I am in one of the biggest... heavy metal bands in the world and we have such a great relationship with the crowd.

- Dave Mustaine of Megadeth

Don't miss it! A music festival of this stature has come to your doorstep.

- Papon

Adjust your clocks, you're on Bacardi NH7 Weekender time, in association with t2, at Aquatica. Just how big is this, you ask?! There will be 40 gigs across five stages over Saturday and Sunday. And that's enough to make the music festival live up to it's tagline: "Made for untameable fans."

And not even the clouds hovering over the city can tame Vijay Nair, the founder and CEO of OML Entertainment, the organiser of the show. "Come rain or come shine, the show is on. A little rain doesn't hurt anybody," he told Metro, still feeling the high of giving Shillong its first Weekender a week ago.

All-day crowd

The Weekender acts cut across genres, which means there's something for everybody. For metal heads the biggie would be Megadeth, which will perform on Sunday night. And making the gig special would be the man on the drums - Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler. Then there is Bob Marley's foot soldier Aston Barrett who will turn up with The Wailers. Redemption Song please! For cool indie vibes, switch to Mumbai-based Nicholson or our very own Nischay Parekh and Jivraj Singh. Of course, there is a lot more.

"This is a place where fans like all kinds of music. It's not just the electronica crowd or the rock crowd. There is support on all the stages and across every slot - afternoon, evening and night. In some cities you would find crowds arriving only for the headliner. But Cal is where big crowds arrive by 3pm and they stay on. That energises us," said Arjun S. Ravi, co-founder of NH7 and director of OML.

'World-class stuff'

The annual Weekender do has brought about a change in the city in the last three years when it comes to ticket sales. "In the live space, people are willing to pay. Not just for music but also for stand-up comedy. And people will pay when you have quality events. You won't feel cheated. It's world-class stuff that's happening here," said Arjun about the 40 acts that will rock five stages - Moto Spotlight, Bacardi Arena, Jack & Jones All Star Jamm, The Dewarists and Breezer Beat Camp. "Go to a stage you may not be familiar with and chances are you would obsess with that music for the next few weeks."

Do and don't

The word from the management is simple: don't carry anything you wouldn't carry to an airport or to your office. Don't do anything you wouldn't do in public! Your first stop at the festival will be the "box office" (opens at 2pm) where you can either get a print-out of the e-ticket or show the same on your phone. On producing a valid photo ID, the e-ticket/voucher will be exchanged for the festival wristband. Children below 10 will not be charged! If you still don't have a ticket, you can buy it at the venue.

Next, this is for you ladies: ditch those heels. What about cameras? If you're a budding photographer, feel free to take your equipment.

Food? There will be plenty of stalls to take care of the bite-and-sip factor. And don't worry about transportation. There will be a sizeable fleet of OLA cabs. Finally, a suggestion: If you take Met office predictions seriously, carry an umbrella!