We caught up with Ashutosh Phatak- musician and one of the founding members of India’s most successful live music venue- blueFROG. Ashutosh was recently on the panel of speakers for the Nokia Connects Music conference. He shares with us his views on the Indie music scene in India and more

Q. Today, after almost two years, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says blueFROG?  How does it feel to have conceptualized a project like this one?

I’m still inspired and excited by it. We’ve started on a journey and we are still babies and have lots to grow and a million places to go. I feel very proud of being part of giving birth to this idea that actually is an ever-evolving one, so I know it will go places.

Q. Can you tell me something about your South by South West experience? As an Indian artist on an international stage (this happens rarely), what did you bring home?

It was a crazy, hectic experience and I was shocked that a few people in the audience actually shouted  out “Fix Me” and knew my songs!

Q. The ‘Nokia Connects India’ press conference took place recently. As a speaker at the event and from a business perspective, what are your views on the Indian non-film music industry today?

That’s a very loaded question as my views are strong and many! In short, people should stop cribbing and constantly complaining about the lack of an independent music scene and start doing something. It can only start from the ground up when the audiences start listening and actively supporting the scene and the bands and promoters take matters into their own hands without waiting for someone else to do it first.

Q. What according to you is the Indian music scene’s biggest downfall and greatest advantage? Do you believe we lack structure?

Absolutely! We lack a coordinated and integrated musical ecosystem from which talent can be nurtured and exposed. We still are dependent on sponsors to pull off events and the ticket sale model has yet to come into play. The value of a live experience has to be enhanced in the minds of the audience in order to justify a ticket price that can support a concert. One way to do this is by the bands upping the ante by creating phenomenal shows that justify the price to the audience.

The greatest advantage is that we are in virgin territory and if we shape the growth of this scene intelligently, it can grow to be one of the best in the world!

Q. Your live shows are magical. Who came up with those wooden figures?

“Woody” was actually the idea of a bunch of friends from “Good Morning Films” who designed my album artwork. They thought he was representative of my mind! Introverted, silent but bursting with contained emotion! Ha!

Q. Share with us your views on the Ladakh Confluence.

The worst organized festival I have ever seen or hope to ever see. The worst part was that they were incredibly disrespectful towards the artists who came all the way there to play for them for FREE. I could but shouldn’t say anymore…

Q. We really like your song “Fix Me”. What’s the story there?

Thank you! The song was first written as a satire on some warped world leaders. How Hitler or Bush needed to conquer the world in order to squash their own personal insecurities and their appeal to get fixed because deep down, they actually realize they are broken! Then I realized even I was no different when I noticed all the stupid things I try to do get rid of my insecurities too! So there!

Q. Give away one of your trade secrets!

Hot Toddy!

Who : Motherjane

Where : Hard Rock Café, Worli, Mumbai

When : 05 November 2009, 10:00 PM – 12:00 PM

There are certain times you can sense things are going to be electric. There’s no explicit sign, there’s nothing beyond the usual marketing pfaff on the posters, there’s no warning. But you can feel it, something in the air tells you it’s going to be a night you’ll never forget.

05 November 2009, running out of the taxi, zooming into Hard Rock Café, I was feeling that way. I left office at 8 PM, hoping to catch Mallu rock superstars Motherjane from 09:45 PM onwards. That’s the standard time after all, for an 08:00 PM show, after the YMCA thing and all. When I left, Sachin Tendulkar was on 97. When I came in, the match was still on, and was being projected on the HRC screens, something I never expected. Ok, before I turn this into a cricket review, let me just say that a brilliant game of cricket and a magnificent innings by God himself got the crowd charged. We didn’t care that the YMCA was being performed (the fact that it was delayed itself showed how much importance Indians place on cricket, no matter how pseudo anti-cricket we pretend to be), we didn’t give a finger about Bon Jovi’s newest album (which in all fairness, sounded good) which was being ‘premiered’ at all HRCs around the world at this time (which is weird considering HRC California would be having it at 9 AM. Whatever).

Bombay has already seen quite a bit of Motherjane of late - this year they’ve already played at the Myspace Secret Show, I-Rock and at Firangi Paani when yours truly managed to get this out of the band!

So it was with a fair bit of Motherjane fatigue that this concert was expected to be approached (reminiscent of Iron Maiden touring thrice in three years, spawning off jokes like ”Ah missed them but it’s ok, they’ll come again for our college show”). To Motherjane’s credit, they kept things alive, fresh and even though we’ve heard them four times already this year, wouldn’t mind them coming back again.

With most bands, a fixed setlist is a recipe for disaster, but Motherjane seems to have turned predictability into a massive strength. So you know when Suraj’s going to say things like being strong in the head, they’re going to explode with Mindstreet. Or if he hints that the following song is going to be hard to sing along to, the audience can expect the thaka-thaka-thakita of Fields of Sound. The band’s popularity just increases gig by gig and this can be testified by the fact that more people are mouthing the lyrics, and even subtle things like automatically looking at Clyde when Suraj announces Blood in the Apple.

Ok, the songs now. The regulars - Disillusioned, Questions, Mindstreet, Broken - were played through the first half, before the band took a break. After the break though, Suraj teased us with ‘some Bollywood’ as he put it, with Baiju playing a cheeky version of Aap Jaisa Koi which we actually looked forward to. But before you knew it, these ‘predictable’ guys shocked everyone by doing something they haven’t done for years - playing an Iron Maiden cover - Hallowed be Thy Name at that! And as they performed a perfect, note-for-note, you couldn’t help wishing that they either Carnatacise the solos, or play a gig of just covers!

