Backstage taking the lead

Demi Hewamanna

Six Thomians and one Royalist…hmm…what do you think it can be? They are young, crazy, well mannered, a few shy and silent (but get chatty once you loosen them up) and share the same equal love for one thing and that is of course - Music.

Melantha Fernando, Hirushka Fernando, Lahiru de Silva, Shane Godwin, Suren de Mel, Shawishka Fernando (the St. Thomas boys) and Chinthu Viswakula (the Royalist) are the young men who make the band Backstage.

When you first meet them (especially in their work attire) your reaction would be “are they really in a band?” I got the chance to meet these charming young lads for a chit chat and know their history, story of their friendship and how they keep their work life and music worlds apart.

“We have been together from the time we were in school with Shane, Melantha,Suren and myself being in the same class. Our journey began when we played at a friend’s wedding in 2009 and that’s when we realized that we can actually form a band. But then we realized we were short of a bass guitarist, lead guitarist and a drummer”, Hirushka said.

Soon they got together with Shawishka, Lahiru and Chinthu and formed the band they are today. Chinthu being the only guy from Royal College got the opportunity of being in the band as he had worked with Lahiru and Melantha for some time. Shane and Hirushka are the vocalists while Lahiru takes on the Drums, Shawishka the Lead Guitar, Suren on Keyboard, Melantha on Rhythm Guitar and Chinthu on Bass.

Its four years since Backstage was born. The name was given by Chinthu as they were playing for a few months without a name. They agreed to it and stuck it as it kind of goes with their personalities, being laid back, chilling out and doing their own thing. We are more into Retro but we dnt categorise our band as retro, but we perform, pop, hip hop, jazz and we cover a big range except for heavy metal.

We all live in the same area, Melantha and myself went in the same van and we have been classmates from Grade 1.

Hirushka went on saying how it’s really hard to get the guys to come and practice while they are working and also the fact that when a band grows to a certain level and the work load becomes a little hectic, the struggles comes eventually as to where they draw the line. Melantha then added that they haven’t had that problem and they have managed it pretty well. Nobody here has actually gone beyond their work or has got their work or studies affected. We just plan everything accordingly and if one member is not there we would not take the function – and it’s a policy we operate on strictly (unlike other bands where if a band member is unavailable they have someone to take his place).

For the past four years we have been playing at weddings, dances, corporate functions and we had our own concert last year called Gratitude held at the Park Street Mews. It was a successful show and got a lot of good feedback from them. Hirushka had taken part in a realty show and the whole band worked together as a team to get the votes in and this concert was way thanking all of them for the support given.

“I performed the songs I sang at the Reality Show and even at that concert we covered every genre”, Hirushka went on to say.

We are playing with other top artistes such as Mirage for Go Retro at the Bishops College Auditorium which will be held tomorrow (June 8). We don’t compete with any other band as we are fans of music. We go to see other bands play and we are fans of their music as well.

The boys as they say, do not take music as their professional career. They actually have a permanent day job that they enjoy and balance well with their music career as well.

Melantha: My day job is that I have been working for a well known garment company for the past 5 years. Music has been a part of my life from the day I was born. The radio is on 24/7 in my room and grew up listening to SLBC and other stations. My parents are big fans of music too, so we used to go for concerts and would follow other bands – can call ourselves a groupie. I’m more a fan of music than a musician. I’m involved in sports, I like traveling which I do whenever possible, very much involved in Church as well. All the guys, more than just band members are really good friends.

Suren: I am working at a bank and have been there for the past 5 years. I play in church and that’s how I got into music. I love to play jazz music and whenever I have the time I watch a lot of jazz videos. I also like to travel but I hardly find the time to travel and also I like to be at home.

Shawishka: I work at an international brand firm. I started doing music when I was in Year 3 and I was in the school band and was playing the melodica. In year 9, I brought a guitar which I learned to play by ear. I play cricket, badminton (here friends shout and say ‘apart from lead guitar everything else try to play”). When I first saw them (the band mates), they were like “kind of ok”, but I thought they could have done more and put more effort. But now we are very better.

Shane: I am also a banker. Apart from work, I play cricket and play for the bank as well. I am a member of CIMA, I did a degree and completed the MBA. I like reading and I like to spend time at home rather than being out. I read from psychology to economics to other stuff. Most of the things we did were crazy. During school we did what we had to do as kids, and we always knew how to have proper fun and went to girl’s schools during the big match season and other crazy things.

Chinthu: I work for a company that specializes in Victoria Secrets. I’m the bassist, only Royalist and the oldest as well. Melantha, Hirushka and I worked together long time ago and during parties and after parties we used to get together sing and play guitars. Couple of weeks after their performance at the wedding, they said they are starting a band and joined them. That’s how I got involved with them and well became the only ‘Royalist amongst the Thomians’. It was a bit scary after all the ‘Thomian’ stories you get to know but it was ok (he said giggling). Music was in the family – from my mother to my uncle Desmond de Silva we were all into music.

I was previously with a band called Jacob’s Ladder but then we disbanded. The Backstage guys are a crazy bunch of people, very nice to work with them, superb friends and I’ve known them for a long time. Unlike other bands where there is a manager always running the team, we voice out what we feel and then we talk things out and come to an agreement and its quite easy working like that.

Lahiru: I work for a medical company and I’m into surgical equipments mostly cardiothoracic. I am also lot into music, because my father was playing for Super Golden Chimes and also related to Rukshan and Melatha Perera. I am the drummer in the band. I started playing drums since I was around 5 years old and I started banging things. I built my own drum sets with two oil cans and wooden tea box, bicycle pop wheel for the high hat and slab plate for a symbol. I have a huge passion for drums and I am a drum collector as well. I have a habit of trying out many instruments as well and I already have a mouth organ, saxophone, flute violin. Melantha and I were playing for the same church and Melantha invited me to play in the band and that’s how I joined it. Sometimes we struggle with our priority, it’s a big task but somehow the other we manage and we do it for fun so we enjoy it. I have been married for the past 3 years and enjoying the journey very much. My wife is also into music but mostly into dancing and she helps me with the music.

Hirushka: I am also a banker. I am into a lot of music. I have been in the music industry for a long time with my uncle Nalin Fernando.

He is like my Godfather when it comes to music as he’s the first person who gave me the exposure to sing in front of a mic. So while singing with him, I got the chance to perform with late Aunty Ruwanie Siemens. She saw me performing at a lobby and she wanted me to sing at a function. From there I was put into a different platform and got the opportunity to get exposure in the music scene. Now I go with my uncle on and off but my focus is with Backstage.

The boys added that the good thing is all the families are involved including the parents and they are there at all the performances we do.

I consider it as a great blessing to have these guys as a band. We want to thank God, our churches, our parents, family and friends such as our guest drummer and percussionist Rajind Silva, Sneha Fernando, Inakshi Polgampola (female singer who performs with us) and Chathuranga. So if you want to see how ‘good’ they are also a help a great cause, then check them out at the Bishop’s College Auditorium tomorrow as they perform with leading bands in Colombo at Go Retro or go to their Facebook page www.facebook.com/backstagesrilanka