COOL ON THE INSIDE; Dove Slimme's new EP

Dove slimme launched their first EP on the 6th of July to much fanfare at Tree Tops restaurant. Backing up the ensemble were Parkinglotgrass and claymore project. Dubbed Cool on The Inside, the Kenyan rock band says its about state of mind and not forcing issues.

"Live it! Love it!Rock it! Everyone is cool on the inside, you just have to find that place" -Dove Slimme

The EP has an edgy urban feel to it

 The EP has an edgy contemporary rock feel to it typical of Dove Slimme. In relentless pursuit of the 'unkown unkown' Cool on the Inside would not be complete without the experimental mixing of English and Kiswahili as in the track Leo ni Leo. Some ululation is thrown in for good measure. Dove Slimme told Kenyan rock band  they wanted to have fun with the sound as well as telling stories. The six track EP features Dove Slimme's own version of the national anthem, Leo ni Leo, Party at The Barn, Vertigo, Identity and Yelele. Kenyan Rock fans may already be familiar with the hits Yelele and Party at the barn. Leo ni leo was singularly released two weeks ago. This Kenyan rock band is not resting on its laurels though. Dove Slimme is already working on new material to be unveiled soon. An album is in the works with what will go into it largely depending on the response to the EP. You can get your own copy at the Hedgehog Creative at Sarit, Textbook Centre or simply call 0721607177 to have it delivered. Cool on the inside will soon be available online as well. Dove Slimme is planning a  series of gigs and shows to promote their EP so be on the look out. Check out their website doveslimme.com and revebnation page and stay informed.

PLATFORM SEVEN

It was the 26th of June.The venue was choices Baricho road. Platform Seven was set to showcase the best of Kenyan rock bands. The lineup; Parkinglot grass, Last Year's Tragedy, Koinange street avengers & Mortal Soul. The club itself was a welcome respite from warehouses on the industrial looking street. By two pm the stage was set. Parkinglotgrass and Last Year’s Tragedy were already in the house. I walked up to the bar ordered a drink checked out my surroundings. Dimmed multicolored lights super-sport on the screens; a typical club on a Sunday afternoon. African timing is a bitch and with an audience of two; it would be awhile before the concert started. A lanky spectacled figured lingered around the DJs box. It was Chizi, LYT lead singer. He walked up we struck a conversation and introduces me to the rest of the crew: Diallo, Stan and Mahia. The tight nit kenyan rock band seemed at ease even revealing their playlist. This would definitely be an interesting afternoon.

By 3.30 Choice’s was finally filling up. Ronjey (Parkinglotgrass) psyched up the eager crowd and the show began.Parkinglotgrass opened the stage. This Kenyan Rock Band had to make do without a lead singer. Chweya(lead guitar) and the gang did a great job though. With a epic rendition of ‘etched on my heart’ and ‘coward’, Parkinlotgrass wet the crowds appetite. Enter Koinange Street Avengers. This is the first time I’d encountered this Kenyan rock band live. Antony(guitarist) kicked off with a pentatonic riff then the fun began.  Koinange Street Avengers went on to thrill the audience with their rendition of set fire to the rain and numb. This Kenyan rock band closes off with their own compositions ‘hit and run’ and ’I don’t know’.

By now the audience was either psyched up or drunk enough to get off their bums and move to the music. It was Kenyan heavy metal bands’ turn. Mortal soul entered the stage to roaring cheers by the crowd. This Kenyan rock band’s rendition of Killswitch’s ‘end of heartache’ induces frenzied moshing by the audience. Mortal soul went on to perform breaking the demon by bullet for my valentine. Then finally, the encore; Last Year’s Tragedy took the stage. Despite mild whiplash and  a few bruises from the ‘mosh pit’ Staying tamu fans cheered wildly. Last Year’sTragedy closed platform seven with their hit Generation Light and Elephant in the room. Chizi screamed himself hoarse. He and the crew gave their fans a memorable show. And on that note platform seven gave way to Choice’s weekly rock night. If you missed it, shame on you.

Has roCk loST iTs rOll

Rock music has not escaped the age old argument of old verses new. Is changing the original corrupting the genre or is it simply necessary with time. Well to answer this question we have to look back; all the way back to the beginning. As in all things great, the origins of Rock n roll are shrouded in mystery. All we know is somewhere in the fifties the young generation back then needed a sound distinct from that of the previous.
 Rock itself evolved from the 'corruption' of other sounds. In need of a new sound the young people of early 20th  century took comfort in quirky mix of blues, jazz and folk. This is how rock was born. Yet even then the genre has not maintained a steady form. the Swinging sixties brought with it the Beatles and Psychedelic drugs. Rock became a means of social protest. Some of the best albums of all time came from this period. Pink Floyds darkside of the moon for instance. Several sub-genres also emerged. Black Sabbath's metallic sound marked the infancy of metal.

