Global battle of bands

We have good news for all aspiring Nepali bands and musicians who are aspiring to earn success and stardom overnight. For all those who are working hard day and night in their studios, whose fingers have fled while attending guitar sessions, who believes that s/he can play drums like no one else can and for those who are waiting for one such chance to prove themselves as promising upcoming singers, House of Innovations Private Limited brings you a juvenile opportunity to showcase all the musical knowledge you have within and to get a chance to vie amongst dozens of international bands in the UK in the month of December.[break]

Binit Shrestha, director of House of Innovations, an event management company and festival country director of Global Battle of Bands, calls for both professional and upcoming bands to register their names so that he can pick the best amongst all the registered to take the deserving band compete in an international music competition.

Global Battle of Band is a UK-based music competition where hundreds of bands come together to vie from various countries around the world. Though this international music competition started in 2003, this is the first ever time that Nepal is also representing at the grand finale which will take place on December 13.

Binit Shrestha, who has had enough experiences in event management in the past years, officially got the license of Global Battle of Bands for Nepal in 2004. But because he did not find suitable bands and equivalent environment to send Nepali musicians abroad, he had been waiting ever since to this day. Now the time has finally come, says Shrestha who is pretty confident that Nepali bands are no less behind when it’s about a band competition.

The bands that will register their names to compete will have to go through the qualifying round that is slated to happen on October 27 at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory School (KJC) in Jhamsikhel. Country director Shrestha reveals that 60 Nepali bands who register first will be selected for the qualifying round. Out of them only five bands will be selected for the grand finale based on originality and stage presence in performance, so that the best band gets the grand opportunity to compete in the World Grand Finale of Global Battle of Bands on December 13.

According to the organizers, there are only two criteria required to participate in this coveted competition. First, the participating bands will have to refrain themselves from singing cover songs and they have to perform their music live, meaning no pre-recorded music will be accepted. There is no music genres defined during the grand finale, the final participant can sing in any language and in any sorts of compositions. Each band will have to come with at least four songs prepared during the qualifying round in Kathmandu, so that whoever becomes the fortunate one to compete in the UK will be given two amongst the four numbers s/he played for the mega finale.

Sad but true, neither has the organizer Shrestha been able to approach the professional bands of Kathmandu nor have they volunteered to participate so far.

And the reason is: “They are obstructed by their ego whenever they think about competing with junior artistes. And I guess they even wouldn’t expect me to request them to join,” unveiled Shrestha. Nonetheless, promising bands like Alt F4 and Bhumi have already registered their names for the international band competition. After the final selection of the Top 5 bands in November 7, Shrestha highlights that, one lucky band who will be selected will be given intensive grooming sessions by the celebrity bands and organizers before they fly to the UK in the first week of December.

Shrestha further said that he is quite hopeful that Nepali bands too can equally stand out on international platforms. At the same time, he hinted how Australian, European and Pakistani bands will be tough competitors for Nepali bands.

The one who goes to participate in the competition will have to perform two original numbers live within eight minutes of the given time. And the winner of the celebrated band competition will be given US$100,000 and a world tour and an opportunity to record an album there as “World’s Best Band”.

Shrestha is now looking forward to get this worth appreciating initiative a deserving support from Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

“I wish an UK airline to recognize us as their official carrier. This can be possible only if NTB supports us. They are positive so far,” added Shrestha who is pretty positive about getting a handful of sponsors by next year. Because all this happened at a short notice, Shrestha could not find enough sponsors for airfare and expenses which he is solely bearing this time.

Now for those who are keen on participating in this competition, this is what you will have to do: Log on to www.gbob.com. Sign up to open your account. Once you are logged in, you will be able to find a link that will read “Global Challenge.” Follow the link and click “Nepal.” Select “1st November audition” category. Fill up the general information form. The process will then ask you for the payment code. Each band member will have to pay Rs 1,000 to register. The first 60 registered bands will be qualified to compete during the qualifying round.