But Motherjane’s strength has always been originals, and they continued to impress. Baiju’s powerful rendition of Vande Mataram, so reminscent of Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock ‘69, must rank as one of the finest guitaring performances by an Indian, and it’s hard to see anyone who would not be impressed by this, or tire of it. Fields of Sound, Walk On, Karmic Steps ended the night (only to give way to Fear of the Dark on the PA!).

Musically, they were as tight as ever, and they experimented a lot today. Shhh… Listen had some jazzy guitar bits thrown in, Disillusioned had more Carnatico, etc.

Band members. Suraj Mani has reached the polite air of a humble man who knows he has reached a pinnacle in Indian rock music. He is increasingly comfortable with joking with the audience, and asking them to sing along. And yes, he’s even okay speaking in Malayalam to certain sections of the audience. Baiju has been described in the Motherjane rockumentary as a shy person who transforms when on stage (the same was said of a certain other Malayalee, thankfully results are not the same). He is given God-like status and for good reason, and his increasinging willingness to experiment - throw in a sweep pick here, a few extra taps there - are becoming part of his show now. His Carnatic style of guitar playing can make jaws literally drop (kind of like an internet joke that actually makes you laugh instead of just typing out LOL). There is no doubt that he is a highly original guitarist and can stun world audiences with his brilliance.

Clyde Rozario also has realised the crowd know he’s a pretty good bassist and is receptive to the audience. The ‘Buddha on Bass’ is one of my favourites - he’s like a cult but shy cricketer who smiles after playing a cheeky shot, and the audience love him. Listen to his work on Broken - so smooth and beautiful. And in Disillusioned, he dances all over the verses. Superb. Deepu, who allegedly (italised in true ToI style!) spent 3 years walking 15 km to a hotel to play, and save up for a guitar unit. He did not let that go to waste, he has some exquisite tones and is as important to the Motherjane sound as Baiju is. Be it the riffage on Dissillusioned, or the choral arrpegios on Shh… Listen. John Thomas, already a celebrated drummer, has recently added the chenda to his arsenal for an extra South Indian flavour. I think it’s just a matter of time before a mridangam joins the kit.

So, where are Motherjane right now? One of India’s biggest live acts. One of the few bands to draw a salary from their record company. A new album next year. But are they really the voice of Indian rock? That might probably go to a more truly authentic group from the same state, Avial.

But there’s no denying Motherjane is truly huge, and deserve to make it big outside the country as well. But yes, there’s a fair amount of familiarity now, and the crowd (Bombay, atleast) needs something new. And Motherjane are a better band than to get back to doing covers. Motherjane’s fan base has picked up so much from the time I first saw them, and they’re a humble, friendly bunch too. They need to keep building on their strength - sounding Indian and adding elements. They probably don’t want to bloat and add a violinist or a keyboardist, but that’d be an interesting experiment.

All in all, a fantastic night. One that started with one God and ended with another.

Added bonus link: Check out this superb piece of guitaring by Baiju, but the true star of that was Jossy, the bassist!

Deepak Gopalakrishnan aka Chuck is a social media professional who gorges on PG Wodehouse, jigsaw puzzles, Iron Maiden, Oasis and cricket.  He tries to draws incessant observations on everything in life from auto drivers to bartenders. Atleast he tries to. He blogs at www.chroniclesofdementia.blogspot.com and tweets (like a maniac) at www.twitter.com/chuck_gopal

The latest trend in the Indie music scene is festivals. India’s premiere live music venue, blueFROG caught up and have introduced their newest property: frogFEST: blueFROG Music Festivals.

The first frogFEST is scheduled to take place on the 14th and 15th of November 2009 in New Delhi and will feature 3 very popular bands on each day.

The line up and other details are listed below:

>> DAY 1- 14th November <<

From 5:00 to 10:00 pm

- INDIAN OCEAN

- SOULMATE

- SMOKE

>> DAY 2- 15th November <<

From 5:00 to 10:00 pm

- MENWHOPAUSE

- BLISS LOGIC

- MIDIVAL PUNDITZ

Venue: Garden of Five Senses: AMPHITHEATRE and Magique Restaurant

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=206977785032&ref=nf

Stay connected with frogFEST on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=163877863174&ref=ts

Most indie bands with a spectacular first album fade away with the second. It’s a phenomenon commonly seen in the scene, and pardon the alliteration there. But the Arctic Monkeys, being the Arctic Monkeys are naturally the exception to that ominous rule.

The Monkeys return with Humbug, armed with an expansive sound courtesy Josh Homme from QOTSA taking over production duties. A distinctly heavy, more spaced out sound sets this album apart from Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007) and Whatever People Say (2006). Alex Turner sticks to the formula that seems to work like a charm song after song – the snide social commentary dancing around the Black Sabbath like riffage.

The album kicks off with My Propeller, guided along by some trippy bass lines and haunting backing vocals. The song seems to be going somewhere, but it kinda doesn’t, instead seeming like a long drawn out introduction to Crying Lightning, the next song on the album.

Statutory Warning: When you start playing the intro to Crying Lightning, please bear in mind that you are about to listen to the genius of Alex Turner unleashed in nearly its full fury. The band has come of age with Turner’s angry snarl mellowed down to a lament-laden croon full of irony.

