Hard Rock Cafe India Blog

Band Night: Swarathma - Album Launch on thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Pune on 31st May, 2012

2012-05-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Band Night: Paradigm Shift - Album Launch on thursday at Hard Rock Cafe Hyderabad, 31st May, 2012

2012-05-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Paradigm Shift is a fusion act based out of Mumbai, India. Their music is an amalgamation of various genres of music, combining traditional Indian classical music with contemporary Progressive Rock themes.

The band was formed 2 years ago by two friends who collaborated together purely because of their love for music. From then on, the band has come a long way. With a brand new line up, the band is currently in the process of recording their first album with critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist/producer, Vishal J. Singh.

Band Members:

Kaushik Ramachandran: Vocals
Nikhil Nandakumar: Electric Violin
Ariel Samson: Bass
Chinmay Agharkar: Guitar
Aamir Ismail Shaikh: Drums

Genre: Alternative/Progressive Rock/Fusion

Band Night: Four Strokes - Tribute to Bob Marley performing LIVE on thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Bengaluru on 31st May, 2012

2012-05-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Started in 2006, Four Strokes’ music is a free interpretation of Rock n’ Roll, Blues, Country, Rock and Jazz roots. It’s hard to define the music of Four Strokes as the members of the band are influenced by a large variety of bands and music styles. Mostly this creates the positive vibe in “Four Strokes”. Though the definition might not be clear, the objective is to play music from the heart. This being said, you'll grasp the full idea by watching us perform - Live!

Four Strokes is open to all kinds of music and allow their experiences in other genres to influence their performance. The band has created a name for itself, one which is synonymous to fun and energetic live performances, which are technical as well as melodic. We have performed at Dances, Weddings, Commercial & Corporate events, Parties and have emerged and evolved to suit various portfolios and provide a satisfying musical experience.

Four Strokes offer you an explosive mixture of Rock n’ Roll, Blues, Country, Rock and Jazz. The success of the band has been the “Obsession and Passion for Music”.

There is much more to say about us, but an experience would definitely help realize that Four Strokes is a band which is unique and different - yet the same! We are original - yet vintage. Say what you will; this band is something out of the ordinary and won't fail to impress.

The mission goes on....... The band comprises of:
Gerard Besterwitch : Guitar, Saxophone & Vocals
Joe Louis : Guitar & Vocals
Charles Reigo : Bass
Mark Besterwitch : Drums

Band Night: Bombay Bassment - Tribute to Bob Marley LIVE on thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai on 31st May, 2012

2012-05-25T05:56:00.001-07:00

Bombay Bassment is a 4 piece eclectic band from Bombay, India formed in 2010. Their music is an upbeat blend of Hip-Hop, Rap, Reggae/Dub, Funk & Drum n Bass. Each member has varied influences & backgrounds making the sound of the band very unique.

Bob is a veteran MC and DJ originally from

Kenya

, his destiny led him onto the Mumbai scene over 12 years ago. Formulating his lyrics and sound around the rhythms of his life, Bob brings a distinctive flavor to the dance-floor. Levin & Ruell are the original founders of Bombay Bassment and have been active on the Indie scene for the past 8 years! With 15 years of experience, Chandu started off as a resident DJ at landmark clubs in Mumbai and is currently the co-producer of Bombay Bassment along with Deep, founder of Indiaudio (an Independent music label).

Key Highlights:

Our single Hip Hop [Never Be The Same] featured in March 2011 Music Alliance Pact, indie Mixtape

The Music Alliance Pact is a collective of 36 of the world’s top music blogs and webzines from 36 countries spanning six continents. Every month, each of these 36 sites picks one hot local song that gets posted on all these great blogs and zines.

Winner of Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands 2011 Mumbai round.

Converse: The Original Band Hunt 2011 title winner. Event produced by Rolling Stone India

We played at the opening day of Bacardi NH7 Weekender, which had 5 stages hosting over 50 bands from India & UK.

We also played at the TILT 2010 Music Festival hosted @ Blue Frog, Mumbai. We played on the opening day along with 3 International Acts.
The Max Clouth Trio - Jazz (Germany)
Bombay Bassment - Hip Hop, Funk, Reggae
Nuove Tribu Zulu - Ska/Reggae (Italy)
DJ Glitterbug + VJ Ronni (Germany)

Our bassist Ruell was nominated for the Rolling Stone - JD Annual Rock Awards 2010 : Bassist of the Year Category.

Band Night: Mob Marley - Tribute to Bob Marley LIVE on thursday at Hard Rock Cafe New Delhi on 31st May, 2012

2012-05-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

About The MOB

Roots, Rock, Reggae!

