Get Live-Get Loud-Get Rocking! Band ‘Area 47’ Rocking the ‘Area’ live and Loud with a Big Bang! You Gotta See Them to Feel Them…
Mangaluru: “The message is in the music, now if you’re ready the band’s got the notion, To in motion-Well now it looks like the big fun has just begun- Let’s rock the house, Let’s shock the house, Boom boom shake the room-Let’s rock the shock the house all night, All right don’t stop don’t stop, Oh bang that thing to the beat of the drum. Now the rhythm’s making you, Wanna dance and sing, And otherwise do your thing, Well swing to the music,Woo, Listen. So here’s to your health now especially. Make it funky. G6 house starts rocking, When the drummer starts socking. So party inside and out yeah.Shout to the music now- Let’s rock the house. Let’s shock the house- Music from the soul of man, and the heart of woman”-yes, that was scene at G6-the Music Cafe near Valencia in town, when Mangaluru’s loudest rock band “Area 47” gave one of the most electrifying live music performance on last Saturday- and when they began playing, the audience knew it would be treated to an unforgettable live shows.
The band members performed so well that the revelers called for encores to give them little more than what they got! The band members Rocked the house and ended the night with a big BANG!! They did an awesome job. It was indeed a weekend filled with music, music and more live music at G6, that satisfied the music lovers with all kinds of music from classic rock, heavy metal, rock/hard rock and little bit of pop. All this and much more was experienced by the revelers at Mangaluru’s hottest, loudest and happening fun place G6-where the music beats, the friendly staff and people, the brew and food makes this “Music Cafe” a very pleasurable mixture of ingredients.
When I heard the name of the band as “Area 47”, I thought the band members might have named it after one of their Area Ward 47 MCC Corporator- but I was wrong, because later I found out that the band name “Area 47” was derived from the ‘Brodmann Area 47’ which is the part of the frontal cortex in the human brain. This is the part of the brain that processes musical syntax. Wow-‘Smart Guys’ with ‘Smart Brains’ with ‘Smart Music’ that speaks in loud of Band “Area 47”. Their playing can be described with one word: captivating. They mesmerize with their passionate playing to hold the audience spellbound, and the audience gave them a well-deserved applaud. Their performance was filled with a potency that gave the music life and vibrancy, and the band members tore into it with an intensity that was overwhelming. All I can say is that they are a dynamic group whose personal connection lends poignancy to their music and spark to their performances.
Pulsating, heart stopping reels and jigs, their music defies an audience to remain seated–simply exhilarating! Whether mesmerizing the audience with a slow classic rock hits like “Hotel California” by Eagles/”another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd or busting bow hair on foot-stomping hard-rock hits like ” Rock you like a Hurricane” by Scorpions/”Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi and many more, the musicians delivered, straight from their heart. With their superb stage performances, “Area 47” could be a much appreciated live act throughout Mangaluru and surrounding areas in coming days. The band members have colourful embodiment of talents that spreads positivity around them. Their performances and their music has brought a sense of freshness which grabs the listener with a new found energy.
Their unique rock/hard-rock influences has brought them firmly into the spotlight of mainstream. Their music is full of life and you will enjoy their performance when they go live. It is the expression of four distinct musical sensibilities that dissolve into each other to bring forth a truly unique sound. Their music is often so well blended that you will experience the honey like smooth consistency in it. No doubt, ‘Area 47’ is one of the upcoming thrilling, innovative acts on the music rock scene, with the unique reputation of enthralling audiences in any kind of setting-from college music festivals, live concerts to pub gigs. One has to watch these guys play live- their prominent electric guitar riffs, bright synthesizers, a homogeneous sound and message, and the pitch-correcting software Auto-Tune are superb. This “peppy” band who are heavy on clipped rhythms and chugging guitars and mesmerizing keyboards are sure to entertain everyone once they are on stage live.
Formed in December 2015, “Area 47” has constantly gigging and gaining a reputation as one of the most hard-working Rock bands in the city, they create a sound which is reliant on the energy and honesty of 80s and 90s songs and present hits. It is difficult to pinpoint solid influences, but what they produce is enjoyably familiar. Some might say that they should grab the chance right now while it exists, however it is not something that overly concerns the band. They are continually growing in stature and the odds are that such interest is just a taste of what is to come. The band wants to concentrate on their live performances, and so they are looking for opportunities to play at live concerts/college fests or at pubs. This is evident when watching them, as it is here where they shine. It seems as if the stage is a place for emotional release, where they can perform without concern or compromise. The musical chemistry between the band musicians is clearly evident. They are all equally competent and fill the role extremely well.
While looking at them perform in unity on stage, one could say that every member of the band gets along good with each other and looks like they have been working together in harmony, with determination and enthusiasm to give their best performance and to the sheer satisfaction of the audience. With many bands splitting after a while due to differences with each other, but interacting with the band members I learned that they want to perform together and stay together for a long time, entertaining the society to the best of their abilities. The main motto of the band is to render the best music that they can provide , to please the crowd, keep their reputation and anticipate good remarks from their audience. Focus on what they are doing-perform at big gigs, network and make friends. Learn music trade through time and patience, and when they have done the best job someone will notice.
