Paul Di’ Anno (left) with a band member in Shillong on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Shillong, Nov. 3: The year’s last big gig in the Meghalaya capital promises to be the biggest of all, certainly in terms of decibels.

Former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno and the band AK- 47 will perform at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex tomorrow, capping an eventful and diverse year for music fans in this part of the world. Di’Anno’s brand of music, heavy metal, will be a major change from the mushy performance by another famous international act, Australian duo Air Supply, at the same venue in May.

American rockers Firehouse and gospel specialists Petra gave concerts in Shillong in 2004, while Danish boy band Michael Learns To Rock was in town last year.

Di’Anno and his band arrived in Shillong yesterday and, like most first-time visitors, were immediately “smitten” by the natural beauty of the place. “It feels great to be in Shillong and India, a country I had visited several years ago,” the band legend said during an interaction with the media.

The UK-born singer-composer said he was a “keen follower” of Indian music — never mind the dissimilarities with heavy metal — and a fan of playback diva Asha Bhonsle.

AK-47 performed in Pune on Wednesday and the concert was, by all accounts, a resounding success.

Meban Warjri of Evenflo Entertainment, which is managing the Shillong leg of the band’s tour, said it would be the experience of a lifetime for Iron Maiden fans to hear Di’Anno sing some of the band’s classics like Phantom of the Opera, Wrathchild and Running Free.

The theme of the weekend gig is awareness about the ill-effects of narcotics abuse. “Our theme is ‘get high on music, not drugs’ and we are being supported by the Pune-based Fight Against Narcotics,” Warjri said.

The proceeds from the event will go to Kripa Foundation, a national organisation engaged in the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Kripa Foundation has a centre in Shillong.

Some of the northeastern states, mainly Manipur and Mizoram, have been battling rampant alcohol and substance abuse by youths. Various NGOs and United Nations-funded agencies are helping the governments cope with the problem.