Biography

This Bart, Bob 'n Damien Marley spewing ensemble came together first in February of 2010. Their gigs have since featured artists from an eclectic background and musicality, stuck in a common groove called reggae.

Anything between a quartet to an octet on stage, their repertoire range from Bob Marley tunes and Damien Marley poetry to glitch-funk-reggae-jams, peppered with very live renditions of some original political song and some funked-up classic tunes.

Very live, very current, electric not electronic, a very hoppingly happy band you dance, not just listen to.

Current line up:

Chintan Kalra ( Parikrama, Think Floyd etc. ) : Voice

Nikhil Vasudevan ( Ska Vengers/Emperor Minge etc. ) - Drums

Raghav Dang ( Reggae Rajahs/Ska Vengers etc. ) : Guitar, Voice

Rohit Kulkarni ( Think Floyd etc. ) : Guitar

Sid Mathur ( Jolt etc. ) : Bass

Band Night: The Circus performing LIVE on Thursday at Hard Rock Cafe New Delhi - 24th May, 2012

2012-05-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Funky. Groovy. Eclectic. Vicious. Happy. Mellow.

Furious. Quirky. Angsty. Bouncy. Think of a musical recipe which has a healthy dollop of all these ingredients and you’re thinking The Circus. A band that believes in ferocity of intent and perfection of execution, and an absolutely take-no-prisoners attitude when it comes to their original music. The eldritch, beaming wails of Abhishek Bhatia guitar attack of Arsh Sharma, the ridiculously funk-tastic bass work of Abhinav Chaudhary and the tireless groove machine of Anshul Lall put together create some of the most refreshing and original music to emerge out of the Indian subcontinent in years. Live, they are the essence of what rock and roll is all about, and bring the fun and decadence that has all but died out in a scene where bands sound increasingly manufactured in an attempt to be appreciated. The Circus are none of that. This is no-frills rock and into their existence. With a debut full-length album scheduled for imminent release, the band is set to go places. You would be wise to show up at the next gig.

Band Night: Swastika - Tribute to Bob Marley LIVE on Thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Pune - 24th May, 2012

2012-05-21T06:06:00.001-07:00

Swastika formerly known as iLLuminAti came into existence in late 2010 after the band changed their name and now is known as SWASTIKA. 'Swastika' in Sanskrit means "well being" or "lucky charm". Well, this word comes with a lot of meaning and history, and has been used across many cultures, religions and countries. But, as a band name it just came as a random thought. The basic idea was of making original, pure and powerful music which brought these four likeminded musicians together in the first place. Abhishek had been the drummer of the band "The Trip" and played with several other musicians. He also takes drum lessons in pune. Varun, Uday & Tanvar from the same college, sharing and singing the same tunes started their musical journey with the band 'Illuminati', quite popular within the local rock circuit, playing a lot of Grunge and Rock n Roll stuff. Later on the trio decided to take their music ahead and started jamming with musicians around. "That period, of looking for a permanent band", with a lot of line up shift and Abhishek joining the band as a new drummer the band decided to change their name and now is known as swastika.

With Abhishek on drums the line up for Swastika was complete with Varun on Bass, Uday on Guitars and Tanvar giving his vocals making it a 4-piece band. Working a lot on originals the band categorizes their music as alternative, hard rock and experimental. Well, the name 'SWASTIKA', they say, perfectly goes with the 'luck' they had in forming their band and the ‘well being' that came with its music. And now they want to spread it around. Peace out!!!

Band Night: FAME performing LIVE on Thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Hyderabad - 24th May, 2012

2012-05-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

Fame is a Western Classic Rock band that originally formed in 1999. The band's original line-up consisted of Michael (Rhythm Guitar & lead vocals), Jonathan (bass),Keith (lead guitar), and Kim Fairman (drums).
Over the last decade the band has made a couple of changes to their line-up, however Michael and Keith have been promiment members of the band from day one. The band's current Bass Guitaris...t is Samuel Kumar and Praveen David has taken over from Kim as their new drummer.

Over the years the Band has evolved, taking further inspiration from other Bands in order to put together a more commercial set list. The Band still has its roots firm with Classic Rock but now has a wider variety and appeal.
The band believes that their music genre can’t be restricted; however, classified the band’s music as Classic Rock, along with a host of other genres such as Alternative, Blues and Rock n Roll.
The band’s acclaimed originals include numbers such as: WTF, Pretty poison, no end and few others.
Having being in circuit since 2000 & played over 60 gigs within and outside the city, Fame are working towards the release of their debut album in 2011.

