[dropcap]A[/dropcap]DAMS Apple from Darjeeling emerged as the ultimate winner of the Hornbill International Rock Contest 2014 edition, the biggest competitive platform for rock musicians in India.
The Darjeeling band was declared the winner from among nine finalists during the grand finale held at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima. The Sunday evening grand finale saw rousing performances from finalists Hidden Truth (Kolkata), Silver (Pune), Nightmares (Sikkim), Muses of Authority (Siliguri), Technicolors (Nagaland), Chrome O Soul (Chennai), The Family Cheese (Mumbai), Adam’s Apple (Darjeeling), and The Doppler Effect (Delhi), fighting it out for the top prize of one million rupees. The event also witnessed one of the biggest crowds the ongoing Hornbill Music Festival had seen.
The winner walked away with the grand prize of one million rupees.
Nightmares from Sikkim ran up close second to pocket Rs. 5 lakhs, while Muses of Authority from Siliguri hit the pot at Rs. 3 lakhs to go home richer.
The contest was judged by a panel comprising American guitar hero Vinnie Moore, and Indian masters Sanjay Divicha, Thejove Medeo and Wati Imchen.
Another highlight of the grand finale was a set from none other than Vinnie Moore. The American guitar god played several blistering numbers from his classic albums much to the thrill of the packed stadium. Playing for the first time in India, legendary Moore left the crowd grumbling as he wound up his performance to make way for the competing bands.
Meanwhile, the organizers - Nagaland Outdoors’ Club and Sky Entertainment have thanked fans, the media and well-wishers for their support and enthusiasm in making the event a success.
Individual Prizes
Best Vocalist : Tengchu Marak of Restless Desire (Tura)
Best Guitarist : Sanjay Kumar of Final Surrender (Bangalore)
Best Bass Guitarist : Akshay Dwivedi of The Doppler Effect (Delhi)
Best Drummer : Jared Sandy of Final Surrender (Bangalore)
Best Keyboardist : Jerard Felix of Chrome O Soul (Chennai)
The individual prize winners pocketed Rs. 30, 000 each and various musical equipments and instruments from sponsors
