Concert: Noori treats Islamabad to a night of crazy head banging

The band was three hours late due to delayed flight.

ISLAMABAD: The otherwise quiet Islamabad witnessed loud music and crazy head banging on Saturday. Rock enthusiasts of the twin cities were treated to a night of nostalgia as Noori performed its first ever show in the capital city after their reunion.

The 3rd Base, a recently opened entertainment centre for sports and food lovers alike, organised the event.

The band, which broke up in 2006, recently rejoined to form its original line up consisting of Ali Noor on vocals and lead guitar, his brother Ali Hamza on vocals and rhythm guitar, Muhammad Ali Jafri on bass guitar and John L Pinto aka Gumby on the drums.

(Read:Noori reunites after 7 years)

Since the concert was Noori’s first performance in the capital city after five years, scores of fans flocked to the venue to sing along their well-known tracks.

However, due to flight delays, the two brothers were unable to make it on time and the concert began three hours later than its scheduled time.

Despite rumours of cancellations and delays, the fans, who were much excited to see their favourite band perform, waited patiently in the cold weather.

The concert was opened by an underground band by the name of “Stoned”, which entertained the audience before Noori arrived. The band performed several cover songs as well as their original tracks to an appreciated audience.

One could feel an atmosphere of excitement and apprehension, with some looking at their wrist watches, while others having their eyes glued to the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the band as they arrived.

“I really hope they can make it and the concert doesn’t get cancelled,” said one person.

When the band finally arrived, it was received with loud cheers and hooting, with the boys slightly dazed but thrilled to have finally made it (their flight was delayed thrice and they were rushed onto the stage the very minute they landed).

Without any further delays, the band began their performance with their famous track Manwa Rey, while the crowd swayed to the beat and sang along, forgetting about the long wait they had to endure.

The band then went on to perform their more upbeat hard hitting song Suno Ke Mein Hun Jawan causing a raging frenzy among the fans.

The band, known for their relatable youth oriented music which urges the young generation to wake up and make a difference for their country, had the crowd head banging and fist pumping through out the show.

The band also performed a new single which had not been performed live on stage before; Noor announced that the recording from the concert will probably be included in their upcoming album.

“This is probably the best concert of my life!” said Noor, who seemed to be delighted with the overwhelming response from the audience.

The crowd was excited to watch the band reunite. The band’s chemistry and interactive performance made the long wait worthwhile.

There were some technical glitches during the performance because the band did not get a chance to perform a sound check, but they kept playing with full steam through glitches and all.

However, the idea of having the crowd stand in an empty pool might not have been the best of ideas -- everyone wanted to be at the shallow end. Nonetheless it was a night to remember.

Having a well known band perform in the capital was a nice change of tune from the usual underground band performances, which seem to the norm nowadays due to security issues.

Even though one would have hoped for more punctuality (PIA please take note), but a reasonably priced ticket and a safe atmosphere for youngsters to enjoy themselves sure hit all the right ticks with the Islamabadis.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.