Rock icons going strong

KATHMANDU, AUG 28 - The 80s had an immense influence on music, creating particular niches within genres themselves. Whether to do with pop, heavy metal, or rock, many still harken back to the era when pointing out their favorite artist. And bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and AC/DC—to name a few—were at the helm of the industry during that time, inspiring future generations of music-makers. Loud, aggressive wailing, distorted effects, heavy guitar riffs and swift drumming—these were the roots of hard rock, which can be traced further back to the 60s. And so it was as a tribute to the sounds from the 80s that Cobweb was first formed in 1992. Often referred to as Nepal’s Black Sabbath, the band comprised initially of five members—Nilesh Joshi (bass), Dibesh Mulmi (guitar/vocals), Mahesh Nakarmi (guitar), Pawan Shakya (keyboard) and Udeep Joshi (drums)—all hailing from Patan. Cobweb pioneered hard rock in Nepal with the release of their first album Anjaan a year later, in 1993.

Although Anjaan didn’t prove the big hit they’d hoped it would be, the band persisted and brought out their second album Maryo Ni Maryo, which did relatively better. And with successive albums like the eponymous Cobweb in 1996, Rollin’ String in 1998 and Mercedes Benz in 2000, Cobweb’s fanbase was growing steadily. But as happens with most bands, their line-up saw changes over the years, and Siddartha Dhakwa and Sunil Shakya eventually replaced Joshi and Mulmi on drums and guitars/vocals, while Shakya opted out of the band as well. Cobweb’s list of inspirations has always been extensive, comprising of rock outfits from the 80s, and Slash, Ian Glover and Steve Harris are among the crew’s musical icons. The band has performed more than 300 concerts all over the country, including two musical tours, as well as a number of stints abroad in Australia, England, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand. “Even though the crowd at our concert in England comprised of locals, the response was still overwhelming,” says Mulmi. As for more regular gigs, Cobweb plays at the Reggae Bar in Thamel every Wednesday and Friday.

Namaste, which came out in 2010, was the band’s seventh and most recent album, and one members consider their best work so far—lyrically, stylistically and conceptually. “We were able to attract quite a few first-time listeners, which was great,” Joshi says. Cobweb was presented the Award for Best Lead Guitar in the Sajjan Smiriti Competition in 1996 and bagged first position in the Kathmandu Utsav. In the same year, they were also awarded the Band of the Year prize at the Tuborg Music Festival. Two decades since they first came together, the band has had a long and fruitful journey, accumulating many fans along the way. Together with Nepathya, 1974 A.D, and Mukti and Revival, Cobweb is among Nepal’s most-loved rock acts, and the band says there is more to come, with a new album currently in the works. Cobweb will be performing at the NATHM Food Festival on September 1
ekantipur

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