Band Night: Lifesaver LIVE on Thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai - 24th May, 2012

2012-05-21T05:29:00.003-07:00

Lifesaver is a Blues Rock band formed with some of the most promising musicians of the city. All of which are seasoned performers and have already performed with other bands in some of the city’s leading venues .In short if you put them together you have one of the most innovative acts in the city that blends energetic performances with soul. The band previously known as Rapture used to play actively in the Mumbai circuit three years ago. Having disbanded in May 2008 due to various reasons, the members rejoined in December 2010 with a new musical mission as Lifesaver. Lifesaver was formed with the belief that lives can be saved through music, hence the name Lifesaver. Though Blues is the genre that has the most influence over the musicians of the band, they glide effortlessly into other genres as well.

The members are:

Ross: A guitarist for more than 15 years he brought about the idea of Lifesaver. He has performed with bands like Rapture, Whatever, and is currently the guitarist of the band Second Chance which is on the verge of releasing its debut album and an international tour. Ross is heavily influenced by Blues and Jazz. He also plays Harmonica for Lifesaver. He is a full time musician and alternates between recording, performing and teaching.

Ralph: Ralph is a very talented bassist and performer, having played with bands like Karma, Kamaal Ke Phool and others he has a considerable amount of gigging experience under his belt. Ralph loves experimenting with all genres of music but Blues, Country and Jazz will always remain his favourite. He is also a full time musician and teaches music in his spare time.

Gavin: A very talented Vocalist and rhythm guitarist, he has accomplished much after he decided to pursue a musical career. He has been playing with Ross since the last seven years. He can sing anything from funk to reggae and beyond. A vocalist with an astounding range he is influenced by classic rock bands like, Deep Purple, Dire Straits, Cream, to name a few.

Paul: The youngest member of the band, he is the most promising drummer in the city. With impeccable timing he can play fast and hard but still make it sound soulful. He plans to take up music full time after he graduates from Berklee School of Music, New York. He loves playing Blues and Funk. He is also the Drummer of Hindi rock band Rang.

Beverly: The female vocalist in the band, she currently performs at NCPA with the Salvation Singers choir. Though she performs classical music with the choir she is a Blues and Jazz singer at heart. Having just joined Lifesaver as a female lead singer she gives the blues a new meaning. She is influenced by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Grant, Krystal Myers, BarlowGirl and Kathy Troccoli to name a few.

Band Night: Barefaced Liar live on Thursday at Hard Rock Cafe, Bengaluru - 24th May, 2012

2012-05-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Formed in 2002, Barefaced Liar is an amalgamation of the distinct and eclectic musical taste of its members, Akshay Chowdhry (Vocals, Guitars), Sumant Balakrishnan (Guitars, Vocals) and Dushyant Purohit (Bass). The band is heavily influenced by all time classic sounds of bands and artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, SRV, Hendrix and Metallica while leaning towards a more modern sound in the style of Tool, Stone Temple Pilots, etc.

The band was forced to part ways over the course of 4 years on and off as their college education had to be taken care of. Akshay ended up getting his bachelor’s in communication from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and those years of exposure had a massive impact on his understanding of music in general. Sumant completed an LLB from Pune University and Dushyant a Bachelor of Economics from the same university.

Based out of a country and culture that is still embracing the concept of rock ‘n roll and live music, BFL has worked passionately on honing their craft in terms of combining technical skill and quality songwriting. The combination of influences backed by a loaded blues rock driven guitar style that developed over the years, led to a unique east-west dynamic that has translated into complete and relevant songwriting. Over the past few years, the band has done dozens of studio sessions that have yielded positive results- besides gaining vital experience , one of their tracks- ‘Carnation’, has been featured on several compilations in India as well as an upcoming artists compilation in Los Angeles. Two of their tracks ‘Glow’ and ‘Mirage’, have received International acclaim as ‘Semi Finalists’ from the UK Songwriters Contest for 2009 and 2010.

Band night:Menwhopause live in Hard Rock Cafe Pune on Thursday, 17th May '12

2012-05-14T06:45:00.005-07:00

EARLY CAREER

The band was formed in 2001 by guitarist Anup Kutty with an original lineup of

singer/songwriter Sarabjit Chadha and acoustic guitarist Inder Pal Singh (IP). The trio

became a full-fledged band after recruiting bassist Randeep Singh and drummer Rahul

Chatterjee. In a country where popular music is dominated with commercial Bollywood music

and the live rock music scene is generally full of cover bands, Menwhopause stuck to playing

original compositions and were one of the first bands in India to distribute their music for free

over the internet. Their first EP called The story begins... was released online as a free

download in 2003. Ever since its formation, the band has gone through two line-up changes -

the first with original drummer Rahul Chatterjee being replaced by Hemendra Nath "Hemzi" in

