A metal festival in Kathmandu - "why should it be only mountaineers or hippies who come to Nepal?”

Guardian has a lovely article about Silence festival, a music fest held in Kathmandu, Nepal, last month. It is the biggest Nepal metal event with 1,500 or so metal fans attending, taking place in two courtyards of a small hotel and restaurant complex in Kathmandu. Silence was established by Bikrant Shestra of the band Underside, who played at the fest as well. Other than them, grunge/stoner Shree 3 also played (both bands from Nepal), grindcore band Chepang, who have three singers, two drummers and no bassist, and Born in Silence (the latter two from Asia). Headliner - Californian thrash veterans Testament (whose drummer stepped in for Underside's, who couldn't make it to Kathmandu because of unrest in India where he lives). No profit from metal in Nepal - festival director Flower KC, who also manages Underside, said he will lose £25,000, all covered by him and his friends. But, he has a higher goal: “The idea is guided by the idea that why should it be only mountaineers or hippies who come to Nepal? Why can’t we attract a different breed of people? My goal is to make Nepal a heavy metal destination".