A Rocking Tribute
Published in World Music
July/August Issue
By Fariha Rashed
It was Friday the 20th of April 2007. A few friends and I found ourselves making our may to Saint Anthony’s college, situated on that long winding road called The Mall. We were enthusiastically looking forward to a fun night of loud music played by a bunch of old and young musicians that haven’t gotten together in ages. The night was largely organized by Cecil Chaudhry and Shahzad Hameed to commemorate Babar Khan, lead vocalist for the band Trip. Babar sadly died in 1997. Rumor has it that he was shot, but that claim cannot be substantiated, and therefore is at the end of the day just a rumor.
It was a beautiful night; the stars were out and the wind was blowing gently. Weather wise it couldn’t have been a more perfect day to hold a gig on. Stage and sound had been set up at one end of Saint Anthony’s roof top. The surrounding view, of the enchanting Church’s dome in particular, gave the whole ambience an air of nostalgia. The stage carried behind it three large backdrops of Babar’s smiling face. Lighting served to create a juxtaposition of brilliant colors that reflected off the backdrop and stage beautifully. Large carpets were spread across the floor in front of the stage to allow for comfortable seating. According to Shahzad Hameed prior rehearsals and set up of the equipment, stage etc took a lot of time. It’s a good thing that so much instance was invested in taking care of these details, because that’s what made the whole difference in the overall success of the gig….and a success it was indeed.
Before any of the singing began, a projector screen lit up with images of Babar through the years of his life. I thought that was a very touching display showing how much he is missed by his entire band and most musicians of Pakistan. Subsequently, the show kicked off with Shahzad Hameed who played two of his originals from his upcoming debut album. I specifically enjoyed his single ‘Fish out of Water’, which was sung by Shahzad with great fervor. He later returned on stage to play a little guitar on the song "Cocaine" and played bass on "Highway Star". What followed Shahzad’s initial performance was no less enthralling. It was the original Mind Riot consisting of Farhad Humayun on drums, Sheraz Siddiq on keyboards and Mehmood Rehman. The performance was tight and the audience loved seeing the band together again. Coven took to the stage next. The band consists of Hamza Jafri, Sikander Mufti on drums, Imran Shafiq, and Sameer Ahmed on base. Coven completely rocked the house with their energized performance. Sikandar in particular was powerful on drums. The band performed an improvised piece which blew the crowd away; whistles as well as ‘aaaah’s’ of approval could be heard resounding across the roof top.
By this point the audience was in full throttle, as were the performers, both enjoying the night immensely. The audience was reacting to musicians and the musicians were reacting to the audience’s appreciation of their skills on stage. It was a beautiful interacting to watch and be a part of. It took for Ahmed Ali Butt to bring an element of comedy to the event. He got on stage and passed a few sarcastic comments that had everyone smiling. He then went on to perform a few songs as a part of the band ‘Entity’. Once he got off stage, the original members of the band Trip came on. This was the moment everyone had been looking forward to. Cecil did a tremendous job on guitars and some of his solo portions were absolutely mind blowing. The flow of his fingers over the guitar strings was mesmerizing. I could see my friend, who was sitting right next to me, sway his head from side to side, completely lost in the moment. Various musicians came and went during Trip’s performance, each playing with them at different occasions and on different songs. The show went on into the wee hours of the night and it seemed even the audience just couldn’t get enough.
One realizes that seated in open air is always the best way to hear a live performance. Sound carries better in such an environment as it did on Saint Anthony’s spacious roof top. The sound engineers at the switch boards did a good job in controlling the levels of instruments and vocals. Also, intelligently the crowd present at the gig was invited by the organizers themselves. One saw all kinds of people from media, and the music industry. The event was not publicized on a grand scale and Cecil and Shahzad Hameed made the effort of calling people up themselves to invite them. This ensured that an interested and good group of people was there. Refreshments were available in abundance and I for one knocked back two bottles of coke during the stretch of the night.
The event started off a little late, but then the rest of the night more than made up for that initial little glitch. Overall the evening was a blazing success with some of the finest musicians Pakistan has ever produced performing together on one platform after years. It was a treat for any music lover well acquainted with the maestros. Even the Meekal Hassan Band made a five minute appearance to show their support for the cause. Unfortunately they had to rush to another gig they had lined up for the night and thus did not perform at Saint Anthony’s. Babar Khan must have been smiling down from the heavens, appreciating the show that was put up to tribute him as one of the greatest vocalists Pakistan has produced over time. I for one hope such entertaining and well organized events continue to take place on a regular basis. It warms the heart to know that Pakistanis have come quite far with regard to putting up a good show!