2008. The current line-up includes French drummer Paul Schneiter.

ALBUM AND TOUR

In 2006 they released their first full length album Home on their own record label, "The Middle

Earth Company". The album gained the band international recognition, making them the first

Indian rock band to be invited to perform at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The band's

tour was sponsored by the Indian Centre for Cultural Relations, which made them the first

ever rock band to be supported by the cultural arm of the Government of India. The band also

did a month long tour of the southwestern United States playing in around 10 cities in and

around Texas. In February 2008, the band won an online poll for the Best Band of the Year

2007 conducted by Jack Daniel's in India. This got them a chance to fly to Lynchburg,

Tennessee in April 2008 where they performed at the Legendary Mash Festival and worked

with R.E.M.'s producer David Barbe. The band signed a major record deal with EMI-Virgin

Records (India) in 2008 to release their second full-length album Easy. Instead of

conventional studio recording, the band began work on the album by recording the tracks in a

make-shift studio set up by them in a village in Uttaranchal, a state in the Himalayas, during

September 2006. The album took four years to be produced with the band bringing in mixing

engineer and co-producer Miti Adhikari (BBC London) and Grammy Award winning

mastering engineer Richard Dodd. The album was initially released on digital format

through iTunes and Amazon.com in early-January 2011 followed by physical CD format on

26 January 2011. The album immediately received favorable reviews by critics with The

Times of India calling it "by far, one of the most brilliant works from an Indian rock act." The

album artwork for Easy was done by award-winning art director Abhishek Dey who has been

a regular with the band having designed the layouts for the band's first album.

menwhopause just finished touring India in cities like Mumbai, Chandigarh, Pune,

Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Naukuchiatal and also covering North East part of the

country promoting the album easy covering states like:-Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,

Assam, Megahalya

Discography

• The Story Begins... (EP) (2003) The Middle Earth Company

• Home (2006) The Middle Earth Company

• Easy (2011) EMI-Virgin Records (India)

Trivia

• The name Menwhopause was borrowed from Anup's quiz team in college that went by

the same name. The band has always maintained that the pun was actually unintentional and

they were more interested in the word pause being part of the band's name. In recent

interviews, the band has been quoted giving different origins of the name. Some of them

include a tyre company in Brazil, tattooed fans and an attribution to Randeep's mother.

• Randeep Singh was the band's first official fan who, according to the band mates,

"worked his way in after watching the band play live in Delhi, India in 2001."

• Anup Kutty is also the former editor of Maxim India, the Indian version of the

international men's magazine.

• IP is a puppeteer by profession, having produced puppet shows on Indian news

channel NDTV. He maintains that he put an end to "conformist life" when he burnt all his

educational qualifications after college and decided to be a puppeteer.

• The band's third album is rumored to be titled Haze as a dedication to a Delhi pub they

used to frequently play in.

• The debut album Home, according to the band, is a concept album with a common

thread running through the songs, one of them being the word 'home' which features in every

song.

• The song Brimful from the second album Easy is rumored to be a reference to three of

the biggest sex symbols in classic Indian cinema -Simi Garewal, Parveen Babi and Zeenat

Aman

• The only time the band performed a cover version was that of John Cage's 4.33 which

is 4 minutes 33 seconds of silence

Band night:Swarathma - Album launch live in Hard Rock Cafe Hyderabad on Thursday, 17th May '12

2012-05-14T06:34:00.003-07:00

Band night :Ebonix,Five 8 live in Hard Rock Cafe Delhi on Thursday, 17th May '12

2012-05-14T06:04:00.014-07:00

Description:

Ebonix, formed in the august of, doesn’t really 2011 believe in representing particular genre. Majorly it can be described as a progressive band, but more
likely to be identified as a mash-up of pleasant melodies and hard thumping beats. Deep vocals backed with refreshing tunes, Ebonix strives to provide your musical ears with clean sound full of young vibe. This band touches a chord with a lot of its audience due to its eclectic quality. Ebonix has all the right ingredients for creating the most addictive tunes and will leave the audience coming back for more. Their music is re energizing and definitely here to stay. So if you are looking some fresh sound, you’re at the right place. Our first song Killer on The Loose has already crossed 1200 plays on Face book and our second original The Struggle Within is all set to hit the scene, Produced by none other than Keshav Dhar, It is one aural surprise for every progressive fan out there.

Hard Rock Rising WINNERS @ Hard Rock Cafe, New Delhi!

Channel [V] Launch pad

Bandslam 2012 @ ZYGO

2nd Sympulse @ Symbiosis, Pune

Jack Daniels Annual Rock Awards supported by Rolling Stone India and many more.