The Last Shadow Puppets, Alex Turner’s side project have a clear influence on the new Arctic Monkeys record, with James Ford also credited as one of the producers. “Potion Approaching” is the closest approximation to the old Arctic Monkeys sound found on the record, and features the propulsive rhythms of drummer Matt Helders and bassist Nick O’Malley, who are locked in and tight throughout the song, but the song is a little guilty of being lyrically light-weight and meanders into yet another Doors-style jam at the end. When you make your way through the admittedly boring Fire and the Thud, you come to what is the albums gem, Cornerstone. The arrangements, the tongue in cheek lyrics and you have the Arctic Monkeys at their new best.

A lot of the old Monkeys fans might find the album a digression from the original master plan, but the direction that Turner, Cook, Helders and O’Malley seem to have chosen is one that should take the band on a new musical journey. What the album does come across as guilty of, is trying to take notes from too many influences and blending them in a thin three and a half minutes, especially on songs like Pretty Visitors. The Monkeys stick fast to their tradition of closing albums out with a slow, meandering track and The Jeweller’s Hand doesn’t disappoint at all.

A lot of the catchy hooks are gone from the Arctic Monkeys, what remains is the truest gems amongst some ruins.

Photo Courtesy: www.arcticmonkeys.com

What: Them Clones Album Launch (Love. Hate. Heroes.) concert

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai

When: 20 October 2009, Tuesday

\Before I start off, let me confess that I’m not a massive Them Clones fan. Yes, they’re an extraordinary live band, they’re very tight, and have a very nice RATM-meets-Green Day-hate-lyrics-sound and if Indian bands were to make it big, the Clones would be one of the guys to hit it off. That said, I’m not ‘kicked’ at the prospect of the Clones. They don’t give me the ‘ooh-yeah’ factor of some other bands.

I hoped, then, that I would be proved terribly wrong when I went to see these guys at Mumbai’s Hard Rock Cafe. Unfortunately, I came out of the gig even more disillusioned - the Clones seemed sloppy, bereft of their signature electric stage presence and seemed to take a massively long break between gig innings (So sue me, I’m a cricket fan).

The Clones got on stage (after the traditional HRC YMCA dance, of course) without much fanfare or introduction, I was actually wondering if it were another opening band. The Clones are a friendly lot, they mingled quite a bit with the crowd and their acquaintances before getting on, though you can’t help suspecting these were record label members. Prithwish, the lead singer was his usual smiling self, and could be spotted with his drink walking all over the place, chatting up with his crowd.

Most innovative songs I’ve seen from an Indian band, In The Name Of God, with its looped Bushian speech in the background, kicked off the night to an audience that had got tired of the usual 80s pop-rock that the DJ blared out. Which brings me to a very good point made by a friend, why is the music played different from the videos shown on the TV? Doesn’t seem to make too much sense. I digress again.

Then came the rest of the album - Walk Away, a slightly heavier track, was well played, and at this point one table in the audience felt the need to felicitate their birthday boy. Could do with a little better timing. This also seemed to spark off birthday celebrations in atleast two other tables over the next half hour, a phenomenon not lost on Prithwish and gang.

Pritwish is regarded as one of India’s best vocalists and not without reason - the man can effortlessly move from lows to highs (sample the superb ‘Awaken’, and I was terribly disappointed not to see it being played). At the launch, however, he looked a little out of it, and didn’t seem to be putting in the effort he should have. Having mastered the art of making love to the mic stand and perfected the one-hand-on-stand-turned-towards-lead-guitarist-and-headbanging, Prithwish continued to belt out more numbers from their album, which they were launching. Five songs into the gig, the Clones were taking a break, leaving the audience with the video of the Bomb Song on the projector, which no one really cared about, to be honest (the projector, not the song). Another note here – the album itself, Love. Hate. Heroes., has quite a - well, for lack of another word - interesting cover! Check it out:

After the break, the Clones were considerably better. Horizon and Colour (all songs can be sampled here) kicked things off nicely. Then followed a bluesy song “for whiskey drinkers” whose name I cannot recall. All through the gig, Joseph Lalhmachhuana, the silent lead guitarist blazed away – although one couldn’t help but noticing that he tuned his guitars during songs a little too often. Ok, I’m nitpicking there, but otherwise a good performance by him to complement the Morrello-esque rhythm by Gucci Singh, and the lower end made up by drummer Surojit Dev and bassie Clarence Gonsalves.

Then came the song most people were waiting for – definitely the hardcore Cloners – My Life. Now, I never fathom what was so amazing about this song, but it still gets the same response from the crowd as Zero did for PSP 12”, and Motherjane did for Mindstreet. My Life also has one of the most slickly made (animated, no less), but ridiculous videos I’ve ever seen. Still, kudos for the effort from an Indian band. The night ended with a ‘rare, early’ song from the Clones – Wait For Me, and ended, in purple light, with One Way Through.

So, overall? I’ve definitely seen the Clones play better – I was up front when they played at my college, MICA last year, and was disappointed at the lack of energy. Also, the hardselling of the album was a definite put-off (despite the nice features – like a blank CD, and an unlocking code for 4 free songs from the net). We’ll buy the album if we want to, and statements like “I want everyone here today to go pick up a copy”, “Salesman, what are the figures, please?”, etc, just make us feel uncomfortable. Oh, and I still think Zephyretta is one of the most over-rated songs ever by an Indian band.

