Entertainment
From Anjaan to silver-haired legends: Cobweb turns 25
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of one of Nepal’s highly-acclaimed and evergreen rock bands, Cobweb. Marking the occasion, the band will be performing live at Tangalwood in Naxal on Saturday, Dec 2.This week marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of one of Nepal’s highly-acclaimed and evergreen rock bands, Cobweb. Marking the occasion, the band will be performing live at Tangalwood in Naxal on Saturday, Dec 2.
“Until recently, we didn’t realise that we are running into the 25th year of our formation,” Divesh Mulmi, the band’s vocalist/guitarist, shared. “We were too occupied working on our upcoming album and looking forward to tours.” But to celebrate their Silver Jubilee, according to Mulmi, the band will also be marking a reunion, where the current bandmates will be joined on stage by former members, Mahesh Nakarmi and Pawan Shakya. Also accompanying the band will be musicians Sudhir Acharya, from Night, Anu Shakya and Rachana Dahal.
The concert is slated to feature the band The Act as opening act.
Originally formed in Patan by a group of school friends while they were still in their mid-teens, Cobweb is often credited as being the trailblazers for the Nepali rock music scene. With their debut album, Anjaan (1993), the band is feted for bringing the hard rock genre to the mainstream.
The debut album the band released, however, was received poorly, owing to the fact that the Nepali audience were as not yet attuned to the heavy rock style the band played.
“After our first album, we thought we’d rather shift our focus andattention on soft compositions,” shared Siddartha Dhakhwa, the band’s drummer.
The second album, the self-titled Cobweb, with numbers such as Maryo ni Maryo, Bolna Sakina, and Rolling Sting, fared much better, cementing the band’s enduring legacy in Nepali music.
By far, Cobweb has eight albums to their credit, with such acclaimed numbers as Mercedes Benz, Pritko Nasha, Timro Maya, Namaste Namaste, among others, under their belt.
Cobweb’s current lineup includes Divesh Mulmi (on guitars and Vox), Nilesh Joshi (bass), Siddhartha Dhakhwa (percussion), Sanjay Aryal (Vox), and Srijan Bikram Gyanwali (guitars).
According to Mulmi, the greatest achievement of Cobweb has been their persistence. “I am proud of the fact that we are still making music as a band all these years later,” Divesh said. “That is what energises us to move forth.”
“It’s been 25 years of fun,” he recalls. “Looking back, I won’t say we struggled too much. We did what we loved to do and had fun doing it.”