June 16 is when metal enthusiasts from across the country head to Bengaluru. Bangalore Open Air, supported by the Wacken Open Air is bringing to the city one of the most renowned heavy metal festivals. “I am looking forward to new music that I haven’t heard before,” says Deepak Nambiar, an engineer.
International and national acts will be a part of this festival. Deepak adds, “Growing up, I used to listen to Kreator and Iced Earth. Kreator is the biggest Teutonic thrash metal band from Germany and Iced Earth are the American-based power metal titans. Most of these bands are metal and the country has never seen a metal festival of this magnitude.”
These bands are also looking forward to their performances at the BOA because of the expected 7,000 people crowd. Sushmit Mazumdar, a member of 1833 AD says, “We are going to play new songs from our new album.”
The festival will feature 12-hours of non-stop headbanging music spread across two stages. “It is an honour to open for the headlining act. This will be an event that may change the face of rock music in the country. The festival also gives exposure to underground bands that have a huge fan following. The visual effects during the performance, the fireworks and the effects on stage will add value to this metal gig,” says Nolan Lewis, the vocalist of Kryptos.
People are coming in large numbers from Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ooty. Amrita Datta, a programming executive says, “The rhythm that metal music gives you is unique and provides a real kick.”
Talking about this event that is expected to be an annual event, Salman U Syed, founder of Infinite Dreams says, “The market for heavy metal in India is growing rapidly. The massive turn outs when Metallica and Iron Maiden played here gave us a preview. India is going through the same phase that the Bay Area went through, back in the early 80s. Five years down the line, we should see this grow on the lines of Rock in Rio.”
Many bands are also taking part in the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle. “This boosts the future generation of heavy metal and rock musicians. This is the perfect platform for upcoming act,” says Sushmit.
The tickets for the BOA are priced at ` 1,500.