Overall, an okay gig, but we’ve come to expect so much more from the Clones, this was almost a half-hearted effort of a band who knows they have a loyal audience who will keep showing up.

And as a marketing professional who loves rock, it’d be unbecoming of me if I didn’t thank the people who made this possible – Adidas, and the nice people over at OML / Counter Culture Records.

Deepak Gopalakrishnan aka Chuck is a social media professional who gorges on PG Wodehouse, jigsaw puzzles, Iron Maiden, Oasis and cricket.  He tries to draws incessant observations on everything in life from auto drivers to bartenders. Atleast he tries to. He blogs at www.chroniclesofdementia.blogspot.com and tweets (like a maniac) at www.twitter.com/chuck_gopal.

WHAT: Z3 presents a tribute to Deep Purple (Event page)
WHERE: Hard Rock Cafe, Worli, Mumbai
WHEN: 15 October 2009

WHO: One Night Stand, hosted by Luke Kenny. Guest appearances by Aditi Sharma (Crimson) and Suraj Jagan (Chakraview)

I can’t think of too many bands that could simultaneously appeal to an audience ranging from a white-haired, moustachioed ‘uncle’ who’s on the verge of retirement, to a 15-year old college kid who’s just discovered hormones.

Deep Purple is one such band. Having released their first album way back in 1968, and being one of the torchbearers of hard rock and heavy metal through the 70s and 80s, they have the audience who are now contemplating what to name their grandkids. At the same time, with some tracks that have stood the test of time and are covered by young rock bands even in today’s hip-hop world, it is not out of place to see schoolkids headbanging to Highway Star. Their music is not of the physically demanding variety such as Iron Maiden that would cause an early fan to say, “Ah, but I can’t jump around like I used to in the 80s!”. Deep Purple is a band that can be enjoyed either in the mosh pit or while sipping a whisky with office colleagues.

All these observations and more were highly evident at Mumbai’s Hard Rock Cafe, on 15^th of October, when a very worthy band, One Night Stand, covered 14 of the legendary English band’s best tracks.

As with most Indian gigs (or meetings, or parties, or just about anything), the show didn’t start on time. However, the crowd had some interesting music blaring out from a rather good sound system – mainly old classics. What is interesting to see in the rock fraternity in Mumbai is that people will never admitting to liking a song that is considered ‘un-rock’. This was evident at Independence Rock when some stall started playing Crawling, and today when the sound system belted out Run To You. It’s sad to see people refusing to want to sing along to a song, just because it’s considered ‘non-rock’, even if they go “Aaah! I recognize this kickass riff!”. Anyway. We deviate.

When One Night Stand took stage, they insisted on calling themselves “One Night Stand… The Band!”. They had a fetish for introducing themselves over and over again, and we must have heard the members’ names atleast six times during the night. Luke Kenny intro-ed the band and then went off, a wise thing to do given how Mumbai’s volatile rock-loving crowd would have probably yelled a tune from Rock On!!

Contrary to what I expected, there was no chronology to the songs. ONS started with the explosive Fireball, before getting into Might Just Take Your Life and Woman from Tokyo. The very noticeable thing here was how effortlessly Jay, the vocalist, switched from Ian Gillan to David Coverdale. Both me and my friend were of the opinion that Jay does a brilliant Coverdale, and (you can sense the pun coming) he should cover more Coverdale. Right then.

At this point we realised the bassist, Poopsie, was a total showman and outshone the lead guitarist! And that is saying something for a man who effortlessly played the best of Blackmore’s solos. Moving on, the band covered Stormbringer (sadly, the iconic distorted wah-wahs of Jon Lord’s organs were missing) and Never Before, a song not too many Indian rock fans would have hoped to see covered live. Also, special mention to Casey, the drummer – who did a brilliant job of replicating the only Deep Purple member to survive all lineups – Ian Paice. His fills and solos were mind-blowing and me, standing under the overhead speaker, got the full blow of his bass drum!

Aditi Singh Sharma, the excellent vocalist of Delhi band Crimson (who did the Delhi leg of this tribute tour). They covered one of my favourite Deep Purple songs, the legendary 1984 track, Perfect Strangers. What made this song more special for DP fans is the fact that the legendary Mark-II lineup reunited after the band had been on a 6-year hiatus. Aditi had brilliant stage presence, but I thought the rendition was a little too bee-boppy (if that’s the right term) for my liking. Still, nicely done. Jay got back onto vocals, and tantalised the crowd asking us to hum the intro of Black Night, promising us the track would come later in the day. He went on to belt out the magnificent Burn, during which the critical would say Jay did a shoddy job, but the discerning would realise how difficult it is to cover Coverdale and Gillan. Brilliant vocalists, both. This was followed by Space Truckin’ (with Aditi), the promised Black Night, and Speed King, the highlight of which was the Blackmore-Lord-esque jugalbandhi between the guitarist and the keyboardist, Sushil, who was quite excellent and had his army of support. This was the first song to be written by Gillan, by the way.

The last half hour saw the most popular tracks, but of course. Highway Star was brilliantly done but then things started going downhill when Luke Kenny, who after a night of throwing away free CDs and Z3 shirts, decided to come onto vocals for a pumped-up version of Soldier of Fortune. No disrespect to Kenny, he probably had to sing because he was the big name, but they were doing quite well without him. The low point was when Hush, the only song from the first three albums, was systematically screwed up, with off-key vocals and wrong lyrics. Still, no one can deny that Kenny got the crowd involved. The guitarist and bassist too, with the advantage of wireless, managed to get onto the platform which is normally reserved for the traditional Hard Rock Cafe YMCA dance.

