician - showed that he still is very much
a force to be reckoned with. It was perhaps one of the best live
sets ever to be heard to date, and it even got the 'oldies' in the
crowd moving and shaking.
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Following Ali
Azmat came the dynamic duo that makes up Caramel - Kiran Arshad
and Adnan Chaudhry, well supported by Fahd Khan, Muhammad Agha,
Farhan Albert and bassist Atif - who performed covers of dancefloor
hits such as 4 Minutes and Hit the Road Jack amongst others, that
got the crowd dancing away into the night. Caramel lived up to its
reputation as being true entertainers and performed their set with
their trademark gusto and high energy, to which the audience responded
to very enthusiastically. To top off what was already a memorable
and absorbing night of great live music, a 'supernova' of the musicians
in the shape of Gumby, Zeeshan Parwez, Sikandar Mufti and Omran
Shafique collaborated to produce a unique jam of electronica, live
drums and guitar that provided the audience with something fresh,
new and different to really appreciate. It was indeed a crowd pleaser
and a highlight, which showed the versatility of talent that our
country has to offer!
Needless to say, the event was a success. It was a night where a
recognized corporate entity gave the power back to music and gave
credit where credit was due. It was a night that allowed different
musical talents to combine as one and showcase their unique qualities.
It was a night where people came to enjoy live music and show their
appreciation and support of such well organized events, in view
of the scarcity of such offerings in Pakistan. It was night where
live music lovers like myself could not help but think that the
best is yet to come and that what we witnessed as teens in the mid-nineties
in Lahore, is truly back, but is bigger, better, stronger and meaner!
What the musicians
had to say
Ali Azmat: "This was by far the best time we had playing a
gig in a very long time: the sound, the atmosphere, the crowd, the
stage and the people who organized this event. It was a breeze of
fresh air. And I speak for the rest of the band too. Fun fun fun!
All concerts should be done like that"
Zeeshan Parwez:
"It was nicely done, especially the planning and the concept
of bringing musicians together on one platform in a great setting.
The venue was good, the sound was great. I personally enjoyed a
lot performing with Ali Azmat and Gumby."
Gumby: "Club
night was probably one of the very few shows where both the musicians
and audience enjoyed thoroughly. I must say, very well arranged
and an outstanding ambience. It was a pleasure being a part of the
event."
Omran Shafique:
"It was an amazing experience. The sound system, the lighting
and overall setup was very impressive. It was definitely one of
the best shows we have played. Big thanks to Warid for doing this,
and having us on board!"
Sameer Ahmed:
"The crowd and ambiance provided a great setting for a live
performance. I hope we get to play more shows like this." |
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