At the two-day-long concert by Media Broadcast International (MBI), underground rock bands played to a full house. The concert at Sports Zone, Mohakhali ended on December 9.

With the tag "Underground dominates the new frontier", the concert featured performances by 33 bands, no sponsorship whatsoever from big brand names.

Underground music, not to be confused with any kind of delinquent movement, has developed more of a cult following, undeterred by commercial prospects. The term is used to describe contemporary music of non-mainstream musical exponents with specific genres being unimportant in determining the "underground" status.

In Bangladesh, this trend is fast gaining audiences among college/university-goers, specifically ardent followers of hard rock, alternative and metal. What started as an artistic endeavour by experiment-oriented talented musicians denouncing commercial Bangla music and aggression of mindless Hindi music around late '90s, soon saw the emergence of bands like Black, Artcell, Cryptic Fate and several others.

Currently in vogue, this trend has given the urban youth an avenue to voice their frustration with the system. And although right-wingers and unwavering critics have dubbed this trend "alien" to our culture, quite a few from the audience at the concert pointed out the style, incorporated genres and instruments used are western but the songs that rouse the listeners are in Bangla, addressing our contemporary issues.

Zeeshan Tahaboor, CEO of MBI said, "The objective of this concert is to give the neglected, yet talented young underground musicians a platform and exposure. Through concerts like these, MBI intends to highlight these musicians, some of whom might go on to become stars in their own right."

The concert seemed to have attained its target; about 1,500 youngsters attended the event over the course of two days. According to Zeeshan, MBI also intends to bring out albums featuring these promising artistes in future.

Among the bands that performed at the concert were Rip-Off, Psychovina, Resurrection, Carnival, St. Sinners, Encore, Ostitto, Eclipse, Kalponik, Orbz, U-Turn, fLY, Exiles from Noakhali, Gene-Split and others.

In the words of a '80s punk-rocker: "Mainstream comes to you, but you have to go the underground". Going by the audience at the concert, it seems underground music is ready to take on the mainstream in our urban culture.