The power of each song performed by the band is just exceptional – awesome vocals, awesome arrangement of instruments. Once the band starts performing they let you get lost into a real word of rock! A worth listen for each and everyone out there! Seriously! Brilliant Songs all round! Simply superb; Great music.. All the band members are awesome at what they do. This band is amongst the few bands who revive the true power of rock/hard-rock/heavy metal- Attend a live concert from these guys and you’ll know that ‘Area 47’ is definitely the best rock band around. Let’s now learn more about the band members:
Joseph Edward D’Souza: (Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals)- age 46:
Hailing from Kodman, Benjana Padavu, in the outskirts of Mangaluru, he is fondly known as “Lalla” by his loved ones. He is a cancer survivor who presently runs a music school called Woodstock School of Music at Kodman. Worked and taught music in Dubai for 12 years. Affiliated to the Trinity College London (Grade 8 certified), he plays a wide variety of instruments and is an absolute beast on the guitar. Musical style: Jazz, eastern classical, classic rock, heavy metal.
Allen Amith Mascarenhas (Guitars)-age 33:
Hailing from Mangaluru, he is a Microsoft certified system administrator. Grade 8 at guitar, (Trinity College London), student of Joseph Edward. Musical influences Jazz, Classic Psychedelic rock, heavy metal.
Christon Mario D’Souza (Bass)-age 21:
From Benjana Padavu, is known for his amazing stage presence. Previously played for The Dark Psyde and Maloic. Presently studying MCMS at St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru.
Velroy Jason Moras (Vocals / Frontman / Guitars)-age 20 :
Born and brought up in Dubai. Presently studying Engineering at NMAM Institute of Technology, Karkala. Also a student of Joseph Edward. He has a very, very good vocal range and is the front-man of the band. Influences include The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden and other hard rock/heavy metal bands.
Ashwita Fernandes: (Keyboards / Backing Vocals)-age 13
The youngest member of the band, studying in the 9th standard at St. Agnes High School, Mangaluru. She too is a student of Joseph and is very talented at a young age.
Sherwin Vaz (Drums), age 24
Born and brought up in Abu Dhabi, is a Graduate Mechanical Engineer. Known to be a hard hitter and has previously played for ‘Diversion Effect’. Musical style influenced by classic rock, heavy metal, progressive rock.
Shanon Beatrice D’Souza (Vocals), age 18 :
Born in the UAE, presently pursuing engineering at NMAM Institute of Technology. Gifted with a strong voice that will command your attention.
Following are the excerpts from the exclusive interview with Band “Area 47”–
Q :Can you tell us about the formation/reformation of the group? What made you and how did you all got-together?
A. Basically the band was a brainchild of Joseph who runs the Woodstock Music school at Kodman. He had been planning on starting a band for a long time during his recovery from cancer. One day, Christon, who presently plays bass for the band, heard about a battle of the bands being organized at the Forum Mall in Mangaluru and approached Joseph about it, along with Amith (all three of them are cousins), who was a guitar student of Joseph’s. They got in touch with Velroy to take over the vocals, but since he had exams during that time, Joseph took up the vocals himself. Velroy too was a student of Joseph’s, while he was in Dubai.The present keyboard player Ashwita too is a student of Joseph’s. Ian Sachin Saldanha first played drums for the band., but at present the latest additions are Shanon, also a vocalist, and Sherwin now plays drums for the band.
Q : What do you feel about the music industry today?
A. The music industry today is extremely diverse. Its difficult to even count the number of genres today, let alone try to name them all. We at Area 47 too come from diverse musical backgrounds. Speaking about the local scene, there is a severe lack of venues and platforms here in Mangaluru for the local rock bands. Although there is a good number of people here, both young and old who like and listen to rock, we need more places to give it to them.
Q : Are you all planning to be a full fledged band or just a fun?
A. Wherever this journey takes us, its important to all of us that we have fun. So we’re just gonna take it one step at a time and see how things go.
Q : Do you think singer/songwriters are the best of their own work or do you believe some cover versions can be better then the original?
A. Well, yes, they are the best of their own work. Its always easier to cover music rather than create your own. Although, covers could lead to some fresh takes on originals with a change in style or improvisations by the musicians in question.
Q : Apart from your studies or other personal commitments, since you are also starting out your career in the music industry what are the steps do you plan on taking to reach your goal?
A. Right now we’re just planning in playing local gigs and seeing how it goes from there.
Q : What courses/classes would you recommend to someone if they want to be a successful in the music field ?
A. A strong base is absolutely necessary, no matter which instrument you plan on learning. Courses affiliated to The Royal Schools of Music or the Trinity College, London are a very good learning platform. Its never too late to learn an instrument. Joseph is affiliated the Trinity College, and could help you budding musicians out.
Q : From your experience so far, what have you found to be most challenging? And how are you dealing with it?
A. As we said earlier, the most challenging thing about being a rock band over here is the lack of a proper local rock scene. Anther thing that is sometimes difficult, is finding time to practice as a band.
Q : What kind of music influences your song writing? Are there any artists that inspire you?
A. The classics, Hendrix, Steve Vai, Guns N Roses, Deep Purple, Rush and many more artists inspire and influence our music.
Q : Are you planning on releasing any music CD of your own shortly? What’s next stored for you guys? Any upcoming events?
A. We may have another show lined up in August, we will keep you guys posted!
Q: What’s your advice for budding musicians who want to start a band or reach greater heights?
A. There is absolutely no substitute for practice. It could take years, but don”t give up. Practice, practice and then practice some more. Patience is key, no one becomes a guitar or drum God overnight. It takes hard work, patience and dedication.
Team Mangalorean wishes the band members of “Area 47” all success in their music field. You guys simply rock!
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