Paranoid Earthling - Plugged and Wired come back

Demi HEWAMANNA

Paranoid Earthling, a name that is synonymous to the grunge/rock fans of Sri Lanka are back after a small break to give a comeback performance that is sure to make everyone come out with one awe experience.

The boys

Asela and Mirshad with their fans

The first ever drum set of Shankar specially made with the help of Mirshad

"Paranoid Earthling - Plugged & Wired will be a concert where we will be performing a chilled out version of our tracks in various effects, hoping to give a trippy effect and keep the crowd in a trance", vocalist and guitarist Mirshad Buckman said when speaking to ZEST.

This is the first time we are doing a concert of such nature. Fans will get the first hand experience to the extended versions of some of our tracks that we will be jamming with guest artistes. Paranoid Earthling - Plugged & Wired will be held at the Goethe Institut Colombo from 7.30 onwards on May 12, and as there is a limited amount of tickets available a special deal is been given to pre-sold tickets.

Four young boys - two brothers, two friends, two year ages gaps and one thing in common - music. Mirshad and Shankar were classmates while Dhanushka (Shankar's older brother) and Asela were also classmates and all four of them got together and truly changed the phase of the rock industry in Sri Lanka.

They were the first band to ever bring out the grunge music into the country and coming all the way from Kandy their name began to root out in Colombo and spread on to the other parts of the island. Their first performance was at a Talent Show that kind of gave the audience an electrifying shock experience to a total different genre of music. After playing at TNL Onstage (2001) they started to play here and there.

At that time, true enough, the rock music industry really didn't have much scope or recognition amongst the people and it was always through word of mouth and a close click that the music grew. But much attention and noise was given when the Rock Company came aboard and gave all rock artistes recognition and a place in the country.

With their music drawing fans from all across the country they even went to India twice to play at the South Asia Band Festival in 2009. For 10 years they have been rocking the clubs, houses and making heads bang nonstop with their powerful grunge music that spreads the message of taking control, standing up for your rights and never let any dictator rule you down.

They have many concerts lined up for this year but their main one will be the Colombo Music Festival which will be held from August 23 to the 26.

The characters they bring out when they are performing for their fans are very much different when you sit down and chat to them. I really did enjoy the time getting to know them individually and learning how they grew into the industry.

Mirshad: He's 28 years old. Being the vocalist he writes the lyrics, composes the music and produces them as well. He also says that the industry has grown so much and the feeling that was once there (of been in just a close circle) has changed plus several bands have just come out in that span of 10 years. When he is not playing with the band he goes to his day job which is into Art Directing - something he began doing as a freelancer and now has started as something of his own.

Shankar: Shankar is Mirshad's classmate and they have been friends from the time I believe they knew ABC... When he was in school he had this habit of tapping on tables and making music.

Mirshad playing as Shankar works his magic on the drums

Mirshad playing it hard

Giving their best

Soon he realized that he had a musical talent and after going to workshops he got a better knowledge in drumming and began creating his own style of drumming. His first drum set was made at home with the help of Mirshad.

When he is not strumming his drums, he makes uses of his hand on oil painting, portraits and abstracts.

Asela: He's the guy with goatee that's plaited with beads to keep it neatly in tact. As his band mates say, he spends a lot of time in front of the mirror combing it...? Asela plays the bass and he is two years senior to Mirshard and Shankar.

He's the guy who came up with the name of the band. The name came up with the way people used to look and react to the guys with long hairs and taste for music that wasn't music for them like they were from another world

For a day job he does web designing and he is the man who is in charge of their website as well. Asela said that in the 90s they used to play all the Videos on MTV and he used to watch the music videos of Mettalica, Chemical Brothers and was influenced in their music. He used to exchange CDs with his friends and always had the idea to start a band.

Dhanushka: He's the curly haired guy in the band and full of humour. He said that his inspiration behind his music was from his family as his father was a musician. He has been listening to music from the time he was a child and it has had a great influence on him.

All four of them support one another in everything they do...they may not see eye to eye once in a while...but all in all in the end what they produce and give their fans is what they have all wrapped up together.

So all Paranoid Earthling fans that haven't got the chance to see these guys perform for a long time, should not miss this concert at all costs, as it's sure to really change and send you guys on a grunge-tripnotic feeling.

So be there at the Goethe Institut Colombo to witness the other sides of Paranoid Earthlings - Plugged and Wired on May 12, 7.30 pm onwards.