Life Sentence and other local bands will perform at the Snorkel Park in the Rock the Dock concert at Dockyard on Sunday.

After 15 years, the Butterfield Bank?s Concert in the Park series is going on the road and making its rounds around the Island.

Performing alongside Life Sentence is Tempo, Bermuda Teen Idol Willard Burch and Bermuda Institute Star Search winner Lauren Easton.

Life Sentence was formed 30 years ago. Band members? lives took different paths and the group reunited twice in the 1980s with the final call coming from band member David Skinner, said founding member Robert (Sai) Emery.

?We formed in the 1970s and it was myself, David Perry and Roddy Marshall who were the founding members,? he said.

?It began as an alternative youth function at the time and the main goal of the band was to create an original sound and that concept holds true today. Our motto was ?dare to be different?.

?At that time all of the bands that were around played commercial music from the Top 40 so naturally people couldn?t immediately identify with what we played because it was different. We really weren?t accepted at that time, but close to the band?s demise is when people started to catch on, but we were going our separate ways.

?Now, many years later we have come back together again. It has been about three years and we maintain our regular jobs and our work with other bands.?

The band reunited around two years ago.

?One day I was at home minding my own business when I got a call from guitarist David Skinner asking me if I would take part in a benefit concert for one of his colleagues at ACE,? he said.

?He was asked to put a band together and he was calling all these musicians and then he realised that all the musicians that he had were the members of Life Sentence.

?We went to dinner and sat around and discussed it and it didn?t take us long to reach an agreement.?

With all their other commitments the band still manages to meet up once or twice a week to rehearse.

?Back then we used to rehearse five to six nights a week,? said Mr. Emery, ?But today that is unrealistic because we are all doing so many things.

?We specialise on special projects like concerts, conventions and things like that. You might get to hear us about three or four times a year and the good side to that is that it prevents you from getting bored and it keeps us interesting and fresh.?

When asked to describe Life Sentence?s style of music, Mr. Emery said: ?It is pretty difficult to put us into one genre or another, but I would say it is a combination of Rock, Jazz, R&B ? it has a bit of everything thrown in.?

The name of the band is interesting since 30 years later they are all still together.

?One night at a rehearsal we were throwing around ideas and one of our road crew, Larry King, came up with Life Sentence.?

In the 1970s the band had a strong following, said Mr. Emery.

?Back then we had a cult following and those same people still come out to hear us today.

?But we have attracted a lot more fans now and people are more readily to accept it now.?

The band puts an eclectic mix on cover songs.

The band put out a single back in the 1970s called ?Environmental Situation?, which Mr. Emery said ?was actually a hit?.

?We will hopefully release an album in the future, but right now we are still compiling tunes and writing. I do most of the writing, but everybody plays a part and contributes equally.?

The group is multi-talented with band members playing several instruments.

?We have a percussionist who is also a drummer and a guitarist who also plays bass,? said Mr. Emery who is the lead vocalist.

When asked what was it like to have the crowds screaming and enjoying the band?s songs, Mr. Emery said: ?It is a good feeling, especially when I am doing it with this group.

?When this group comes together there is a lot of magic and stuff that happens.

Sunday?s free concert begins at 6.30 p.m. and runs until 8.30 p.m.