New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Come March, the first Western music band from India will rock at the Asian Beat 2008, one of Asia's biggest amateur rock music competitions, in Taiwan. India has found a slot for itself for the first time in 10 years since the Beat started in 1998.

The band to win the debut ticket to Taiwan is Silver from Pune, a four-member ensemble which plays a mixed genre of 'experimental' British new wave rock, jazz, funk, heavy metal and classic rock.

The Asian Beat, sponsored by the Yupangco Music Corporation and Yamaha Corporation, both of Japan, is an annual event that showcases the best of modern rock from Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Philippines. The winner carries home a booty of $50,000.

This year's event will be held March 9 in Taiwan.

The event last year was held March 17 in Kuala Lumpur. 'Asian Beat promotes new sounds from across the continent which has a lot to do with experimentation,' said a senior Yamaha Corporation representative.

Silver beat seven bands from across the country in the final round of the Yamaha Roxx at Pragati Maidan here Saturday where at least 3,000 people braved the January chill to hear them play.

The grand finale of Yamaha Roxx featured seven bands from Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi after several preliminary regional screenings.

The Yamaha Roxx, launched 2006 by the company, is a 'rocktainment platform' for contemporary bands from India to express their 'creativity' on a pan-Asian stage. Yahama Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of music kits, apart from motorbikes.

'Rock music goes well with our brand image. And I think India has great potential in rock music and we are promoting new groups from the country,' Sanjay Tripathy of Yamaha Motors told IANS.

The four-month-old Silver, a quartet of four young but experienced rockers from Pune, is represented by Rishi (on the bass guitars), Sebastian (lead and rhythm), Mahesh (vocals) and Amit (on the drums).

'It feels a bit overwhelming to win Yamaha Roxx 2008 and to represent the country for the first time in the Asian Beat. But we are confident of making India proud,' said Rishi, a software professional and a native of Mirik in Darjeeling, northern West Bengal.

Rishi, the oldest and most experienced of the group, has played with several bands like the Kolkata-based Cyanide Angels and Carnage. He is the creative force behind Silver - the man who put the band together.

Recalling the birth of Silver, Rishi told IANS: 'After coming to Pune nearly a year ago, I wanted to put together a band. I chanced upon Mahesh, my brother's friend, because he was looking for a band and I was looking for a vocalist.'

Mahesh, an Ozzie Osborne fan, had posted his 'ad' online. 'We teamed up,' said the young student. Guitarist Sebastian and drummer Amit, both from Pune and who jammed together on the guitar and drums as kids, got in touch with the rest. And Silver was born.

It is one of the hottest bands in the country's Western rock circuit - and a kind of cult in Pune. 'We play in almost in every concert in Mumbai and Pune,' said Mahesh.

Cracking Asian Beat may be tough, but the four young men are up to it. 'All the new wave rock giants from Japan, Philippines and Singapore are going to play at the Asian Beat. We will have to tighten our compositions to compete with them and improve on the sounds,' said Rishi.

The group's signature tune is 'Feel The Heat' - an original cover score that took them up the charts. And it's going to remain Silver's signature at the Asian Beat too.

The group feels India is finally rocking. 'It is changing. Rock infrastructure is much better than what it was even five years ago. Youngsters listen to a lot of new wave music,' said a member. It was evident at the Yamaha rock fest in the capital Saturday, which reverberated with new sounds.

Runners-up Metal Messiah from Mumbai agreed. 'We play a mix of experimental industrial metal, riff rock and disco beat, something like the music played by Nine Inch Nails and Static X, two American industrial rock bands,' said Melvin, the bass guitarist of Metal Messiah from Mumbai.

Modern rock sure has come of age in India.