Lead vocalist, Ed Roland and the current members of the multi-platinum selling alternative rock band Collective Soul will perform on local soil for the first time tonight. Thrilled to see the Caribbean Sea for the first time ever, Roland and company will headline the Voices of Rock concert scheduled for Jean Pierre Complex, Port-of-Spain.
In a release to the media this week, event promoter/entrepreneur and multiple Great Race winner Joey Sabeeney said that the band is “very excited” to visit Trinidad and “in fact, this is their first time ever seeing the Caribbean region as a whole.” He said the musicians also have indicated special interest in sampling our curried dishes this weekend.
Added Sabeenay: “It seems unthinkable that they have never set foot in the region at all, but now that they have the opportunity, they are all planning to make the most of it, so I have already chartered a yacht to take them down the islands during their short stay here in Trinidad. So, apart for the music and the magic they will share onstage, this has become a bit of a tourism exercise—due to their keen interest in exploring this tropical paradise of ours.”
Founder and lead vocalist Ed Roland echoed Sabeeny’s sentiments during a brief phone call and referred to this impending visit as “a dream come true.”
He said: “We have heard so much about Trinidad over the years, but never thought that there were rock fans there, or that we would have a chance to come and play out there at all. Now that Joey is making this a reality, we really want to make the most of it and try all the exotic foods and the drinks and soak up all the amazing sights and sounds and scenery that he has been describing to us.”
Roland promised to deliver a great show at the concert and asked “all rock, alternative rock, any style of rock and of course any Collective Soul fans” to come out and support the event.
“You guys are really lucky to have someone like Joey who loves the music so much that he continues to invest in bands and events like this one,” Roland added, “which probably would not have happened otherwise. If you’re a fan of any kind of rock and roll, then you should come out and support this and enjoy the music that you love because we definitely need that energy and we’re looking forward to rocking with all of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Roland also voiced his special interest in eating “Trinidadian curry,” which he said was highly recommended to him by friends who have visited our shores previously. He added: “A friend of mine told me the curry down there is especially delicious and that you guys make a bunch of different dishes with it, so I’m hoping that we get to try some of those because I was told it’s an amazing taste experience and one I should definitely make an effort to sample while we’re here.”
Collective Soul is an American rock band formed in 1992 and currently based in Atlanta. The band consists of lead vocalist Ed Roland; rhythm guitarist Dean Roland; bassist Will Turpin; drummer Johnny Rabb; and, lead guitarist Jesse Triplett.
The band went from obscurity to popularity in 1993 after the song Shine became an underground hit based on radio play. Their self-titled album was re-released in March 1995 and spent 76 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts while selling more than three million copies. The singles December, The World I Know, and Where the River Flows each reached number one on the Mainstream Rock charts.