The first question on everyones mind during Korns press conference at The Oberoi in Delhi on Monday was: would the American bands performance in Gurgaon go the Metallica way with an empty stage,irate fans and nonplussed event managers? Weve done everything possible to ensure a smooth concert. We have hired the best security in the world and have full support of the Gurgaon authorities. This is going to be a fantastic musical experience, assured Rashmi Kant,chairman of Zoom Entertainment,organisers of the concert.
Doubts allayed,our attention turned to the band in question vocalist Johnathan Davis,guitarist James Shaffer (known as Munky due to his dexterous fingers) and drummer Ray Luzier looked relaxed and prepared for the gig,which takes place this evening. The bands fourth member,bassist Reginald Fieldy Arvizu,was en route from the US at that time.
Were really psyched about being in India. Weve never been here before and its always exciting to explore a completely new destination. We cant wait to see and perform for our Indian fans, said Davis.
Korns Indian expedition is the last leg of their world tour to promote their latest album The Path of Totality. The band has taken a bold step with its 2011 album by introducing dubstep into its music,thereby,raising eyebrows in the metal community. In L.A.Woman,when The Doors (famous American rock band) introduced horns and strings to its instruments,a lot of its fans were initially upset. There are always going to be detractors. The only thing one can do is to concentrate on making the music as great-sounding and technically perfect as possible, said Shaffer.
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Davis also dismissed the mixed reactions that the album has received. I think the most important thing is that we,as a band,were creatively satisfied with the album. And sure,lots of our fans didnt like it,but many others did. Also,the incorporation of dubstep has garnered us a lot of younger fans. So,its great that we got to reach out to a new generation of listeners, he said,adding that while the bands future albums will probably retain some influences from The Path of Totality,the album is really a one-off experiment.
Korn performs at Leisure Valley Grounds,Gurgaon,at 4 pm today. Tickets available on bookmyshow.com
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