An inner rebel always wakes up when listening to an 80’s classic rock. Those leather jacket clad long-haired men with headbands and music that goes deep down into the gut and pulls at it. When a band inspired from the 80’s classic rock begins to perform on stage nowadays, it almost feels as if the genre hasn’t faded into oblivion yet.
Earlier this month, one of the greatest musicians of our time visited India. One might have to work really hard not to recognise the name ‘Slash’. The Guns n’ Roses’ former lead guitarist was in the country to perform as part of the MTV Indies Xtreme along with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, as part of their world tour to promote their album World On Fire. For three boys from a band based in Kochi, Kerala, life simply changed overnight. The members of the Kochi-based classic metal and hard rock band Rocazaurus were the lucky ones chosen to open the show before the legendary Slash began his performance.
Band members Fredy John, Leslie Rodrigues and Alfred Noel were in for a performance they can never forget. Speaking about how they got the opportunity, Vocalist Fredy says “The band happened to take part in the Strawberry Fields competition last year in Bengaluru. We bagged the first prize there and that is when MTV Indies noticed us, and since we follow the same genre, they found us apt to open the show for Slash.”
For those who missed it, the sheer massiveness and madness of the concert can be understood from some of the photos the band has uploaded on their Facebook page.
Growing up listening to Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses, starting a band inspired from this music was only natural for these boys. “We were all inspired by 80’s classic rock. With each changing generation the taste in music might have changed, but we always loved this genre and we were sure of what kind of music we wanted to make,” says Fredy.
The band has a quirky name that is not easy to forget — Rocazaurus. About it, Fredy says, “What happened to the classic rock is exactly what happened to dinosaurs. Punk and hard rock is dying.” The current line-up of the band has been performing over the past three years. About their new album, bass guitarist Leslie Rodrigues says, “We just completed recording and will be launching it soon. We are just waiting for the artwork to finish. It’s called Rise and has seven of our own compositions.”
Alfred Noel, the band’s drummer says, “The gig was great and the crowd was amazing.” He adds, “We grew up listening to Slash’s music, we were inspired by it... and to be able to open a show for him was simply out-of-this-world.”
The band will be the headlining act at this year’s Strawberry Fields and their first single’s video Punk, directed with the concept made by MTV Indies, will release next month.
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