A Purr before the Roar
Al Ngullie
Dimapur | December 14
Go and grow your Mane, people, Nagaland is finally on the international music map.
The dusty, smelly ride all the way from Shillong left the old wardogs noticeably bushed, especially skinsman Troy Patrick Farrell not to mention of a pair of cute little bags under guitarist Jamie’s eyes. But Mike and Jamie still managed a light Ha Ha Ha or two, at each other, over the all-important debate about who is blonder. “You are not blond!” Jamie cracked at Mike, who reflexively nodded back his reddish-blond mane to take questions from the gathered journalists from publications and television. The considerably pale, tall and well-built rockers with their blond manes fit their name.
While the frontman and guitarist cracked at each other, EJ Curse looked like he was enthusiastically looking forward to a Naga dinner. The press conference today in Dimapur couldn’t have been more telling, with the band’s December 16 show. 80s hard rock chart toppers White Lion will be playing Dimapur Sports Council Stadium with local rockers XTC and Native Rising as opening acts.
Following their December 13 Shillong show with fellow hair-band Firehouse, White Lion arrived at Aier’s Enclave in Dimapur escorted by a good number of almost hysterical volunteers dressed in those essential Naga feathers and armed with equally passionate Naga throats. The pride – vocalist Mike Tramp, guitarist Jamie Law, bassist EJ Curse, drummer Troy Patrick Farrell and keyboardist Henning Wanner – was received with the indispensable Naga vest coat for each, at Aier’s Enclave.
Sadly, for die-hard purists still yet to get over the “Radar Love” or “Little Fighter” hangover, White Lion apparently isn’t too keen on its old materials. Mike Tramp implied a “progressive” change over the years in the way he perceives life and his music. Considering what he said, the band will be concentrating on materials from their fifth studio “comeback” album ‘Return of the Pride’.
But surely, “When the Children Cry?” one of the journalists at the press conference queried. The rationale behind the query was, that ‘Nagaland has seen so much conflict and violence so long as she can remember and anti-war themes like ‘When the Children Cry’ would, perhaps, be the perfect clarion. At this point, EJ Curse, White Lion’s bassman – and also for AOR rock band Silent Rage – turned to Mike and went “Yeah? Are we playing (When the Children Cry)? We’ll play?” Mike was like “I think so. Hmm…mebe…mebe not”. Jamie looked equally confused as he took turns looking back and forth at the ceiling-watching EJ and tired-and-wearily-foot-tapping Patrick. But then Mike had a change of heart regarding whether or not to play WTCC: Na. Nothing doing. “Natural progression” Mike reminded. So practically, all of you Vito Bratta purists out there may expect the iconic ballads but you are advised to keep your fingers crossed. And you never know, White Lion might tease you with the intro to ‘You’re all I need’…
On Return of the Pride, Mike said it is totally unlike classic White Lion. Rather, he explains, everything about ROTP is a total castaway from the heady days of ‘Leave Me Alone’ or ‘Lights and Thunder’. “We sound a lot different” explained Mike adding to it a string of syllables that sounded something like “and we are not gonna return to the blue spandex days”.
After a brief interaction, the press conference wound up with a photo session that had the band members totally dwarfing the organizers, Finishing Touches. Of course, the wearied lions still had a light or two in their bleary eyes: Jamie squinted down at something in one of the Vivel cosmetics gift baskets presented to them by the organizers. “Look, this one says shampoo” the guitarist cracked at the blond vocalist. Mike looked down, and proudly replied “yeah, for blonds”. Jamie looks closer and read a tube inside the basket: “Nope, dude, it says shampoo for colored hair!” the band splits into guffaws.
So much for lions and manes.
