Attending Concert!

Hari Bhai, this junior bhai from my college came to my room and started irritating me. 'Dai, tell me some stories, I know you have a lot', he insisted. Being raised in good capital family, he has no idea what other part of Nepal is like, so I often keep sharing how others enjoy their lives to him.

This time, I was watching Nepathaya's concert live on Facebook, and I started talking to him about concerts. He had gone just through three concerts in his life - Bryan Adams, MLTR and one different from Bangalore. He was in Kathmandu when there was this Amar Panchi and Nepathaya's concert in Jawlakhel going on, but he didn't feel like getting into any.

I then remebered my school days craze for concert. This was concert at Dharan where bands like Uglyz, 1974 AD, Robin and the New Revolution, Nirnaya - I forgot others.

Biratnagar never brought such strong celebs, so we all decided to go there. This is the story - 10 years back when I was in grade 9 itself. I wish I had pictures to post, but I didn't even had mobile back then.

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There was this huge concert happening at Dharan 40 kms away from Biratnagar. We wanted to go, but we were kids back then. But, it was then or never, we knew that because Biratnagar would never bring them. So we decided to go there, estimating Rs 150 to be entire day's expenditure. We assumed the maximum price of the ticket to be 50, because during those days we used to have tickets worth 20 for concerts at Biratnagar.

We went to Dharan paying Rs 25, and then had some snacks worth Rs 15 with total amount of Rs 110 in our hand. When we went to the venue, we came to know the price of ticket was Rs 100! Ahh - with that huge courage and determination we came for this concert, and then we would not make it. That was shameful! Why did we even have those stupid snacks?

Let's go around Dantakali and places around now' - one of my five friends suggested. We had no options, but before leaving we thought of seeing the crowds around and walked few meters ahead of crowd. We then found there was small way, and we could jump into the venue through this tiny hole at the wall of Public High School.

Gosh! What were we waiting for? The event would start after around an hour, so only few people were trying that - we did the same and got into the venue.

We could see Robin Tamang with his wife there, smoking maybe weeds? or just ciggaratte? We waved our hands to him, he waved back to us! Oh wow!

So with excitement we were moving all around. We could see strict police protection at the place from where we entered now. We were lucky - lucky enough!

It was Prakash Poudel who started the show, I was not that huge fan of this guy, but had to wait. I remember Preeti Kaur followed by that and gradually Uglyz, Robin and New Revolution, Nirnaya. It was getting late, but we could not miss 1974 AD. While Preeti Kaur and Prakash Poudel were singing, we tried our best to get autograph from celebs there. I wish there was this selfie system back then. We had no option, we tried our best here but 1974 AD came at the end. We were then about to leave, as it was already around 8, but then these rock stars - Robin, Manoj KC, Adrian all combined into one and started singing English numbers of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin. How could we miss that? We had nothing to fear as we had Rs 110 with us too.

The concert was over at around 9. We went to Bus Park to know that there's no bus to Biratnagar. This was biggest trouble, but there were hundreds other who were with us too from different parts. They all decided to walk till they find something on the way. We had no option than to follow them. Dharan to Ithari used to be filled with forest all in between and it was 20 kms. 'How can we walk whole jungle?' one of my friend was about to weep, when I said - 'Don't worry by 1 we will be at Itahari'. By the time we walked around 3-4 kms, there was tractor that passed by but didn't stop for us. Again there were next, which people infront of us lined up to stop, we got into the tractor.

It was 10 when we called home saying we won't be there tonight, but as soon as we called, we found a bus and we all climbed to rooftop. Ah, few of us got separated, who stayed at Itahari itself. And others who climbed with us were drunk, who threatened conductor if he would ask for money. This made conductor not charge any money and we got back home by 11 with entire Rs 110.

Good thing and then was - everyone would ask next day - How was it? Did you really see Adrian Pradhan? Why didn't Phiroj Syangden come? Seriously? You got an autograph - I should also have gone!