Battle of the Bands @ Lady Shri Ram College for Women 2012

Battle of the Bands @ Kamla Nehru College 2012

Battle of the Bands @ Hindu College 2012 AND many more.

Band night:Mihir Joshi live in Hard Rock Cafe MUMBAI on Thursday, 17th May '12

2012-05-14T05:36:00.010-07:00

· Mihir Joshi, better known to his fans as “Musicman” Mihir has beena radio jockey in Mumbai for about 8 years. He started with All India Radio’s FM Rainbow (107.1MHz) where he hosted shows in English and hindi music for 5 years. He then moved on to 94.3 Radio One to host a special weekend show called One Mumbai One Music in which he talked with the best artists, singers and bands in the country.

· Along with radio he has kept his passion for sharing music going on by starting the first ever online music show in India on his blog
The show is called The MJ Show and it is an online reproduction of what his shows on air used to be like. The show is supported by Sony Music, EMI Music and Universal Music and has had guests and contests just like an on-air radio show.
He has did a special 100^th episode of the show with actor and entertainer Luke Kenny. This is the first show that he has shot original video footage for.

· He developed his brand identity for over these 7 years on radio and his fans and listeners now know him as “Musicman” Mihir. The brand very clearly spoke about what he loves doing most…being someone who is completely into music. He has fan clubs on Facebook and Orkut with hundreds of people who have loved his work and the music he played over the years.

· He is the singer, frontman and manager of an exciting and promising young Hindi rock band called Bombay Rock Project and also that of an English rock band called The Works.
Bombay Rock Project was recently on India’s Got Talent where they made it to the quarterfinals and they are now in the process of recording their first album and performing all over the country.

· He is a signed artist his first song, a tribute to the Mumbai Indians and Sachin Tendulkar is now available on the site for download.

The song aired on Red FM, Radio One and was sung live by him in an interview on Star Majha on the day of the 2010 IPL Finals.

· He has acted in an Australian TV show along with The Works. The Australian company found the band through the internet and this was the first collaboration of its sort done anywhere in the world. The show aired recently in Australia on the ABC Network and parts of it were also shown on MTV Australia.

· He has hosted many high profile shows in the last seven years. Some of the big events he has been associated with are:

Most of the web concerts for ArtistAloud.com.
Many album launches for Universal, EMI and Sony Music at Hard Rock Café.
Numerous corporate events for various big companies like Indian Oil, Tecnimont ICB, BPCL, Tissot, Casio etc.
The first ever Formula 1 Jet Ski Races at H2O
Gorbatschow Corporate Karaoke Competition
Xylo & Radio One Corporate Karaoke Competition
Zee Studio Karaoke Competition
Hosting a Railways Sports Event finale followed by an Orchestra conducted by Anil Mohile.
Femina Miss India event at Talwalkars
Hosting Livewire at Mood Indigo at IIT Mumbai
Hosting numerous rock concerts and shows all across Mumbai
Hosting the various live events at Hard Rock Café
Hosting numerous Karaoke nights in clubs across Mumbai.
Hosting the “Musicman Nights”, a music based live radio show concept at various venues.

·He has done numerous voiceovers for companies and for radio.

· It is speculated that he is the first Indian Radio Jockey to have interviewed over 150 Indian Rock Bands and Indian singers on radio. (This includes interviews with artists in English, Hindi and Marathi!)

· He has also interviewed pretty much every international artist who has come to India in the last few years either for radio as a freelance writer for various major publications like Rock Street Journal, Rave Magazine, Blender, Jam Magazine, Hindustan Times, Mumbai Mirror, DNA and Yuva.
Artists he has interviewed and met with include the likes of Metallica, Mark Knopfler, Joe Satriani, Engelbert Humperdinck, Michael Learns To Rock, Lumahama, Jonas Hellborg Band, Mathias IA Eklundh, Brainstorm, Flipsyde,The Rasmus, Ronan Keating, Shaggy, Taxiride, John Mayer, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and pretty much every other small or big artist who has come to India in the last 2 years.

Band night:Sonicflare live in Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru on Thursday, 17th May '12

2012-05-14T04:54:00.010-07:00

The band has a huge fan following and performing prime venues in Bangalore. Sonic Flare as it stands now is getting more and more popular with the crowds and the road ahead surely looks promising.

It is a daunting task to write an introduction of a band like Sonic Flare. Simply because, over the years, it has had many beginnings. So may be it makes sense to start at the very beginning.

Let me take you back to the time in the mid 90s when Neeraj and Jongky were wandering aimlessly around the streets of Tumkur as engineering students. For the folks who do not k now, Tumkur is a little town tucked away in the back of beyond. Due to a serious lack of social life and also potential eye candy, they decided to engage themselves in something more serious and less frivolous than an obtaining an engineering degree.