Then came the night’s surprise element – Suraj Jagan of Chakraview (Rock On!!, anyone?) on vocals for Smoke on the Water (one of the most famous rock songs of all time and most iconic guitar riff), followed by an encore, for which Highway Star was needlessly played again. Needless because there were so many other songs begging to be played, and that brings me to what the gig lacked – variety. Deep Purple were as brilliant mellow as they were loud, and this gig focussed on only the loud. Soldier of Fortune was needlessly pumped up, and it was almost shocking not to hear Child in Time being played (although we did have the unfortunate experience of hearing Luke hum the first paragraph). But to be fair, it’s probably the toughest DP song to sing, with Gillan at his best, and it was perhaps a little too long. It was also disappointing not to see more exotic stuff from the Mark-I era, very few people have heard brilliant songs like Hard Road, One More Rainy Day and April. And we got to hear nothing after 1984 (the band’s last album was in 2005). Would have loved to hear the Purpendicular Waltz, but ah.

Still, all in all, a thoroughly enjoyable gig. Three cheers to the sponsors, Z3, EMI and Rolling Stone for bringing back the magic (not Magik, please note) of Deep Purple. Once again we were reminded of the class that was Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and of course Ritchie Blackmore (and of course the others, but you have to admit that this is the lineup!). With headbanging uncles cheek-in-jowl with college kids, Deep Purple remain everpurple. If you haven’t heard Deep Purple yet, check out our list, and like their 1975 release is titled, Come Taste The Band!

Deepak Gopalakrishnan aka Chuck is a social media professional who gorges on PG Wodehouse, jigsaw puzzles, Iron Maiden, Blackstratblues and cricket.  He tries to draws incessant observations on everything in life from auto drivers to bartenders. Atleast he tries to. He blogs at www.chroniclesofdementia.blogspot.com and tweets (like a maniac) at www.twitter.com/chuck_gopal.

Furtados Music presents ‘The Christophe Godin Laney Tour’

Christophe Godin (born 1968 in Annecy, France) is a French guitarist, notable for his work with the famous french bands Metal Kartoon, Gnô and The Mörglbl Trio. Godin plays a variety of styles, including heavy metal, jazz fusion, blues and more. Godin is known for his sense of humour, virtuosic guitar skills, energetic performances and overall wacky personality. Godin was voted fifth best international guitarist by Guitar Parts magazine.

Catch the Christophe Godin Laney Tour in your city!

Mumbai

Date: Thursday, 29th October

Time: 5:45pm Sharp!

Venue: Kalavati Chabria Hall,

Rotary Service Center

Juhu Tara Road,

Mumbai - 400049

Bangalore

Date: Friday, 30th October

Time: 5:45pm Sharp!

Venue:Kyra Theatre

2001, Katti-Ma Centre,

Above Adidas Showroom,

100Feet Road, Indiranagar,

Bangalore-38.

Delhi

Date: Saturday, 31st October

Time & Venue: TBA

Entry is free for all clinics but do register yourself by mailing furtadosmusic@gmail.com and we will also accept registration at the venue.

For any queries call 9820643313

Location Courtesy: Blue Frog Club, Mumbai

Day 2 of I-Rock started where the first day left off – metal. Reverse Polarity, the Channel [V] Launchpad winners of 2009 took the stage. The two-vocalist theory seems to be catching on with metal bands these days – the addition of Viraj seems to have added a dimension to their repertoire. Although they were less aggressive on stage than on previous occasions – in their defense, the rain was a huge damper as only about 100-odd people had turned up by the time they started their set –  they managed to extract wild responses from the crowd. In fact, the audience’s request of Rev OCs (“My Paper Princess,” “Gollum,” “Love Lust,” “I-Pood,” “Johnny Horny,” “Cross Pollination”) confirms the far-reaching potential of reality TV! Besides, they dress better than most metal bands and also seem to have a strong sense of humor (refer to the song titles). [Gaurav (vocals), Viraj (vocals), Shikhar (guitar), Jordan (bass), Jonathan (drums).

On the couch that was warmed up by Rev, carnality was brought to a loving consumation by Bhayanak Maut, thanks primarily to their new drummer, Jai Row Kavi. Along with Jai’s insane double-bass patterns, Bhayanak Maut’s two-pronged vocal-assault lines matched up to their bumping about on stage. The madness spilled over to the crowd too. Their set included “Ranti Nasha”, “Tit for Twot,” “Ungentle,” “Habemus Papam,” “Violate.” Vinay’s sense of humor prevailed over the steady drizzle – and serves as a fine example of how to smartly manage the audience. It’s easier to joke up than to sneer away! [Vinay (vocals), Sunneith (vocals), Jai (drums), Venkatraman (guitar), Aditya (guitar), Vinit (bass).

