Legendary American heavy metal rock band Queensryche is all set to debut in Northeast India, in the upcoming ShiRockfest, an annual international rock festival of Manipur to be held at Bakshi Ground, Ukhrul Headquarters from April 22-28.
The veterans rock stars will be joined by fellow countrymen, rock band Steelheart at the fest. Northeast is emerging as the most popular destination for international rock bands.
One of the leading metal bands through the eighties and nineties, Queensryche received worldwide acclaim after the release of their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime which is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time.
The event Manager of the ShiRock 2018 Venkat Yumnam when contacted said that these two famous bands will perform in India for the very first time. Steelheart will be performing on April 24 while Queensryche on April 28.
All arrangements are being made for the arrival of Steelheart on April 22 and Queensryche on April 26 in Imphal.
At the same time Manipur based rock bands competition will be held in Imphal from April 9-10 while North East states based bands in Guwahati from April 12-13.
ShiRockfest a ticket-free international music festival held exclusively as part of government sponsored Shirui Lily Festival, to promote the conservation of endangered Manipur state flower Shirui Lily and to promote young talented artistes, which will in turn promote eco-tourism in Manipur.
Shirui Lily Festival will be held from April 22-28.
Shirui Lily flower is a unique and rare species of terrestrial lily grown naturally, and only found in Shirui peak in Ukhrul, Manipur. This seasonal flower, which blooms in Summer, is famous because it does not grow anywhere else in the world despite numerous attempts made by researchers and scientists. Hence the name, Shirui Lily.
The last edition of the ShiRock 2017-was a grand success with a crowd turnout of 30,000 to 40,000 everyday.
Interestingly the first position holder of the competition will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs besides given the opportunity to open the debut performance of Queensryche, according to the event manager.
The second and third position holders will be awarded Rs 5 and 2.5 lakhs while the individual prize winners will be given Rs 25,000 each.