Shepherd to Perform at G-Shock Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2016

Since the release of their 2015 debut album Stereolithic Riffalocalypse, Shepherd has been performing largely in and around their hometown of Bengaluru. Now the sludge trio are finally making their way to Mumbai to tune down and turn it up at the seventh edition of G-Shock Rolling Stone Metal Awards on February 28th at Hard Rock Cafe Worli. Shepherd completes the lineup at RSMA, which features Delhi hardcore band Grammy Winning Effort, Mumbai stone-age metallers Primitiv and tech-death metal band Gaijin.

Shepherd released their debut album Stereolythic Riffalocalypse last year which — apart from winning them much local and international acclaim among metal publications [and stoners] — has also landed them five nominations for this year, including Best Band, Best Album, Best Song, Best Guitarist and Best Bassist.

The band, comprising bassist Abhishek Michael, drummer Deepak Raghu and guitarist Namit Chauhan, technically made their Mumbai debut in June 2014 at Mumbai’s oldest metal festival Domination: The Deathfest’s sixth edition. But with Michael committing to studio time with his former band, thrash/death metallers Inner Sanctum, the band roped in Ganesh Krishnaswamy [from old school metallers Kryptos and stoner/doom metal band Bevar Sea], who fell ill before the show. As a result, Shepherd’s Mumbai debut was pretty much a two-man jam session between Raghu and Chauhan.  Michael adds, “I don’t think any of us consider [that] a proper gig, [so] this is kind of like our first one in Bombay.”

For their RSMA debut, Shepherd will play a mix of material off Stereolithic Riffalocalypse, covers, and possibly new material, depending on the crowd’s reaction.“It depends on the mood when we get there. Shepherd is one of those bands where you never know what’s going to happen at the gig; so it’s going to be as much a surprise for you as it will be for us,” says Michael.

Shepherd performs at the G Shock Rolling Stone Metal Awards at Hard Rock Cafe, Worli on February 28th, 2016. Event details here.