Still a form of protest, Punk emerged as a means of venting teen angst anarchism and rage in the seventies. Then came the age of the crazy hair a.k.a the eighties. Bands like ACDC and Guns and Roses established images synonymous with rock and roll. tight leather pants terrible hair and heavy metal. U2 and REM also made inroads with indie rock. And who can forget Nirvana and grunge rock in the nineties.Dirty guitar playing and strong riffs marked this sub-genre.
Then came pop rock and the whiny sound so many dread. I've heard the expression 'rock has lost its roll' passed around a few times because of this. But with  rock continuously evolving everyone claims a different 'authentic' rock sound . If you really think about it, what you consider true rock might be someone elses knock off. We at Kenyan rock band have our preferences but ultimately it comes down to good music. As Kurt Cobain put it 
"Rock is musical freedom, its singing and playing what you want ". Perhaps we should stop judging and start listening #JustSaying.
PS: we are now on twitter @kenyanrockband, follow us for the latest in Kenyan rock.

MDUNDO.COM: Kenyan music online

Somewhere between a funny Youtube video and a Mudvayne song Kenyan rock band stumbled on a great website. Enter mdundo.com a Kenyan mobile music store launched in 2012. It provides Kenyan rock bands as well as other local artistes with an inexpensive platform to sell their music. The websites management also give all proceed from sale of songs to artistes. This is supposed to encourage more musicians to join the platform. The illegal music download and piracy are endemic to Kenyan music industry. Mdundo.com provides Kenya rock fans with a legal alternative.  And at 25 bob a piece, music is quite literally going for a song on mdundo.com.

How does it work you ask? Well for starters you need a scratch card. You can get one at piedmont plaza (the brew bistro building along Ngong road) fourth floor. These scratch cards have unique codes linked to particular songs. The cards cost a hundred bob only. Also, Kenyan rock bands can buy cards themselves and distribute them at gigs.

 When you log on to the website you simply key in the scratch cards unique code and you get up to 4 songs. There are no limits however; you could always just log on and buy songs at sh 25. If you just bought a Samsung galaxy music phone you are in luck. You get five days of free music downloads from the website. Mdundo.com management has been busy this year signing several big names on to their platform. ParkingLotGrass was one Kenyan rock band we encountered on the sight. Other local acts include the Villager’s band Octopizzo and Nazizi to name but a few.

So here’s a little piece of friendly “Kenyan Rock Band” advice if you have an internet connection and five minute to spare, check out this website.

HOW TO GET A GIG

 

You knew you would have to get your act out of your garage eventually. It’s an inevitable step in the development of any Kenyan rock band. Nothing can quite match the experience of playing in front of a crowd.  This is your chance to get through the mandatory stage fright. Gigs are also a way of making cash from your music and building a fan base. They are a perfect means of gauging which songs to keep in your rapporteur and what audiences like. Gigs also offer great motivation to improve your act. Nonetheless getting a chance to perform live can be an uphill task for a startup band.

First challenge is getting a venue. When getting started you can’t be finicky about where you perform. Anywhere with a crowd will do just fine. At first,you will probably be playing to a crowd of mostly friends and family so a small venue will do. Work your way up from house parties with familiar faces up to clubs and pubs. You might not be able to make a lot of money initially but experience is what counts most. Make a point of playing in clubs with your type of music. It will be easier to get fans that way.

You will also need to work with promoters, managers and venue owners. Every one of these people needs one thing from you above all; reliability. Do not be late, show up with faulty equipment or skip the gig all together. No one will touch you with a ten foot poll if your band is not dependable. They also need a Kenyan rock band that will draw crowds and fill the cash box. Needless to say you need to make a good impression.  Prepare a press kit and demo CD of your songs. It’s also important to be professional and demonstrate your popularity. Sometimes promoters organize festivals. This would be great exposure if you can get in.

