Whether they take place in obscure, run-down pubs or swanky, popular joints, when you go to rock shows in Trinidad and Tobago, you tend to see the same faces. The fan base is relatively small, close-knit and fiercely loyal. The music is, after all, by no means part of the mainstream.
Well, there is pop rock, the softer, more palatable version, played on the couple of stations marketing themselves as providers of a mix of music. But a radio station devoted mainly to rock music has not arisen, in spite of the proliferation of media outlets. And although the tastes of Trinis swing towards the eclectic, this is soca and reggae country. The contemporary musical importations that resonate most with us, moreover, are hip-hop and R & B. Consider that only a fraction of those who listen to rock are supporters of local rock music, and you'll realise that this subculture exists somewhere on the fringes of society.
Denny Ablack has been a guitarist on the local rock circuit for the past twenty years. He remembers that it was in the early eighties that the first bands started playing top-forty covers: Night Dogs, Touchdown and Raucous. Other pioneers included Joey Ng Wai, Joey Assee and Peter Plummer. "Here were these men playing rock on stage. They made it easy for the next generation to make the mental jump to the possibility of playing in bands," says Ablack.
At the turn of the next decade came Oddfellows Local, playing original, homegrown music in public spaces. Front man Gary Hector was apparently the first person to sing rock in a Trini accent - a local David Bowie, according to Ablack.
Most musicians and fans talk about the pinnacle of the local rock scene happening around the mid-nineties. Bands like Brothers Grimm, Transylvania Zoo, Bleed, Lucifix, Orange Peel Groove, Smith Tuttle, Infernal Death, Brown Fox and Sprang (a list that is by no means complete) played to crowds of thousands. There could be no doubt that local rock had come into its own. The popular annual Anchorage Pop Rock competition followed - an attempt to capitalise on the popularity of the genre at the time. Some say this shattered the essence of the scene.
Taking Down Ivory at Mosh Mayhem - Tsunami Beach Club. Photo by Navin Parray
Whatever the reasons, local rock went into decline around the turn of the millennium. Richard Hall, Orange Sky keyboardist since its inception over ten years ago, describes the process: "We had reached the height of originality and creativity. Then people kinda lost direction as to what they wanted to do next."
Today, Hall describes the scene as being in transition. There seems to be a lack of cooperation from the media in terms of airplay. There is also the difficulty of finance. Unlike traditional art and music forms, there is little public funding for things deemed alternative. Record companies are also uncertain of the marketability of this type of music. Artists mostly have to invest their own money, therefore, to buy instruments, record music and market the final product.
Some bands seem to get more support overseas than they do locally, like Orange Sky, who have toured with guitar god Yngwie Malmsteen, among others. To potential musicians, Hall says, "You won't get much public support. You really have to love what you do, put your whole heart and spirit into it."
There certainly is no shortage of talent and innovation. Though "underground" for the most part, the subculture is complex and thriving. As one would imagine, Caribbean rock can reflect a myriad of influences from other musical genres, including reggae, soca and jazz. Bands that perfect this fusion are the more renowned Orange Sky and Jointpop, as well as Cabezon, The Generals and 12. There are also bands playing more conventional rock, like the heavier Abaddon, Vox Deus and Incert Coin, and punk-type bands like Tripped and Falling, Anti Everything and Skid Nevely. More progressive purveyors of rock include Chaos Room and Heir Perpet.
Abaddon on stage at Mosh Mayhem. Photo by Navin Parray
Saeed, one of those loyal fans who go to shows and buy CDs, describes how the community gets around the barriers that come along with the underground nature of the music. "The Internet brings the music lovers together. Local sites like islandnoise.com, dnation.net and musikshed.com are places where rock lovers can go and discuss rock music." These sites also advertise upcoming shows and allow for reviews. Saeed points to the fact that bands are utilising MySpace more and more to give the public access to their music, since there is little opportunity to do so in the mainstream media.
"Until bands can make music that is more marketable to attract a larger following," Saeed says, "rock will have trouble getting the recognition it deserves." The ever-present dilemma between being true to the art form and gaining popularity prevails, but Trini rock has shown that it can be original and true to itself and still win the support of the public. It can't be long now before a renaissance occurs.