In this busy city, on a drizzling Saturday afternoon, who would have imagined witnessing an astronaut hovering at the Farmgate area? That's right! An astronaut was seen hovering in front of the KIB auditorium.
The astronaut in front of the "15 Years of Conclusion" concert venue, KIB auditorium, with the spacesuit engraved Funk Noodles Studio on it, might just have been a prop replicating the band's studio album "Mohakashchari" (2018), but to some of the fans, it symbolised a spiritual presence of the late AK Ratul, who had a close association with Conclusion members and had played a mentor-like role over the years.
Hundreds of fans and followers of Conclusion from the city and across the country gathered at the auditorium to watch the present and former members of the band perform together, making the evening a celebration of an unforgettable experience.
The concert started with an electrifying opening performance by The Head Office (THO). After performing a couple of their compositions, the band made its final performance, paying tribute to "My Hero" by Foo Fighters to AK Ratul, with visuals related to Ratul shown on the LED screen.
By this time, the drizzling outside had turned into an evening storm with heavy rain that drenched the city, but fans' love for Conclusion knew no barriers, and the crowd kept increasing. At around 6 PM, Conclusion hit the stage with vocalist Hassan Munhamanna, guitarist-sound engineer Zakir Hossain, guitarist Ekram Wasi, drummer Zakir Hossain, keyboardist Jagot Jit and bassist Fardin Fayez Omee. Atif Imtiaz, former vocalist of Conclusion, who discontinued for personal reasons, made his surprise entry in the middle of the band's first performance. Maheyan Hasan, former bassist, joined on the third song.
Throughout the concert, the guidance, influence, and contribution of AK Ratul resonated as the members of Conclusion expressed their gratitude to Ratul while reminiscing about their journey. Co-founder of the band, sound engineer and guitarist Zakir Hossain said, "What we became, what we are today, is because of Ratul Bhai. He was and is our mentor. He taught us invaluable lessons that can never be repaid. Anything we do, anything Conclusion ever does, will always be a tribute to Ratul Bhai."
While talking to The Daily Star about this concert, Zakir exclaimed that arranging such a solo reunion concert and experiencing it was surreal. So many people showed up despite the heavy rain and storm. Besides, a good number of fellow musicians being present at the event turned it into a celebration of friendship and a trip into nostalgia. "This is something we could have hardly imagined. It is the best day ever," said Zakir.
Several musicians, including Owned's Pritom and Fasih; Nemesis' Ifaz; Firoze Jong's Ratul Sinha, Samin Yasar and Hasin Aryan; Trainwreck's Minhaz Ahmed Mridul; and Hothat's Aftab Moin Audhip, in turn, shared the stage with Conclusion in different songs.
But the planning for this concert began at a sad moment. In August, during the post-funeral prayer (Milad) of AK Ratul, when both the past and present members of Conclusion gathered, they thought of doing a reunion gig. "When we gathered at Ratul Bhai's milad, Trinan of Dhaka Broadcast asked us whether we could get together for a reunion gig or not. Even when Ratul Bhai left us, that's how he brought us together again," said Zakir.
Along with the popular Conclusion tracks like Tin Chaka, Firey Esho, Porinita, Nite Paro, Mohakashchari and Priyo Ondhokar, Atif performed an unreleased track, keeping the audience on their feet with the added track.
The audience were seen chanting, singing along, banging their heads and enjoying the concert to the fullest. Jubair Ahmed, a lecturer in DU's Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, who came defying the rain, said that he liked the live sound. He believed that, as both Zakir and Wasi were seasoned audio engineers and producers, it became possible for them to give the audience such a top-notch live sound.
Shafika Tasneem, who came from the Mohammadpur area, said that she loved Conclusion, as the songs go well with her different moods. The reunion of the bandmates was one of the main reasons for her to attend the gig. She also mentioned that she felt safe during the concert, as it was well arranged with enough security.
Munhamanna, the current vocalist of Conclusion, also performed with his other band Absentia at the concert. From time to time throughout the concert, the audience experienced the mesmerising blend of both the vocals of Atif and Munhamanna in the Conclusion numbers.
When the show had reached almost its end, before performing the duet of Shajo Tumi, Conclusion made an official announcement, leaving the audience surprised with joy that from now on Conclusion will have both the vocalists, Atif and Munhamanna.
The four-hour wild musical ride from Conclusion ended with the performance of the band's popular track "Odyssey".