Last year’s I-Rock winners Silver (from Pune) brought I-Rock back down to its hard-rocking roots. The assembled crowd, that had increased to about 300 despite the rain, howled and hooted for the all-OC set comprising “Decide,” “Hunger for Anger,” “Desire,” “Feel the Heat,” and “Funky Junky.” This is where the beauty of I-Rock and Mumbai amalgamated – I-Rock supporting live rock across the country and Mumbai supporting I-Rock by consistenly turning up despite all obstacles (in this case, the weather). [Mahesh (vocals), Savio (guitar), Rishi (bass), and Amit (drums)]

The section of I-Rock previously known as “Dinosaurs of Rock” was replaced by something dubbed as “Warren Mendonsa and friends.” Was it a nifty re-packaging attempt? Well, Warren (ex-Zero) and (guess who?) Jai Row Kavi teamed up in succession with a few musicians to recreate the past. Bobby Talwar (Zero) came in first on bass, jamming Zero’s “Christmas in July”. He was followed by Loy Mendonsa on bass guitar jamming “Stratus,” “Happy Billi Song” and “Hoochie Koochie tune.” Sabha joined in soon to perform vocals for “Whole Lotta Love” and “Fire.” And as a finale to this made-over section, Farhad Wadia came in on the acoustic guitar/vocals to jam songs like “Higher” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” More than anything else, this set succeeded in creating a wave of nostalgia for Warren and his guitar prowess.

The grand finale was flown in all the way from Cochin – and they did manage to put a smile on everyone’s face. Motherjane, probably India’s premier rock band, got a chunky 70 minute slot. Other bands might have struggled to sustain the interest of the audience; even under better weather conditions. However, Motherjane’s classiness and aura managed to not just sustain, but to embellish an already resonanant evening of music. The crowd requests for and responses to their songs, including “Mindstreet,” “Broken,” “Question,” “Walk On,” “Maya,” “Fields of Sound,” “Maktub” etc., were just phenomenal..

Suraj’s serene vocal melodies and Baiju’s amazingly Indian-sounding guitar work, layered over a succulent base formed by Deepu (guitar), Clyde (bass), and John (drums) could be compared to the most alluring dessert. Suraj requested the organizers to let the crowd in past the barricade during their last song “Karmic Steps,” and for an entire 5-minute period, the rained-out I-Rock looked like a real rock concert – where the artists and their fans are not separated by a moat (which was the reality this time, thanks to the rains). Befittingly, Baiju wound up the evening with an electric guitar rendition of the national anthem. The opening slot for a Mr. Big (Shillong) isn’t going to be that ‘big’ for these pros.

I’ve always been inspired by live music. Being a musician, I-Rock, indeed, has been the most looked-forward-to event on my rock calendar. This edition, again, proved why! Despite the snags (especially event management) and the weather, I-Rock XXIV has proven to be a resounding success for Indian music. Next year, the 25^th anniversary of I-Rock, it’s slated to go international – both at the level of the band competition and headlining acts. Here’s to next year!

Krishna Kumar Venkitachalam (KK) is a surgeon, bass guitar player, songwriter, editor, freelance writer, performance photographer and a human rights activist. His musings have appeared in newspapers, web magazines, and music blogs. Visit Engaying Life for your fix.

Eastwind 2009? Eastwind 2010.

Yes, Eastwind has been rescheduled to January 29th, 30th and 31st January 2010.

More on the line up, tickets etc soon.

For more, log on to www.eastwindfestival.com

Photo Courtesy: Shiv Ahuja

It was that time of the year again when Independence Rock forces its way back into our lives almost as an afterthought – this year, being postmature by a healthy month and half. Thanks to uncermenious deferrals, techincal snags, and mangagerial mishaps, the month-long elimination stage across five cities went almost unnoticed – except by those participating themselves. Disturbing indeed, especially considering its behemothic stature and the adjectival hyperboles assigned to it. Did the I-Rock XXIV finals live up to the expectations? We decided to find out.

Day 1 (October 3, 2009) featured the finals of the competition stage featuring the five winning bands from the elimination legs: Inner Sanctum (Bangalore), Gravy Theory (Kolkata), Abraxas (Pune), Seize Her (Delhi), and Zygnema (Mumbai). They were followed by the two headlining acts for the night; Infernal Wrath and Demonic Resurrection.

Gravy Theory, an alternative rock band from Kolkata, were up first. Raul (vocals), Kuntal (guitar), Prince (guitar), Cuppa (bass), and Ricko (drums) seemed to have done their homework well – at least with their choice of songs and garb. Their power chord version of “Popeye the Sailor Man” was cheeky considering the assemblage of mosh-rockers. Their cover of Zero’s PSP 12” was a warm gesture acknowledging the fact that the younger lot of bands are being increasingly influenced by original Indian rock music. Their music (epitomized by their OC “Strangers”) can be defined as groovy rock, and in retrospect, was a refreshing change.

Mumbai’s raging metal act Zygnema was up next. After a brief delay during set up due to some stage monitoring issues, which probably went against them from the judging point of view, Zygnema gave the 500-strong crowd their first serving of what they had come for – metal! Jimmy (vocals), Siddharth (guitar), Ravi (bass), and Mayank (drum) performed a all-OC set of five songs (Scarface, Discriminate, Theory of Lies and Destruction, 59, Machine Stayed Hibernate) to the boisterous crowd. Judging by their past gigs, this was not their best performance. However, rest assured – don’t be surprised if you see them on bigger, grander stages soon.

