-organisers say event poised to elevate local rock music scene

By Telesha Ramnarine
GUYANESE rock musicians Gavin Mendonca and Gavin Singh – both members of the Feed The Flames Band – will be producing the esteemed Wacken Metal Battle Caribbean (WMBC) in Guyana for the first time ever, with both artistes thrilled to be bringing such a major rock event to the local fan base.

The WMBC is part of a larger, global battle of the bands (The Wacken Metal Battle), which is hosted annually as one of the main attractions of the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. Here, bands from around the world get to represent their country on the “grandest stage for heavy metal in the world,” according to Mendonca.

“Hosting the WMBC in Guyana will surely elevate the local rock scene tremendously. The prestige that comes with the event will create a buzz for Guyana…regionally and internationally,” Mendonca shared with Buzz.

He and Singh believe that hosting the event in Guyana, with ‘Orange Sky’ from Trinidad being the guest headliner, will enable them to bring yet another major rock event to fans, with the prestige of the Wacken Open Air Festival attached to it where bands from around the Caribbean will be given the opportunity to perform in Guyana for the first time.

“Also, with it being right in the middle of the Mashramani season, we believe there will be an influx of tourists in the country…we can capitalise on marketing, allowing for a true Rock n’ Roll experience during our most colourful and cultural time of the year,” he added.

The stage presentation at The Black Magenta, Georgetown Club venue is the main attraction for the February 18 event and will include performances by five heavy metal bands from around the Caribbean namely: Et Tu Brutus (Guyana), Ravech (Suriname), Mindscape Laboratory (Trinidad), LeftOver (Puerto Rico) and Down The Line (Guadeloupe).
“To give the event a more dynamic feel, we have recently introduced the presence of on-site vendors at rock events,” Mendonca informed. This means that a space will be allocated for local arts and craft vendors, food and drinks, tattoo artists, and each participating band will have their merchandise on display for sale.

Mendonca and Singh know for sure that the event will be a treat for the hundreds of Rock music fans in Guyana – from the old school Classic Rock veterans, to the fans of the 90s and early 2000s; the Punks and Metal Heads, Pop Rockers, and the new generation of young Guyanese who appreciate alternative forms of entertainment.

“Rock music in the Caribbean has grown tremendously over the last six years, especially after the introduction of the WMBC by Surinamese Promoter Jerry Orie,” Mendonca observed.

It was then hosted in Trinidad at the annual Skyy Rock Festival in 2018 when local heavy metal band Feed The Flames participated as a top five finalist.

According to Mendonca, prior to the pandemic, the rock music scene in Guyana had been progressively growing over the years thanks to the efforts of local bands Et Tu Brutus, Feed The Flames, and more recently – Celestial Burn. Each band would produce their own shows, contributing to the overall kinship of the rock scene.

“Feed The Flames became known for putting on some of the best rock concerts in Guyana, many times bringing bands from Suriname and French Guiana and producing top tier rock concert experiences,” he pointed out before adding, “The Pandemic, of course, shut the rock scene down totally, for all of 2020 and 2021. This, the third edition of the WMBC was originally scheduled for 2020, but was forced to cancel. Now, however, with the flames of the Guyanese rock scene rekindled, it is the perfect time to introduce the public to a whole new level of Rock n’ Roll events in Guyana.”