Of course you could plan your own event instead. Get in touch with other Kenyan rock bands and venue owners. Mobilize you fan base. Make your friends come with their friends. Plaster posters all over the area. You will probably have to make admission cheap to attract a large audience. Having several acts perform is a definite plus. Make sure you keep your costs low though. Keep the events small at first then build them up over time. Hold them on the same day of the week or month so people know when and where to find you. The band will have to give a decent performance to keep the fans coming.
Speaking of gigs, you can catch Dove Slimme and PLG live on the seventh of April at Choices Baricho Road. And yes, you SHOULD DEFINITELY bring a friend.

 

 

 

Kenyan Rock Scene this February

Pardon my slurry typing but this is the best my beer addled mind can do for now. I’ve been probing my mind trying to find something good to say about the past few weeks but I keep drawing a blank.….ah, there it is. Have you seen PLGs Speed chaser video yet? What are you waiting for? Its about politicians getting what they want from us and making like Houdini till next election. It'll definitely give you some perspective in this the electioneering season.

 Last Years Tragedy also launched their first official video Generation light. There's talk of an album launch in the near future and I for one cant wait to get my hands on it. Oh end lest I forget, the Rock Society of Kenya, Andromeda music and Shinagami records intend to release a compilation album with various awesome Kenyan Rock bands. Details sketchy but promising.

Drawing a blank again, I guess that's the thing about Njanuary and Feb, we can only look forward to what comes next. Keep the peace.

LasT YeArs TraGedY

Arguably one of the first Kenyan heavy metal bands Lat Years Tragedy has stuck to this misunderstood genre with the support of its growing fan base .Last Years tragedy is made up of Chizi-Lead Vocals, Jose-Guitar, Davy- Lead Guitar, Mahia- Bass, Stan- Drums and Ruto -Keyboard. Diallo- Guitar/Vocals (on hiatus). Here's their take on the Kenyan metal scene and their place in it.

LYT staying tamu

Let's start with the name, why Last Years Tragedy?
It's a way to remind us all to learn from our mistakes to become better people but never forget those mistakes because they make up a part of who we are.

What's LYT all about and where you headed with your music?

LYT's about peace, love and unity in a nutshell. We are ordinary folk like everyone else doing what we love. Music. We are headed to put Kenya on the map in metal, rock and good music. But that is one part. The music has grown over the years because the learning never stops and we want to see more bands come up! If we were to go back just 5 years, nobody would have believed that a metal band exists but now there are quite a few like Mortal Soul, Absence of Light, In Oath, Lust of a Dying Breed amongst others and that does feel good to see the scene grow. If all that happened just from us playing, then play on we will.

You just released your first music video generation light, how has the response been so far and what should your fans expect in the coming months?

The response has been amazing and humbling! If there's one thing that LYT has always been about, its our friends and fans! They have supported us even through the rough times and we are forever grateful to them for the over 1000 views in two weeks. Everyone who's seen 'Generation Light' has given us the 'thumbs up' and we couldn't have asked for better. Our fans can expect the album 'Walking Through Walls' and a couple more videos!

You participated in the Art for Peace festival, your song tribute to anarchy touches on the post-election violence Kenya has experienced in the past. How big are social issues to your music and why? 

We are a band of ordinary people and we were and are affected by social issues. We aren't political, but we do push for peace and unity. 'A Tribute to Anarchy' came out the way it did because at the time we were writing the music, Kenya was burning. 'Generation Light' tells our generation to create a new path and stay away from all the hate. Our music would not necessarily be about social issues, but more about real music about real life experiences. Music is an expression of what you feel, and is a reflection of what is happening around you, in the end whatever is happening in society might find its way into our music.

What would you really like to change about the Kenyan Rock scene? 

People really need to start seriously supporting Kenya's scene because it is ours! People should attend shows for real and not just confirm on social media. The local rock stations also need to help grow the scene be it through [playing our songs or simply highlighting what's going on in the scene the same way they hype international bands who to be honest won't be coming to Kenya anytime soon simply because of the first point here; People don't attend shows in large numbers.

What are some of the bumps you've hit along the way and how did you deal? 

In 7 years, there have been many from people walking out when we're going on stage when we were starting out, to failing or lack of equipment. to rouge promoters who are out to make a quick buck and refuse to pay. You name it, we've been through it but because we as a band have the same passion for music, we have survived. The only way to get over those bumps is to never give up.

Live performance where can one Catch Last Year's Tragedy performing? 

We usually organize our own shows which we advertise majorly through social media and when we don't have our own shows, we usually play shows with other bands like PLG and Mortal Soul.

And of course finally "staying Tamu" enlighten us, how exactly does one do that? 

By always keeping Time And Misery Undone.