In the good old days, the nightclub scene, not far from Colombo, was booming with action, and nightclubbers hadn’t to travel to the city to enjoy themselves.
Two nightspots that were packed, at all times, were the Little Hut, at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, and the Peacock, at the Mount Royal Hotel – now known as Berjaya Hotel.
Some of the best local bands had their early beginnings at the Peacock, and I had the opportunity of checking out the Peacock scene when Purple Rain was in attendance, and also Apple Green, and Mirage.
When the internationally recognised band Osibisa, made a trip to Sri Lanka, I remember inviting their guitarist, Tony Matola, to join us at the Peacock.
He was delighted with the setup and even teamed up with Purple Rain, on stage, to the surprise of the guests, at the club, that particular night.
Rohan Toney Mendis
, of Apple Green fame, now residing in the States, had this to say about the Peacock: “Beautiful atmosphere. Loved playing there.”
Nimal Jayamanne:
“One venue I enjoyed performing at.”
Vivian Candappa:
“A great venue. I have performed, as a DJ, in the good old days.”
The good news I have for nightclubbers is that the Peacock has come alive again, and recreating those memorable days, at the Berjaya Hotel, Mount Lavinia, will be the new-look Mirage.
On Friday, the 2nd of December, they will move into action, from 8.00 pm onwards; their very first outing with the new lineup of Donald Pieries (leader/vocals, drums) Benjy (bass), Niro Wattaladeniya (guitar), Asangi Wickramasinghe (keyboards/vocals), Viraj Cooray (guitar/vocals), and Sharon (Lulu) and Christine Ferdinandus (their two frontline female vocalists).
Bassist Benjy is looking forward to seeing all his friends, well-wishers, and fans of Mirage, at the Peacock, on the night of 2nd December, and he promises to make it ‘a night to remember.’
“We have been rehearsing and getting ourselves ready for the big night and I’m quite certain everyone present, on our opening night, will have lots of fun and excitement, and memories, to take back home,” said Benjy.
There will also be DJ music, provided by EFFEX DJs Widhara and Damien, so that the action, on the floor, will be nonstop!
The hotel, too, has worked out some special deals for the public, where a kottu dinner would be provided, on the entrance ticket, plus several other offers.
You could check things out by calling Shiroma (0772385915), Nadun (0770870470), Leo (0777466871).