Three hours, 17 songs, and an emotional roller coaster ride is what you sign up for when you attend Open Secret's (OS) latest concert series, The Last Words. The concert is based on the seven final statements that Christ spoke in agony as He hung from the cross. These are popularly called Seven Last Words. But this concert, like all of OS's 'concept concerts', is not just a spiritual experience for Christians during the time of Lent (between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday); it also delves into universal themes — forgiveness, relationships, mercy, desperation, peace and love — that anyone can identify with, irrespective of faith. As the band's drummer Ian Enthiado puts it, "It's the songs, the theme, and Macklin's (the vocalist's) inputs between songs that make the whole experience meaningful. He puts before the audience practical situations and events that occur in life — people hurting each other, animosity, forgiving oneself… People come away touched."

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

"I've taken Christ's Seven Last Words and used them to attach songs, perspective and meaning," says Macklin Lacerda, lead vocalis and guitarist and founder of OS. "The Last Words is not a historical take. What we ask the audience is, do any of these words apply to you today?" Lacerda elaborates with an example, "Christ cried out 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do'. So then, is your life bringing you to a point where you need to forgive somebody? Or perhaps God has an 'eighth' word that is meant just for you, a message like 'take up that new job' or 'go ahead, move to that new city you've been considering'."

For anyone who thinks they're in for a night full of just hymns and covers of gospel songs, you're mistaken. While, of course, these form the core of the set, the band also chooses music people can identify with, mainstream pop songs that are still in keeping with the concert's theme, like R.E.M.'s Everybody Hurts. "The point is to show that everybody, even Christ (when he cried out 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?') gets hurt," Lacerda tells us. Then there's Don Henley's The Heart of the Matter, which was covered by his band, the Eagles. "To me," says Lacerda, "it's a song that doesn't push forgiveness onto you, but tells you that, like the songwriter and his estranged love, many years can pass until one day all the hurt comes rushing back and begs you to forgive, all over again".

What's it like for the six band members on the other side of the stage? Twenty-three-year-old Vivian D'Souza, who is a freelance bassist and has played for Clinton Cerejo and Ayushmann Khurrana, finds it a whole new experience. "I've played for hundreds of shows in different countries, but nothing comes close to playing with OS. There is a spiritual connection I just can't describe," he says.

Enthiado finds that the experience is "amazing, because you feel inner peace and positive energy".

And since there's no entrance or commercial fee, it's this feeling of positivity and a sense of deep commitment that ensures this Lenten Season's 11 concerts go smoothly. "Because we don't make money (the token amount paid by parishes covers minimum expenses), there's no commercial profit in being in a band like OS. If a band member gets a call from one of his commercial contacts, we don't expect them to turn it down, because that is their livelihood. If some members are not available, we have a pool of musicians who know the band, the identity and the songs that we tap into. The journey must go on!" concludes Lacerda.