Not even a natural disaster can silence Kathmandu’s spirited rock scene. Three months after the earthquake that devastated Nepal, the music goes on, according to guitarist Sarad Shrestha, who brings his band Tumbleweed Inc to the UAE on Saturday.
“Right now, you can see the people are moving on,” he says. “I heard about a keyboardist who died – everyone knows someone. But people are not stuck in this pain.
“There’s a lot of music happening – and music can help people at this time.”
Shrestha’s band recently played a series of fundraisers for those displaced by April’s earthquake, which killed more than 8,500 people and injured more than 23,000.
It’s an appropriate way for a city renowned for its thriving live-music scene to regroup.
Kathmandu’s storied “Freak Street” was a flagrant hippy hangout that attracted British superstars including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton in the 1960s.
These visits helped to spark a regional rock scene that is still alive and kicking. Even though guitars have been traded for turntables in much of the world, the spirit of rock ’n’ roll remains largely undiminished in Nepal. Wander around the central Thamel district after dark on any weeknight, and you can expect to find more than a dozen live bands rocking out to appreciative audiences.
“The scene in Kathmandu is great, there’s lots of new bands in all genres of music – it’s exciting,” says 40-year-old Shrestha. “All the bars have bands playing every night. The rock scene here is very strong. Maybe because there are so many young people here – you can put your aggressions and frustrations in your music, right out there in the street – maybe this is the reason.”
Tumbleweed Inc, however, have a policy of avoiding bar gigs and cover sets, instead relying on one-off shows at which they play original material.
So far so good for the quartet, which was formed in 2012 by Shrestha, an established guitar hero in his country and highly regarded long-term member of popular rock act The Axe.
But after 15 years, he decided it was time for something new. Drawing from influences including Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bizkit, Tumbleweed Inc’s sound revives the rap-metal and nu-metal sounds popular at the turn of the millennium.
“I’ve always loved this kind of music,” says Shrestha. “Before, when I was in a more mainstream band, I always wanted to be playing this, for a very long time. I’m grateful The Axe gave me the chance to have this name. It’s nothing personal, I just wanted to do my own thing.”
Tumbleweed Inc's debut album, Parichaya, was released last year and is steadily picking up airplay and recognition.
“We’re very happy with how the album has been received,” says the guitarist. “In a short time, it’s becoming popular here in Nepal, people are really appreciating our work – it’s something new for people, that spoken element.”
The fresh sound he’s talking about is the mix of raps and monologues from vocalist Suwas (aka Ktm Souljah), delivered in a mix of Nepali and English. It’s not uncommon for bands from Nepal to leap between languages.
“It just works with this balance,” says Shrestha. “Everybody knows the English language in the underground scene here, the words have their own role, it’s not a problem.”
While their debut album has only been out for a few months, the band are already working on a follow-up EP. Before that is released, they have their UAE debut to look forward to, topping the bill at the Summer Rock Fest alongside fellow rockers Bulletcells, Phoenix and Up the Ante.
“I’ve never been to Dubai but I’ve heard the music scene is getting pretty huge,” says Shrestha, who adds that he is a fan of UAE metallers Nervecell.
“I’ve got some friends there and they say it’s getting bigger and more fun,” he says. “The metal scene looks like it’s going to be pretty cool.”
• Tumbleweed Inc perform at The Music Room, Majestic Hotel Tower, Bur Dubai, on Saturday, July 18, from 9pm; tickets from Dh70
rgarratt@thenational.ae