With the eighth edition going international, this year's contest includes bands from Nepal and Australia
Street Stories. Photo: Naman Saraiya
Chennai electro-rock band The F16s will compete at Hornbill International Rock Contest in Nagaland this December.
Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival will host 22 bands as part of the Hornbill International Rock Contest this year. The shortlist of bands, which does not include Nagaland groups, was released yesterday. The list includes bands from Australia and Nepal besides artists from across India. Local bands from Nagaland will be selected via auditions held on November 20th.
Going by the shortlist, the competition looks like an exciting buildup to the finish with a range of bands from metal to soft rock to power pop. While Melbourne-based indie rock band Escapades, Kathmandu death metal band Dying Out Flame and UAE-based soft rock band Johnmpmamei and The Band are international entries, Chennai-based electro-rock band The F16s, Delhi progressive metalcore band Colossal Figures, Kerala thrash metallers Chaos add to the Indian lineup. Chennai blues rock band Grey Shack, who won the Harley Rock Riders Find Your Freedom Contest last month, will also compete for a grand prize of Rs 10 lakh. While the runner-up band takes home a prize of Rs 2.5 lakh, third place gets Rs 1.5 lakh. Individual prizes for Best Vocalist, Best Guitarist, Best Drummer, Best Bassist will be worth Rs 30,000 each, alongwith surprise sponsored prizes also being given away on December 10th.
Among 22 bands, seven Delhi-based acts are heading to compete in the Hornbill International Rock Contest including psychedelic rock band The Urban EarlyMen, experimental metal band Phobia and alt rock band Yesterdrive, among others.
Hornbill International Rock Contest 2013 shortlist:
Dying Out Flame ”“ Kathmandu, Nepal
Johnmpamei & The Band ”“ UAE
Escapades ”“ Melbourne
Underground Authority ”“ Kolkata
4 Degrees of Freedom ”“ Ranchi
The F16s ”“ Chennai
Yesterdrive ”“ New Delhi
Ground Zero ”“ Kalimpong, Darjeeling
Turnkey ”“ Kolkata
Red Light Passengers ”“ New Delhi
Elision ”“ Srinagar
The Urban EarlyMen ”“ New Delhi
Nigambodh ”“ New Delhi
Colossal Figures ”“ New Delhi
Chaos ”“ Trivandrum
Street Stories ”“ Shillong
Route 3 ”“ New Delhi
Circle’s End ”“ Darjeeling
Phobia ”“ New Delhi
Grey Shack ”“ Chennai
Red Seems Right ”“ MumbaiÂ
Sycorax ”“ Darjeeling
Hornbill Music Festival will be held in Kohima between December 1st and 10th. The International Rock Contest takes place between December 7th and 10th at Solidarity Park, Kohima, Nagaland. Event details here.
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