Four years later, they came out of college armed with an engineering degree in one hand and a guitar in the other. It soon became obvious to them that the degree had more weight and thus music was put on the back burner for a while as they got busy in their respective jobs.

Soon enough, to the shock and dismay of no one in particular, the monotony of a ‘regular job’ set in. And what else did they do but turn to music. This was the second beginning. Martin an old friend from another engineering college in Tumkur (where else) joined the trio as vocalist. A massive hunt for a drummer was launched via advertisements on the internet. Elaborate auditions were planned for the anticipated response.Only one person queued up outside the house for the job. Needless to say, he was selected. And thus,Vinay Raghavan aka Vinay,Vinnie,Rags made his grand entry and Sonic Flare was born. This was 2002.

The band began jamming in Neeraj’s house regularly when Martin moved out of the city for professional reasons. And you would think that this long story comes to an end here. Alas!! No such joy. Yet another beginning right here. Vinay roped in Saurabh as the vocalist and in a few years time, the band carved a name and space for itself in Bangalore. Things were finally falling in place when suddenly Saurabh decided to take a break from the band to pursue an MBA. This was circa 2009.

Vinay, in the short span of five long years, had assumed the position of problem solver, manager, gig magnet, carpet duster and the like. With his vast network, he was able to convince the young and effervescent Priyanka to join the band as a guest vocalist till the time that Saurabh got back. Priyanka apart from hugely shifting the average age of the band to the right side of 30, managed to infuse a new freshness to the sound of the band. Soon enough, the band had a huge fan following and were performing in prime venues in Bangalore. Rags soon roped in Nikhil as a vocalist to perform with the band. Apart from further shifting the average age to the right side of 30, Nikhil brought in a new zest to the band. Needless to say, Sonic Flare as it stands now is getting more and more popular with the crowds and the road ahead surely looks promising.

You would think that this long story would end here, right? Wrong. Sonic Flare has just begun !

Band night:Bombay Bassment live in Hard Rock Cafe Pune on Thursday, 10th May '12

2012-05-07T06:08:00.001-07:00

Bob is a veteran MC and DJ originally from

Kenya

Key Highlights:

Our single Hip Hop [Never Be The Same] featured in March 2011 Music Alliance Pact, indie Mixtape

Winner of Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands 2011 Mumbai round.

Converse: The Original Band Hunt 2011 title winner. Event produced by Rolling Stone India

We played at the opening day of Bacardi NH7 Weekender, which had 5 stages hosting over 50 bands from India & UK.

We also played at the TILT 2010 Music Festival hosted @ Blue Frog, Mumbai. We played on the opening day along with 3 International Acts.
The Max Clouth Trio - Jazz (Germany)
Bombay Bassment - Hip Hop, Funk, Reggae
Nuove Tribu Zulu - Ska/Reggae (Italy)
DJ Glitterbug + VJ Ronni (Germany)

Our bassist Ruell was nominated for the Rolling Stone - JD Annual Rock Awards 2010 : Bassist of the Year Category.

Band night: Zedde live in Hard Rock Cafe Hyderabad on Thursday, 10th May '12

2012-05-07T05:56:00.001-07:00

"Zedde, a fresh band with old timers, is steadily becoming quite a wanted name in the gig circuit."

In mid 2008, singer 2Blue and guitar player Claver Menezes got together to form Zedde. Trevor Berchman was soon brought on board as drummer and Dee Saikia as bass player. Some headlining slots at college festivals, a few radio shows, and a dozen club gigs later, their first single ‘Mumbai’ won the prestigious ‘Anthem of the Year’ title at the world’s largest indie music awards: AVIMA 2010. The video for the song frequented all popular music channels, including VH1 and MTV India, and climbed to #1 on the Youtube India charts within 24 hours of upload. The recognition opened new doors and hence, hours on the road replaced those in the studio. But it wasn't long before newer tracks were released as singles on iTunes and Amazon, and subsequently as caller tunes on the Indian cellular network [sms ZEDDE to 54646 for details]. Shortly thereafter, Zedde was voted as the ‘Best Band’ at the ArtistAloud.com Awards 2010. This is perhaps attributable to the band’s undying passion to perform original music while carrying forward the legacy of their hard rock predecessors.

Zedde is a band best served live! Make it your own, get rocked – A to Zedde!!

