Eastern Nepal’s PURBANCHAL HARDCORE FEST Announced

The Hardcore Festival in Eastern Nepal: A Celebration of Underground Music and Culture

Nestled in the rugged landscapes of Eastern Nepal far from the capital, a unique and thrilling hardcore music festival is making waves among extreme music fans. Known as the “Purbanchal Hardcore Fest”, this event is rapidly becoming a landmark in the region’s underground cultural calendar, offering raw energy, powerful music, and an immersion into the spirit of eastern Nepal’s culture and experience.

Location: A Stunning Blend of Music and geography
Held every two years in the rugged plains of Eastern Nepal far from the capital where all the things happen, the festival’s location is part of its significance. Damak, a town which held underground music since 2006 was kinda’ dead. Purbanchal Underground, a musical organization is working hard to resurrect the underground music in this region. Battling venue problems, financial hurdles, geographical challenges, the team is aiming to keep this culture alive, pass down to the young ones and turn this into a well managed, self-sustaining music festival. Eventually, a legacy of it’s own.

For many, the festival is as much about the eastern Nepal experience as it is about the music. The bands travelling to play here is always given top notch hospitality experiences like day trips to nearby villages, hikes, swim in the rivers, organic foods etc.

“We really want people from outside Damak and Nepal to come over here. Experience the eastern Nepal style of life. There’s a different temperament to the east. The village experience in the outskirts of Damak, little hikes, organic foods, local food tour. We suggest you to come over couple of days ago and experience all of it. One of our team member will accompany you if you’re coming from outside. To stay, We have great hotels with great prices. We’ve got it all. Just let us know if you need any assistance” says Saurav.

A Diverse Musical Lineup
Purbanchal Hardcore Fest features an eclectic lineup of both local and national hardcore bands, spanning a range of subgenres from traditional hardcore punk to more contemporary styles like metallic hardcore, power-violence and beatdown. The festival is trying to bring in more bands from Kathmandu and other parts of the world to exchange the music culture and lifestyle.

“In this second edition, We have MANASIK KARAGAR headlining the show. The band represents the true eastern Nepal style of hardcore music. Manasik is playing the third show ever after they played in Kathmandu in 2022, in their last tour with Neck Deep In Filth & Nainsook. This will also be a record release show for Manasik Karagar. They have recently dropped their second EP ‘Narka Ko Gahirai’.

TOTAL MENACE co-headlining the show, a menacing hardcore act from Kathmandu. The young blood! The successor of Kathmandu Valley Hardcore in the days to come. One of the hardest in the game.

We have SIN WITHOUT CEASE from a city called Itahari in the east. They are the pioneers of Metalcore in the east. This is their resurrection show.

MUNAFA, noisecore/grindcore from Dharan, a city of punk. They are set to release their new record before the show. Bands like Blind Dick, Toerag, Garixwasabi along with Munafa, these kids are really keeping punk & hardcore alive in Dharan and in the east.

ANGERGY, a punk/hardcore band from the border town Kakarvitta. Very active in the scene, this bands plays classic punk/hardcore music. Only band representing Kakarvitta for a while.

Last but not the least, we have CRYSTAL OF PRISON, a new straight edge hardcore band emerging from Dudamari. A town east towards the border from Damak. Everyone’s eyes are on this band as this is the second band in Nepal to embrace straight edge ideology and express it in their music”.

The Atmosphere: Energy, Passion, and Connection
Hardcore music festivals are known for their high-energy performances, and Purbanchal Hardcore Fest is no different. The mosh pits are fierce and alive, with crowds of listeners moshing, slamming, and dancing. But amidst the chaos, there’s also a deep sense of camaraderie. Hardcore fans from all corners unite in their shared love for the music, with the festival providing a rare space for true music lovers to connect.

What sets Purbanchal Hardcore apart from other festivals is the palpable sense of community. Despite the intense atmosphere, the festival encourages a message of unity, self-expression, and respect for all. This is reflected in the attitudes of the attendees, many of whom are just as likely to offer a hand to a fallen crowd member as they are to dance in the pit.

The Local Flavor
The festival has roots in the local culture of Eastern Nepal. The community embraces the influx of visitors outside the town and often contributes to the festival with inclusivity and brotherhood.

After the festival, The food stalls in the streets offer an opportunity to experience local street foods like Egg roll, momos (nepali dumplings), stick foods etc. adding a rich cultural layer to the festival experience.

A Sustainable Approach
One of the standout features of Purbanchal Hardcore Fest is its commitment to self-sustainability. It’s almost impossible to organize a show like this in eastern Nepal due to financial reasons. Here we all join hands in hands from sound system to venue to local businesses, to make this happen.

Huge shout out to Bullet Sound System and Jeetay’s for always supporting us by providing us with sound and venue.

“We want to build this blue print for the people that comes after us to keep this culture alive and running” says Saurav (Manasik Karagar/Purbanchal Hardcore Fest, Purbanchal Underground, Vehement Records and Defiant)

The people who are sponsoring this show are Himalayan Blood Mixed Martial Arts run by Saurav, Parbati Krishi Farm run by Asim (Purbanchal Underground member), AG Garments run by Mausam (Manasik Karagar/Void Turned To Message/Purbanchal Underground), Vehement Records and Nepali Guitar Tutorial run by Sunil Shakya, a senior musician from Damak.

“We want to emphasize on these sponsorships because that’s how we wanna run this festival. It’s hard to manage the expenses just with the tickets! Our own local businesses financing and supporting this once in two years festival is a big deal for us. Soon, we wanna make this an annual festival” says Saurav.

The Future of Hardcore in Nepal
As the Purbanchal Hardcore Fest grows, it is helping to solidify eastern Nepal’s place in the national hardcore scene and eventually into the global scene. The event has already gathered youth from all over Nepal and North East India to experience the unique vibe of Eastern Nepal’s hardcore culture.

Beyond the music, the festival is helping to put Eastern Nepal (in particular) Damak on the map as a cultural hub. It offers a rare opportunity to showcase the demeanor of the east, promote its local music scene, and strengthen ties between Nepali youth and the global hardcore community.

The festival also serves as a platform for discussion and awareness around social issues. Many of the bands involved in the festival address themes of social justice, mental health issues, drug issues and political unrest—issues that resonate both globally and locally in Nepal. Through music, the festival becomes a space for people to express their values, advocate for change, and explore new ideas.

Conclusion
Purbanchal Hardcore Fest in Eastern Nepal is more than just a music event; it’s a celebration of unity, culture, and the indomitable spirit of hardcore. It provides an electrifying experience for fans of all backgrounds, set on the rugged plains of eastern Nepal far from the capital. For those seeking to explore the intersection of music, culture, and geography, this festival is quickly becoming a must-see event on the regional festival circuit.

More info here: https://www.instagram.com/purbanchalunderground/