A first for Maltese rock

The night of May 9, 2013, will forever be etched in the chronicles of Maltese music, and with good reason too. On that night, for the first time ever, a Maltese band, namely Winter Moods, was selected to join hundreds of international artists whose music videos are played and memorabilia exhibited at Hard Rock Café.

During a special ceremony held at Hard Rock Café’s, St Julian’s outlet, Winter Moods donated the white Yamaha guitar featured in the Marigold music video, as well as the Maltese Cross shirt worn by frontman Ivan Grech during the band’s memorable concert at The Granaries in Floriana in 2010. The band’s videos will also be featured on the Hard Rock Café’s in-house music channel.

In a comment, Grech said: “Hard Rock Café is a hub of the best music from around the world. It is an honour to join the ranks of some of our idols and be included in this network.”

He said the two items being donated by the band are synonymous with Winter Moods.

“Melvin’s white Yamaha guitar was used in the Marigold video and in various concerts during the past six years, and the black shirt with the Maltese cross is the one I wore at the concert in Floriana in 2010, a night we will never forget. It was the best night of our lives.”

The Winter Moods memorabilia will be featured at the Hard Rock Café in St Julian’s and the Hard Rock Bar at the Valletta Waterfront. The band also donated a signed poster of their Butterfly House album, which carries the signature of their late guitarist Steve Caruana Smith, who passed away in October last year.

The band rounded off the ceremony with a live performance that included some of their best-known hits, as well as two brand new songs that will feature on the next Winter Moods album.

Hard Rock Café Malta will also be supporting the band’s recent collaboration with local charity Puttinu Cares, with the CD now available from all local Hard Rock outlets for a donation of €5.

www.wintermoods.net