Now in its sixth edition, White Rock has established itself as the number one rock party on the island, a welcome opportunity to for all those regulars left ‘homeless’ and wandering when Rock Café and The Alley closed down and led to the waning of rock’s presence in Paceville.
DJ Matt Borg, a member of the team behind White Rock thinks the local rock scene has decreased in popularity during the past decade.
“During the last few years there have been some local bands making a breakthrough in the scene and this is helping in what we like to call the resurgence of rock.”
He argues that the lack of rock venues and bars on the island has no bearing on the popularity of rock music: “A lot of people still listen to rock music. It is a genre that never dies. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, for example, is 36 years old; Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid are even older, yet people still go crazy when they hear those songs.
“I believe rock music will live forever. Unfortunately, most venues offer the same kind of music, mainly commercial or house music, which doesn’t give people much choice.”
This is where the idea for White Rock came from, and having worked as a DJ at most of the island’s top rock venues since 1998, Borg knew first-hand the appeal rock music has on different generations.
Borg says he has wanted to organise a one-off rock event for some years and has finally got round to it.
The response was to the Facebook page for White Rock promotions was overwhelming, which motivated the team to set about organising the event. The first party was held last July; about 1,000 people turned up.
“The next day, we got so much positive feedback, it dawned on us this was much bigger than a one-off party. We haven’t looked back since,” he says.
“We’re planning something special for the summer, probably around June. We can’t reveal much at this stage, but it’s going to be something innovative and definitely big,” says Borg.
Until then, there’s White Rock VI to look forward to. And to help you rock just that little bit harder, this edition also features a special live performance from Maltese alternative rock band Eve Ransom.
White Rock VI will take place at Club Miami (Numero Uno) in Ta’ Qali on April 2. For tickets and information, go to the White Rock Promotions page on Facebook.