Published in World Music
July/August Issue
By Fariha Rashed
It was Friday the 20th of April 2007. A few friends and I found ourselves making our may to Saint Anthony’s college, situated on that long winding road called The Mall. We were enthusiastically looking forward to a fun night of loud music played by a bunch of old and young musicians that haven’t gotten together in ages. The night was largely organized by Cecil Chaudhry and Shahzad Hameed to commemorate Babar Khan, lead vocalist for the band Trip. Babar sadly died in 1997. Rumor has it that he was shot, but that claim cannot be substantiated, and therefore is at the end of the day just a rumor.
It was a beautiful night; the stars were out and the wind was blowing gently. Weather wise it couldn’t have been a more perfect day to hold a gig on. Stage and sound had been set up at one end of Saint Anthony’s roof top. The surrounding view, of the enchanting Church’s dome in particular, gave the whole ambience an air of nostalgia. The stage carried behind it three large backdrops of Babar’s smiling face. Lighting served to create a juxtaposition of brilliant colors that reflected off the backdrop and stage beautifully. Large carpets were spread across the floor in front of the stage to allow for comfortable seating. According to Shahzad Hameed prior rehearsals and set up of the equipment, stage etc took a lot of time. It’s a good thing that so much instance was invested in taking care of these details, because that’s what made the whole difference in the overall success of the gig….and a success it was indeed.
Before any of the singing began, a projector screen lit up with images of Babar through the years of his life. I thought that was a very touching display showing how much he is missed by his entire band and most musicians of Pakistan. Subsequently, the show kicked off with Shahzad Hameed who played two of his originals from his upcoming debut album. I specifically enjoyed his single ‘Fish out of Water’, which was sung by Shahzad with great fervor. He later returned on stage to play a little guitar on the song "Cocaine" and played bass on "Highway Star". What followed Shahzad’s initial performance was no less enthralling. It was the original Mind Riot consisting of Farhad Humayun on drums, Sheraz Siddiq on keyboards and Mehmood Rehman. The performance was tight and the audience loved seeing the band together again. Coven took to the stage next. The band consists of Hamza Jafri, Sikander Mufti on drums, Imran Shafiq, and Sameer Ahmed on base. Coven completely rocked the house with their energized performance. Sikandar in particular was powerful on drums. The band performed an improvised piece which blew the crowd away; whistles as well as ‘aaaah’s’ of approval could be heard resounding across the roof top.
By this point the audience was in full throttle, as were the performers, both enjoying the night immensely. The audience was reacting to musicians and the musicians were reacting to the audience’s appreciation of their skills on stage. It was a beautiful interacting to watch and be a part of. It took for Ahmed Ali Butt to bring an element of comedy to the event. He got on stage and passed a few sarcastic comments that had everyone smiling. He then went on to perform a few songs as a part of the band ‘Entity’. Once he got off stage, the original members of the band Trip came on. This was the moment everyone had been looking forward to. Cecil did a tremendous job on guitars and some of his solo portions were absolutely mind blowing. The flow of his fingers over the guitar strings was mesmerizing. I could see my friend, who was sitting right next to me, sway his head from side to side, completely lost in the moment. Various musicians came and went during Trip’s performance, each playing with them at different occasions and on different songs. The show went on into the wee hours of the night and it seemed even the audience just couldn’t get enough.
One realizes that seated in open air is always the best way to hear a live performance. Sound carries better in such an environment as it did on Saint Anthony’s spacious roof top. The sound engineers at the switch boards did a good job in controlling the levels of instruments and vocals. Also, intelligently the crowd present at the gig was invited by the organizers themselves. One saw all kinds of people from media, and the music industry. The event was not publicized on a grand scale and Cecil and Shahzad Hameed made the effort of calling people up themselves to invite them. This ensured that an interested and good group of people was there. Refreshments were available in abundance and I for one knocked back two bottles of coke during the stretch of the night.
The event started off a little late, but then the rest of the night more than made up for that initial little glitch. Overall the evening was a blazing success with some of the finest musicians Pakistan has ever produced performing together on one platform after years. It was a treat for any music lover well acquainted with the maestros. Even the Meekal Hassan Band made a five minute appearance to show their support for the cause. Unfortunately they had to rush to another gig they had lined up for the night and thus did not perform at Saint Anthony’s. Babar Khan must have been smiling down from the heavens, appreciating the show that was put up to tribute him as one of the greatest vocalists Pakistan has produced over time. I for one hope such entertaining and well organized events continue to take place on a regular basis. It warms the heart to know that Pakistanis have come quite far with regard to putting up a good show!
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