The Surrogate Band give classic rock lovers an evening worth remembering

Music – good music – is like some cheese: they only get better with age. Classic rock n roll, to be more specific, is what best suits that description. While this comparison is somewhat 'off-key', there is also no other way to put it. So the Surrogate Band takes this notion and nurtures their musical showmanship around it. 

The band gave classic rock lovers a perfect weekend at Jatra Biroti, Banani, last Friday. Running between 6 to 9 pm, the band's long-standing fans and lovers flooded the hall room of Jatra Biroti – a cosy corner for many great musicians.

A sparse few people showed up when the show began when Tasmia Tas, the female co-vocalist, took to the stage and kick started the show with Zombie, by The Cranberries. Her voice and throw were the perfect combination for the song, and the many songs she sang throughout the show.

Amit on the drums, Bart on the bass and keys, Neville on the solo guitar, Gibran as co-vocalist and backup guitarist, Farsim on the other guitar, and of course Tas, formed the lineup. Together they performed 22 songs.

After Zombie, Tas moved on to perform Bang Bang, by Audrey Hepburn's equivalent in music, Nancy Sinatra. By the time she began Bang Bang, out of nowhere, the hall was half full, kind of surprising Tas and the band. "I thank those who came on time. A few came even before the show started," the vocalist said thankfully.

Following Bang Bang, Neville sang Michelle by The Beatles. A teenth of French in the lyrics confused the crowd somewhat, but Neville's resounding voice made it sound nice. 

Then when he announced they are performing a U2 track up next, the crowd erupted in a long and loud "Woooooo". So they did One by U2, which by the way Tas, Neville and Gibran all sang together.

One after the other timeless rock songs were coming up and the hall filled up from the stage, in one corner, to the entrance door, on the other end. The audience was made up of people from all walks of life and ages. Everyone seemed to know each other. The show felt more like a reunion of a family bonded by the love for music.

Paul McCartney's My Valentine came up next and then did another Beatles song, Come Together. Clearly, who can really rock a classic rock show without performing as many Beatles songs as possible. 

Oh! And The Oasis! While many still argue The Oasis is a bigger, better rock band than The Beatles is, the crowd simply looked past that and enjoyed Champagne Supernova in Neville's voice. Good music is good music, right? We all love peace – well, not in the capacity of the Beatles or Oasis era hippies – but okay… 

Tas took to the stage after that again and said, right before performing a heartwarming Joan Baez song, Diamond and Rust, "I am doing songs more on the slow and soft side and the boys are on the little more loud side and the crowd seems to take to the loud side." Gibran responded banteringly, "So we will do your slow songs loudly." Clamorous laughter followed the banter.

The Beatles kept coming back. Tas performed Across the Universe next, dedicating it to a dear friend of hers who lives abroad. Bob Dylan came up next, soothing the crowd. 

A relatively new rock song from the relatively new rock band Angus and Julia Stone, a sibling-band from Australia, was sung by Tas after Dylan – For you. 

"You never have to go to work, you spend everyday shining your light my way" so goes a line of the song. Someone from the crowd said out loud, "I loved the 'you never have to go to work' part the most!" Neville quickly replied saying, "We all do!" 

Happy Together by The Turtles, another Angus and Julia Stone track – Jet Plane, Mad About You by Hooverphonic and a few other songs were performed thereafter. 

In the end, if a Pink Floyd track is not there in a classic rock show, the whole point is lost. They began Comfortably Numb. It was as if the crowd was waiting in anticipation for it. The extensive solos of Comfortably Numb were done nicely, albeit giving them a different timbre and style. Even David Gilmour would find it difficult to reproduce that masterpiece note for note on live; but then again, he is Gilmour after all – no one can say what he is truly capable of.

Then when With or Without You was announced on the mic, the entirety of the crowd stood up. Every soul present in the hall sang along and it was not at all surprising how the lyrics of the song were hardwired to everyone's memory, as though tattooed to their brains. This was the most unforgettable part of the entire show.

The show closed off with Thank You, an actual song, not to be confused with saying that while taking a bow at the end of a performance. However, the Surrogate Band was requested to perform Zombie another time since most of the crowd missed it in the beginning and the band obliged.