Band night:Plok, Barefaced Liar live in Hard Rock Cafe New Delhi on Thursday, 10th May '12

2012-05-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

Plok

Barefaced Liar

Band night:Spud In The Box live in Hard Rock Cafe Mumbai on Thursday, 10th May '12

2012-05-07T05:11:00.001-07:00

SPUD IN THE BOX

A fresh-on-the-scene band from Mumbai, 'Spud in the Box' is a folk-rock act

founded by Ankit Dayal and Rohan Rajadhyaksha, around March 2011. The

duo started small by playing early sets at Blue Frog, but soon saw the need to

expand the sound; enter drummer Vivaan Kapoor, bassist Zubin Bathena and

guitarist Hartej Sawhney .

So far, the band has performed at the Revival of the Bandstand festival on

two occasions, at the Blue Frog alongside Ankur Tewari and The Ghalat

Family, Jamming with the star along with Shefali and Joe Alvares, Sanjay

Divecha, Tublue and Claver.

As far as sound goes, the band does not wish to be limited to any genre,

freely experimenting with jazz, blues, pop, folk, rock, hip-hop, classical

(Western and Indian); while covering artists from any and every field of music.

Developing a unique sound is the law of the land as far as Spud in the

Box is concerned.

Band night:Thermal and a Quarter live in Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru on Thursday, 10th May '12

2012-05-07T04:42:00.003-07:00

Since 1996, TAAQ has played at venues across India and toured the

United Kingdom, West Asia and South-East . Asia, and supported acts like

Deep Purple and Jethro Tull. TAAQ has independently released four studio

Albums and won awards for individual musicianship and contribution to

‘Indian Rock’.

“ Thermal And A Quarter…is on the vanguard of the Indian Rock scene”

National Public Radio (All Things Considered),USA

Repeatedly featured in Rolling Stone magazine

Front man Bruce Lee Mani wins ‘Guitarist of the Year ’at Rolling Stone /Jack Daniels Awards

Discography

 This Is It (2009)
 Plan B (2005)
 Jupiter Cafe (2002)
 Thermalandaquarter.com (1999)

Singles, Videos
Kickbackistan (single and video, 2010)

Grab Me (single and video,2010)

 Shut Up and Vote (single and video, 2009)
One Small Love (single and video ,2009)

KeepthePromise (single,2007)

Musicians
*BruceLeeMani*		ElectricandAcousticGuitars,Vocals
*RajeevRajagopal*		Drums
*PrakashK.N.*		Bass

Phoenix:Tribute to Bob Marley live in Hard Rock Cafe Hyderabad on Thursday, 3rd May 2012

2012-04-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX GIG + IPAD APPLICATION LAUNCH

A mythical bird that is a fire spirit builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises, reborn anew to live again.

This signifies the choice of the name for the band which has members from prominent bands, current and past, reborn anew to bring life to Classic Rock and Reggae, genres favored most by the pub going crowd of Hyderabad; also staying true to the band member’s musical roots.

The Family :

Badri A truly versatile musician who has the ability to play any instrument, finally settled on the drums, as the original drummer of Alteregoz, now as the mainstay on the skins for Phoenix. Has been Hyderabad’s best known drummer for over 20 years.

Keith Lead guitarist for the band, also has played with known bands like Stratus, Alteregoz, and Street Lethal. He works as a live/sessions musician for the south Indian music fraternity and has performed with various music directors like Ramana Gogula and Nihal.

Ruben a hectic lifestyle of vocalsin Bangalore had him seeking quieter pastures; Hyderabad brought the urge to sing back and Phoenix was waiting to cradle him back to rebirth.

Ankita Vocals her forte, also plays keyboard among the many other instruments. Also works as a music teacher in a school.

Lokhi never say die attitude at 56 has seen him form the best bands Hyderabad has known. Bass guitarist for over 20 years for bands including Katalog, 40 year itch and Alteregoz, his one wish is to play bass till he is buried in his bass guitar case.

Pranati Rhythm guitarist for the band gives the support required. She has also played with known bands like white noise.

The members of the band have a natural love, feel and strength in performing Classic Rock and Reggae with a vast song list that features the best recording artists known.

Sky Rabbit live in Hard Rock Cafe Pune on Thursday, 3rd May 2012!

2012-04-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

About Sky Rabbit:

Six year old Sky Rabbit (formerly known as Medusa) defines their sound as electronic/alternative. A formidable quartet of Mumbai’s most gifted youth, Raxit (Vocals/Samples), Rahul (Guitar/Samples), Siddharth (Bass) and Harsh on (Drums) have stumbled upon something unique, merging electronica with indie and post-punk styles.

Sky Rabbit was one of four bands in India that was selected to be part of Soundpad, a project organized by the British Council, where they recorded two tracks with legendary producer John Leckie (Radiohead, Pink Floyd, The Verve) at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai.

