AMONG THE STARS (Review)

AMONG THE STARS

tribute to Richie Nongthombam

(1982 - 2014)

     Hosted by Club Muzik Events AMONG THE STARS is a tribute rock concert in remembrance to Richie Nongthombam (Raghuchand) deceased in 2014. The gig was held on 14th November, 2015 at Oinam Kangjeibung and was sponsored by Friends and Families of the deceased soul.

     All together ten bands performed at the concert. After a 30 sec. silence in the name of the departed soul Necrotizing Fasciitis took the stage as the first band of the evening. The band is the replacement for Crush N Burn with both bands giving a mutually agreed consent to the organizer. It was a bold act by the band to begin the show with only a few crowds in front of the stage. Dominix was the next. They were the crowd gatherer of the evening. The band made the venue full with fans rushing in front for sweet spots. These first two bands were the only metal bands who played that day.

     Next was Morning View. They are the only band from Oinam (the venue town). Performing for the first time in their home town the band got its share of applause from the local fans as well as the attainding crowds. Akaxia who introduced themselves as based in Churachandpur was the next on the line. The band came up with a set of covers. Not really at its best of their performance the boys maintained its share of applause from the supportive crowd. Bitter Symphony is a band which is starting to be known because for its mesmerizing vocal. They presented some of the all time classic numbers.

     Next was the Cleave who presented themselves with a new avatar. Dressed in complete black they hail the fans with all instrumental setlist. Even without a vocalist they put up a jaw dropping performance. Three quick instrumental numbers and that's it. We could see the band quite satisfied and not complain about the day’s sound set ups, Hill Sound Reinforcement. Pendulum Swing light up the air with soft and gracious melodies. With a few humble words of respect and dedication to Richie Nongthombam they made their presence felt with their matured originals. Most familiar among the crowd was the song Hunger Of A Lady, a song dedicated to Irom Sarmila Devi. Some fans even sang along with the band. The all girl band from Churachandpur, Eros surprised us with an energizing momentum. For most of us it was a debut show for the band. Exclusively covering only Rage Against The Machine it can be rightly guess that RATM is their favorite band. The girls were the favorite heartthrob of the many young hearts who came that day.

     After a long and winding break of almost more then a decade it was one of those comeback gig for Red Devils, one of the legendary bands of Manipur that performed that day. With some of the greatest all time hits they ignited back the classic era of rock. From Hotel California to Another Brick In The Wall to Smoke On Water it was a good time re-union for all the old school fans. The Wishess were the final band who played that day. Due to late hour and only few crowds hanging by the band ended the show with just two songs on their account.

     Luck didn’t favor Pariah of Paradise, the final band in the slot list. They had to leave before their slot due to a call from home for one of their member.

     Once again the event is organized by Club Muzik Events in association with Progressive Youth Association of Oinam and is financially sponsored by the friends and families of Richie Nongthombam.

     The event is a sincere tribute to Richie Nongthombam of Oinam Keithel. Its a gift to his soul from the friends and families for his love of music and social sacrifices. May his soul rest in peace.

ABOUT  RICHIE  NONGTHOMBAM

     Among the four siblings of Nongthombam Ibomcha Singh and Nongthombam Ibemhal Devi of Oinam Keithel Richie Nongthombam was the third and only son of his parents. He did his schooling at Oinam’s Brighter English Academy and Ghari’s MEM Hr. Sec. School. Then he went for further studies at Bangalore’s Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology.

     From childhood he was greatly attached to English music and later developed the taste of guitar on his own. At the sideline of his schooling he performed in various school functions and other local gigs as a guitarist. A lone star to his parents, a good friend to his sisters, a guiding brother to his juniors and a humble neighbor’s kid Richie was.

     Best compliment goes to his service and dedication toward Nongthombam Sagei Apunba Lup (Mangang Salai). He was the then Secretary of Administration in the Lup. His soft sided humble nature and respect for the elders makes him a great soul.

     Like the spirit of light that shines away the darkness in the land AMONG THE STARS is a sincere tribute to the true spirit and soul of Richie Nongthombam. His love for music and a life without negativity will always remain as a riddle in our heart. Most people know him as Raghuchand but he loved Richie most.

name:

Among The Stars

date:

14th November, 2015

time:

1600 hrs. Onward

venue:

Oinam Kangjeibung, Bishnupur District, Manipur - 34.

sponsored by:

Friends & Families of Richie Nongthombam

entry:

NO PASSES required, FREE ENTRY

event by:

Club Muzik Events

in association with:

Progressive Youth Association of Oina

featuring bands:

- NICROTIZING FACSITIS

- DOMINIX

- MORNING VIEW

- AKAXIA

- BITTER SYMPHONY

- CLEAVE

- PENDULUM SWING

- EROS

- RED DEVILS

- THE WISHESS

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