Seize Her, a hard rock band from Delhi came up next. Modelling themselves from many of of the acts from the ‘80s (they covered Judas Priest’s “Hell Bent For”), the band comprising Akshat (vocals), Prerit (guitar), Varun (guitar), Sahil (Bass), and Bhim (Drums) were tight and groovy. Unfortunately, Seizer Her’s hard rock set list (including OCs “That’s the Way,” “Mistaken,” and “Play This Song Along”) didn’t go well the metal-guzzlers in the audience who started catapulting sticks and bottles to the stage, apart from singing the ubiquitous “swear” song. Things went from bad to worse after Akshat reciprocated in an uber-pubescent manner. Everyone makes mistakes. Most are smart enough to learn and don’t repeat. Let’s hope both parties were smart enough.

The Bangalorean (or is it Bengalur-ean?) metal quintet Inner Sanctum, comprising Gaurav (vocals), Chintan (guitar), Ashish (guitar), Abhishek (bass), and Abhinav (drums), took the rather defamed stage next. However, they proceeded to own it. Judging by their performance, the many years of practice between the founding members of the band Chintan and Abhishek formed the perfect foundation on which this “classy” act is built – their latest song is apparently inspired by The Joker played by Heath Ledger. Guarav stomped around the stage like a driven soul inspiring a moshpit in the crowd. Abhinav, quite possibly the youngest drummer on stage on the night, was as smooth as aged red wine. Their set list included OCs “Eye of the False,” “Quarantine,” “Agent of Chaos,” “Human Disregard” and a cover of Arch Enemy’s “Dead Eyes See No Future.” Quite honestly, they deserved to win it – and they did!

Abraxas (pronounced uh-brak-sahs), who had apparently stormed into the finals after creating a mosh pit in the Pune elims, were the last band in the competition fray. Their heavy metal all-OC set list (“Eyes of Disgrace,” “Immaculation,” “Deviation,” “Blackened Memories,” and “Sweet Suffering”) breathed fuel into the mosh pit further. The band comprising Karan (vocals), Abhimanyu (guitar), Vinay (guitar), Kenneth (bass), and Naman (drums), with their indomitable stage act, probably just fell short of the performance given by their friends from Bengaluru. Watch out for them - like Zygnema, they seem to be destined for a depressurized ascent up the Indian metal-space.

Infernal Wrath took the stage as the first of the two headlining acts. Incidentally, this was the Mumbai-leg of the release their album “Inside of Me.” At least a few in the audience must have been surprised to see an Indian metal band starting their set with acoustic guitars, chimes, tabla, and hindustani raagas – but hey, that’s what Infernal are known for -  melodic ambient metal. Their set, consisting of the songs from their new album (“Truth,” “Inside of Me”, “Behold Ezieckel”, “Creation of the Lotus,” and “Destruction of the Third Temple”) was an enjoyable mix of aggression and harmony executed with skill and precision. [Afaque (vocals), Pradeep (guitar), Amnish (guitars), Vian (bass), Sushant (keys), JP (drums).]

Demonic Resurrection had the honor of closing Day 1. Their set list included DR-classics such as “Spirits of the Mystic Mountains,” “Apocalyptic Dawn,” and “Frozen Portrait” along with new material such as “Where Dreams and Darkness Unite,” and “Warriors Return” from their upcoming third full-length studio album. It was an apt culmination to an evening which saw the resurgence of metal at I-Rock.

Krishna Kumar Venkitachalam (KK) is a surgeon, bass guitar player, songwriter, editor, freelance writer, performance photographer and a human rights activist. His musings have appeared in newspapers, web magazines, and music blogs. Visit Engaying Life for your fix.

The line up for this year’s GREAT INDIAN ROCK has been officially released.

23rd October Pune - Oasis

Zygnema (Pune)
Bhayanak Maut (Mumbai)
Scribe (Mumbai)
Solstate
Benea Reach

24th October Kolkata - Nazrul Manch

Cynical Recess (Kolkata)
Half Step Down (New Delhi)
Boomarang (Aizawl)
The Circus (New Delhi)
Intronaut

24th October Delhi - Hamsadhwani Open Air Theatre

Rabbit Is Rich (New Delhii)
Undying INC (New Delhi)
Bhayanak Maut (Mumbai)
Solstate
Benea Reach

25th October Delhi - Hamsadhwani Open Air Theatre

Another Vertigo Rush (New Delhi)
The Circus (New Delhi)
Boomarang (Aizawl)
Indigo Children (New Delhi)
Scribe (Mumbai)
Intronaut

25th October Bangalore - Palace Grounds

Lounge Piranha (Bangalore)
Inner Sanctum (Bangalore)
Kryptos (Bangalore)
Solstate
Benea Reach

Unfortunately, Mumbai’s share of concerts won’t take place this year. 

The 24th edition of Independence Rock will take place on the 3rd and 4th of October 2009 at Chitrakoot Grounds in Mumbai.

Day 1 will see the finalists from Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru battle it out. Winners will be announced shortly after.

Day 2 boasts of some of the best rock acts- Motherjane, Soulmate, Bhayanak Maut, Demonic Resurrection (seriously? AGAIN?) and last year’s winners, Silver.

Timings: 5:00pm- 10:00 pm

Tickets: Shouldn’t be more than Rs. 250 but we’ll update you soon!

Photo Courtesy: Independence Rock

Over the past decade, the Indian underground music scene has developed a strong liking for solid no nonsense instrumental music owing largely to the greater accessibility to talented musicians via the internet. The departure of the Grunge era has given rise to a tide of young and talented artists tipping their hats of to the likes of Satriani and Paul Gilbert. One such versatile artist is the Chennai born Sridhar who recently launched his full-length debut album “Transcend”. The all-instrumental album, combines elements of Rock, Blues, Country and Jazz all with a little Indian flavour scattered in places.