In 2009 Sky Rabbit performed at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton and continued their UK tour to Cardiff, Oxford, Liverpool and London.

The new debut album, which releases on 10th Jan 2012 under the Virgin EMI record label, is a set of tightly constructed tracks that blend synthetic textures with more organic instrumentation, creating a sound that is bold, experimental and ultimately captivating & addictive.

Reviews:

Medusa (Sky Rabbit) struck me as being true and their music is contemporary and in some ways, reflects whats happening in the UK. I chose them for their attitude as well as their honesty.... they are living for their music and are honest to what they are doing.

- John Leckie, British music producer for Radiohead, The Stone Roses

The last couple of years have seen the new Medusa (Sky Rabbit) slowly climb the Indian indie pecking order and firmly establish themselves as one of the most exciting mid-rung bands in the country. They've played clubs in all the major gigging centres; gigs that are usually packed by a bevy of loyal fans. The musical aesthetic they've nailed down features fluid melodies powered by a post-punk, Kid A-era Radiohead-channeling dense guitar-samples.

- Arjun S. Ravi, Editor, NH7.in

Sky Rabbit's music is one frenetic, cardiac-juddering loop. Think sub-tropical Arctic Monkeys!

- Indrajit Hazra, Hindustan Times

A lot of Sky Rabbit’s music plays like, for lack of a better comparison, modern art… you’re free to interpret it as you feel.

- Amit Gurbaxani, Mumbai Boss

Leaving the past behind.. Sky rabbit soar into a sonic dimension of their own, making for you to revel and soak in.

- Luke Kenny

This solid debut, which defies categorisation, should be celebrated because not everything needs to fit into labels created by critics. Also, Anti-Coke Ganpati has great earworm potential.

- Lindsay Pereira, Editor, Mid-Day.com

Totally original and totally fun. Here’s a band who’s not afraid to be not understood.

- Heena Kriplani, Gibson Guitars

Clearly one of the Indian bands to look out for in the indie electro-rock space.Great sound, crisp vocals and smart use of guitars and samples.

- Narendra Kusnur, Music Columnist

The layered musical progression is made enticing by mystical lyrics and a playfulness that gently pushes the group’s repertoire.

- Mathures Paul, The Statesman

for more info, visit : www.facebook.com/theskyrabbit

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09PQc-kqWKo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhvWr1EQVTw&feature=related

Mad Orange Fireworks live in Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru on Thursday, 3rd May 2012!

2012-04-30T06:52:00.002-07:00

Creative guitar sounds, funk and layered beats.

Indigo Children live in Hard Rock Cafe Delhi on Thursday, 3rd May 2012!

2012-04-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

Indigo Children are a Delhi-based duo and have been part of the Indian circuit since 2004.
They first found recognition playing pubs and college fests around India. Some of the bigger competitions they won over their first few years include Campus Rock Idols in 2005, the Great Indian Rock festival 2006 and Channel [V]Launch pad.

These competitions brought them Nation-wide attention among the underground rock scene and built the

foundations for a fan-base. Indigo Children were one of the few bands chosen to represent India in Singapore for Sutasi, a reality television show, featuring talent across Asia. They were also one of the four bands chosen to record with world - renowned producer John Leckie as a part of the British Council’s Soundpad. As a part of the Soundpad project the band went on a 2 - week tour of the United Kingdom; playing at festivals and venues such as ‘The Great Escape festival, Brighton’ and ‘the Barfly’. The band has also opened for Bryan Adams, Your Code Name is Milo, Freak Kitchen, Intronaut, Benea Reach and Backstreet Boys in India.

Zedde live in Hard Rock Cafe Mumbai on Thursday, 3rd May 2012

2012-04-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Zedde is a band best served live! Make it your own, get rocked – A to Zedde!!

Member Profiles

2Blue – Vocals

2Blue is a dynamite on stage. With influences of Ian Gillan, Joey Tempest, and Gary Cherone, he has enthralled fans wherever he has performed. In the words of his fans, "That voice is liquid gold!"

Claver – Guitar
It took two decades of obsessive practice and the influences of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Paul Gilbert to transform Claver into the guitar virtuoso that he is today. Watch him play. Enrich your life.

Deepu – Bass
Deepu’s influences, right from Billy Sheehan to Jaco Pastorius, have brought a new dimension to Zedde's sound. Also a fine guitar player and vocalist, he has more surprises up his sleeve than meets the eye.

Trevor – Drums
Influences of Alex Van Halen and Dave Lombardo are unmistakable in Trevor's playing which boasts his rock-solid command over odd-time phrasing. It's a wonder that he's a drummer only by accident.