Happy?

Robinson Crusoe has come to town
He has broken Friday's balls
And now he is breaking down
He must be happy

Marilyn Monroe is on the floor
Smiling photograph
Screaming "won't you touch me please?"
And she must be happy
Sure, she's happy

And I
Have watched the door
Paced the floor
Run myself to death in tired dreams
Sat by the phone with no one to call
This is what loneliness means

Let me hang it up on the wall
A blind man's painting
Let me gaze up at the skies
While raindrops fall
A bitter shade of yellow
And I'll be happy
Oh yes, I'll be happy

So bloody happy

South Asian Bands Festival - Day Two - 30 November 2013, Purana Qila, Delhi

This article must begin with an apology. Due to a historically unprecedented event, and a run of bad luck, this article is nowhere as inclusive as it ought to be. Defying every law of concert experience, the festival started right on time. This is the historically unprecedented event referred to earlier. To make matters worse, Delhi metro, for reasons unknown, chose to make a stop of more than half an hour between stations. This is the run of bad luck, also mentioned above. The combination of these two factors meant that your beleaguered journalist missed the first act of the day.

I suppose I had better start writing in first person now.  By the time I made it to Purana Qila, Stigmata, the Sri Lankan band that had started the evening’s proceedings, were wrapping up their set. Gutted and more than a little annoyed with myself, I was nevertheless filled with anticipation, for Papon& The East India Company were playing tonight, as were Strings, the melodic phenomenon from across the border. But before that, we had Eman’s Conspiracy from Maldives took stage. Eman Thawfeeq, the band’s eponymous vocalist, asked the Delhi crowd if it was ready to rock. To the loud cheers of ‘Yes!’, he said, ‘Alright! So let’s rock!’ And boy, did they rock! Right from the first track, they showed they meant business. Lots of energy, all the right moves, and a chorus with a great vibe, with a guitar solo thrown in for good measure – yes, this was a good start, by any standards. The band then moved to a song about a girl called Rezna, who’d allegedly been a bad, bad girl. Again, very tight, with a solid groove and catchy chorus, the song inspired much dancing and headbanging. Oh, and did I mention that the band were not singing in English, or Hindi? Yes, all their songs are written in Dhivehi. Even though not a word was understood, a brilliant time was had, because, like Eman put it after the song, you don’t always need to understand the words, because music is a universal language.

The conspirators then followed it up with a heavily funk driven number, reminiscent of RHCP’s Walkabout. A lazy rhythm, underpinned by fluid basslines and Sunday-afternoon-repose drums, was rounded off by a wah-pedal solo, making everyone sway. Changing gears, they moved on to a song about tickling. Yes, you read that right. And what an amazing song that was. The bass held a frenetic rhythm, as the high energy song chugged on. Every member of the band was on overdrive. The vocals holding the high notes comfortably, the twin guitar attack unceasing and on target, and the rhythm section churning out a serious groove. The song ended amid hysterical laughter from all band members. One couldn’t help but marvel at the connect that the band had built up with the crowd, which was swelling by the minute.

That these guys are gifted musicians individually is beyond dispute. But there’s more to them than that – they are great performers. They traded witticisms with the crowd, acknowledged the roars of approval, and put on all the correct Rock-God poses. Swell, especially when one considers the fact that they are a fairly recent unit, having come together only in August this year for a gig. After they completed their last song, they promised to come play in India again, and I fervently hope to see them live again. Eman, you’re right, music is not restricted by barriers as inconsequential as language.

The atmosphere had built up and reached electric levels by now, and there was a deafening roar as Papon & The East India Company started their set. Over the last few years, Papon has built up a massive fanbase, and Delhi welcomed him with open arms.  A small sound glitch at the beginning of the set was resolved quickly, and for the next hour, Papon & The East India Company had everyone present at Purana Qila under their spell. ‘Khumaar’ was easily one of the best performances of the evening. The rapt audience hung on to every word, arms waving, singing along. This rendition was as good as, if not better than the Coke Studio version. One definitely missed Kalyan Baruah on the guitar, but Jeenti Dutta handled the six string department with equal parts aplomb and finesse. Papon’s mellow vocals perfectly suited the sensuous song about love and longing. As the song ended amid a thousand waving arms, the only word I could come with to describe the experience was ‘Sublime’. 

Up next was another Coke Studio hit, ‘Dinae dinae’. The band played a different, faster version of the song, with Papon taking on both the Assamese and Punjabi vocals. After some banter with the crowd, Papon regaled the audience with ‘Kyun’ from the soundtrack of the film ‘Barfi’, and had everyone singing along. This was followed by one of my personal favourites – ‘Tokari’, from the previous season of Coke Studio.  This is a traditional song from Assam, which talks about the antics of Lord Krishna. Combining the traditional vibe with modern pop and EDM sensibilities, this is a song that one can’t listen to standing still. The feet move, the head bobs, and the arms trace patterns in the air, all of their own accord. Keeping to the Coke Studio theme, the next song was ‘Tauba Tauba’, a vastly improved version as compared to the one with Benny Dayal. ‘Jiyein kyun’ was another highlight, a song with so much soul. It conveyed pain, sorrow and nostalgia in a heady mix, brought to life by Papon’s magical voice. Here is a man who sings from the deepest part of his heart. If you haven’t heard him yet, ladies and gentlemen, I urge you, please do.