The album kicks off with the funky and high-spirited track “Trippin” set aside from the following tracks by its wah-wah play. “India” sees Sridhar recreating the slide effects of the Sitar, thus justifying the track name to an extent. “Degree Kapi” is an easy laid back blues track and turns out to be extremely light when measured against the next track “Dark Sands” which is sluggish and heavy in nature.

The most interesting track on the album is the sleepy “Blue Memories” reminiscent of Danny Gaton’s version of “Sleepwalk”. The minimalistic aspect of the song is perhaps most challenging in consideration of correct choice of notes. “Delusia” is another track that is sure to grab some serious attention. Sridhar’s control of all the effects running in and out of the song is quite commendable and reflects the hand of a well-seasoned guitarist.

“Innocent Wisodom” the only acoustic track on the album is easily the weakest. Lacking in structure and direction, the tunes gets dull soon in spite of being only a minute and a half long. “Stepping Stones” too was a bit of a let down, as it sounds much like what’s already out there. The title track is a well-balanced number, with the excesses done away with. The tension that Sridhar creates on the build up to the solo is fantastic.

Overall the album speaks volumes of the maturity of the artist and his control over the instrument, one of the most sort after techniques on the electric guitar. With regards to notes Sridhar has clearly chosen quality over quantity, which is definitely a breath of fresh air.

For most of the tracks Sridhar has opted for a slow introduction, which on the one hand helps bifurcate the contrasting tracks spaciously over the album, but it also kills the flow of the album on the other. The well-rounded minimalistic approach to the album would go down extremely well with mature listeners and musicians. But with hindsight Sridhar too would have probably inserted some speedy licks to catch the interests of a younger audience.

Setting the cons aside, which are sparse as it is, one can really enjoy the album in its entirety and look forward to many more albums from the Sridhar catalogue.

Sridhar’s Page on Chordvine Social

Transcend - Free Download

Location Courtesy: Blue Frog Club, Mumbai

The four-day Ladakh Confluence recently concluded in Leh. The event generated significant interest-the location by the banks of the Indus was picture perfect, and the line-up tempting enough for fans to fork out Rs 5,000/- each for a festival ticket. It was the first time in five years that anyone had attempted to organize a music festival in Leh, after a bunch of Aussie motorcyclists did it in 2004, with Envision and HFT in the line-up of what was then billed the World Peace Festival.

The Confluence Festival 2009, in spite of the hiccups it suffered, was successful for various reasons—a sizeable turnout, a clutch of global acts, the very best of Indian talent, the lure of the mountains and the never-say-die spirit of the organizers, who kept it going despite the electricity generator failing on the first day itself, a day when only Talvin Singh could make an appearance on main stage. By the second day, the festival had righted itself, and there were notable performances from Rajasthan Roots and Portuguese powerhouse Terrakota. Shillong blues act Soulmate & Shaa’ir n func’s acoustic set powered day three, and then on day four, just when things seemed to be going right, the skies opened and the desert at 11,500 feet witnessed a veritable deluge of rain that kept up through the day. It was only by sunset that the organizers had wound up the ruined main stage and opened the acoustic stage to the public, and Vedanth Bharadwaj gamely went up with his acoustic guitar while volunteers struggled to get the generator going (again).

I came on at 8 pm, and ended up doing a one-and-a-quarter hour solo set instead of the 30 minutes I was told were for each artiste (to accommodate the waiting line-up). I had no idea why the next act (Ashu, to be followed by guitarist Rodney Branigan) were not coming onstage, but I kept going. Buoyed by the terrific energy of the volunteers who managed to get the stage (a roof was constructed on the spot) & generator going, and an expectant public come to enjoy their money’s worth, I gave it my all, and the people of Ladakh responded by dancing their shoes off (literally, with all the slush around). Then Bauchklang beatboxed the daylights out of everyone. Thus endeth Confluence I.

The Confluence is an important landmark for the nascent festival scene in India. It can be done is the first takeaway. The festival also generated great camaraderie between artistes, volunteers and the public who came and supported it. It was a green festival, and there were workshops and a small stage where budding talent could find a voice, plus bonfires and jams aplenty. For me some of the most precious moments came at the hotel where the musicians were staying, when Sanjay Divecha and Randolph Correia picked up acoustic guitars and began trading licks, when Rodney Branigan stepped out into the hotel lawns and gave us a show that never made it to any main stage, destroying one of his guitars in the process (Yamaha, whom he endorses, give him two each month).

Sure there were hurdles, and the weather wreaked havoc, and some artistes never did perform, but the Confluence nonetheless witnessed great music, and succeeded in bringing tons of music lovers to the rooftop of the world. These travelers will carry the tales of the festival back home, and the good news will spread.

I look forward to a great festival next year.

There really isn’t much we can say.

Here’s something off their official website:

“Porcupine Tree is happy to announce their first ever performance in India. It will take place on 21st December at the Mood Indigo festival, ITT Bombay, in Mumbai. More info soon”.

Location Courtesy: Blue Frog Club, Mumbai

Location Courtesy: Blue Frog Club, Mumbai

Location Courtesy: Blue Frog Club, Mumbai