Alive and Kickin’: Eric Martin just wants to be with you

The vocalist of Mr Big will be performing at Niathu Resort on Tuesday

SEVEN years after he, and his band, delivered what is still considered the best ever rock concert staged in Nagaland, Eric Martin – the voice of Mr Big – is back here again to perform live at Niathu Resort on Tuesday evening.
This time he came loaded with an “Indiana Jones travel experience” story to tell – that was how he described the ride on Dimapur roads during a press conference on Monday evening at Niathu Resort Dimapur! The road conditions, he reflected, were “way better” in 2009!
It’s the challenge that he faces as an international artiste, he confessed, and his love for Naga traditional food and (Yes!) the traditional attire of our Naga women that have all conspired to make him come back to Nagaland for the second time.
The chatty (as per his own admission) but humble Eric Martin acknowledged that he would rather be on a spontaneous tour than a scheduled plan so that he does not miss the fun of travelling. But with the brutal road experience he has received here in Nagaland, Martin wished that there representatives from the state government at the press conference so that he could discuss the road conditions.
He however declared that at the end of the day, music makes it all worthwhile – even the Indiana Jones travel experience.
On a more serious note, he admitted that despite almost 12 years of solo career, solo performances still makes him nervous. This, he admitted, remains his biggest fear. But also brings in excitement as there is no strings attached and the stage is all mine, which is the coolest thing for an artist, he added.
Martin said that he felt overshadowed by Mr Big “but in a positive way’. He also reminded that Mr Big was not disbanded yet and will be back on the road by the end of August next year.
In an honest take on the modern music, Eric said that he “is sick of the processed music” and that ‘Rock is still the king of his heart’. Despite the new generation’s fondness for other genres, Martin asserted, rock music was not dead yet.
For the local musicians, whom he described as a ‘talented bunch’, Martin advised them to build a fan base, work hard, not give up on school and get experience ‘as it crafts an individual.’
He is accompanied by Marcus, his guitarist, who has performed two shows with him. The show is being organised by Live Now events in collaboration with Synergy Group Enterprise. Martin will also perform at Kohima on Wednesday at the Main Arena, Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.