Deciding to infuse some frolic into the proceedings, Papon gave into the crowd’s demands and launched into ‘Banao, banao’. Now this song has become an anthem of sorts, with references to how green the, ahem, grass, is. Papon recounted his days in Assam, his college life in Delhi and his quest for making music. A fictional ‘Babaji’ apparently espoused the virtues of grass (ahem again) as the cure for all of life’s tribulations. The gifted raconteur that he is, Papon weaved his tale as the crowd lustily sang ‘right now’ to the ‘banao banao’ refrain. That was to be the last song of their set, but such was the crowd’s demand for an encore, that the band obliged with ‘Pak pak’, a breezy bihu song. One felt again the universal language of music - this song was entirely in Assamese, but looking at the crowd who were lapping up the dance party and folk fest, all in one, one would never guess. Papon tutored the audience on bihu dance moves and invited them to join him. The band deserves a special mention, seamlessly blending folk instruments with new age music and rock riffs. Birthday boy Tanmay on the drums, Kirti on various percussion instruments, Deepak on bass, Brin on keyboards and Jeenti on the guitars provided a perfect foil to Papon’s vocals.

It was time for the final act of the night. Having been around for years and boasting of a long list of hits under their belt, Strings really need no introduction. They have played a number of shows in India and their melodic tunes and thought-provoking lyrics have won them many admirers. Their first song of the evening was ‘Naa jaane kyun’, and it was followed up by the upbeat ‘Koi aane waala hai’. Two things were immediately apparent – in guitarist Adeel the band have a virtuoso, and Faisal seemed to be holding the vocals back for some reason. This is not to say that anything was amiss with the music that the band was dishing out. ‘Anjaane’ was delivered in a new avatar, segueing into the riff of ‘Sweet child o’ mine’ and then to ‘Socha hai’ from ‘Rock On’ before ending back where it started.

Special mention must be made of Aahad, the drummer. Looking like a young Mike Portnoy, he matched the legend in terms of his energy on stage, and treated the crowd to a fantastic double bass drum solo. Adeel, meanwhile, showed his guitar prowess in every song with racy, melodic solos. Faisal took the crowd back to the yesteryears, making them sing along to ‘Ye dosti hum nahi todenge’ and ‘Jaanu meri jaan’, altering the latter’s lyrics slightly to bring forth the friendship between India and Pakistan. It was a theme throughout their set, and Strings emphasised how much they appreciate the love they have received in India. Faisal, always humble, effused warmth and invited those present to visit Pakistan and partake of their hospitality. Ah! Such great ambassadors of friendship music gives us! ‘Yeh Hai Meri Kahaani’ was welcomed with a thunderous applause and given the full crowd singalong treatment. ‘Chhaaye Chhaaye’ was reinvented for the stage, and the song’s infectious groove inspired much dancing. Next, Bilal took on the vocal duties and sang ‘Sar kiye ye pahar’ which was one of Strings’ earliest hits in India. I’ve always thought Bilal to be the better singer of the two, and he didn’t disappoint at all.

The eager crowd was clamouring for their favourite songs and shouting for ‘Duur’ and ‘Dhaani’. Reassuring the gathering, Faisal said ’Itminaan rakhiye. Itni duur se aaye hain, saare gaane gaake hi jayenge’. ‘Duur’ was received with much cheering and singing along, and ‘Dhaani’ of course, was a huge hit. This was followed by the band’s introduction, with every member wowing the audience with his dexterity. After Aahad’s breathtaking drum solo, Khaled on the bass and Haider on the keybaords acknowledged the cheers with a display of their talent. But the showstealer was Adeel on the guitar. He played ‘Saare jahaan se achcha’ to wild applause and marched on to showcase some deft runs on the fretboard, putting the whammy bar to liberal use.  It is a testament to the band’s popularity that the crowd sang along to every song, often singing the whole verse while the duo held out the mics to them. This is a band that always touches a chord with the audience. I have been to four of their gigs so far, and every time I have enjoyed how the band interpret their songs differently in a live setting. But most of all, it’s how they bond with the audience which is the most striking feature of their shows. Needless to say, I’m already looking forward to seeing them on stage again.

Well, that’s it. Day two of the South Asian bands festival was a fantastic experience. I was filled with regret that I’d missed day one and would have to forego day three, but this one evening made for some great music, and sure gave some good memories to take back. Live, I always feel, is how music ought to be.

Ditty & Mark - Live at SpeakEasy, Gurgaon

‘ The Jazz Lab’ written in big red letters demanded to be noticed. Not a genre of music easy to come by in Gurgaon. And a jazz duo certainly seemed an intriguing prospect. Having never heard them, or even of them, I was more than curious, and made my way to Speakasy on Saturday night. The name of the pub is a tip of the hat to the prohibition era. While distilling, selling and serving alcohol were all prohibited by law, a number of illicit bars, called Speakeasies,  mushroomed all over the US. The dimly-lit place gives you an old world feel, with its cosy atmosphere, retro-dressed servers, and the superb B/W posters. Just the sort of place you would wish to go to, to listen to some smooth jazz, while nursing a drink.

Over the banter at the bar, suddenly a voice piped up…hello everyone! With a shy smile, a likely schoolgirl said “I am Mark, and he is Ditty” pointing to her guitar-slinging companion on stage. A few nervous laughs, and her companion assures everyone that he is, in fact, Mark, and she is Aditi, or Ditty. The duo start off the night with a mellow song, the title of which I could not catch. Very easy on the ears, the vocal-guitar track takes on a new dimension with an unexpected addition – Ditty’s trumpet.

Not an instrument one sees often, it somehow added to the soothing effect of the song. After the great start, Ditty invited on stage Nikhil Mawkin on the drums and Arpan Guhathakurta on bass. The quartet moved on to a song called ‘Music’. It turned out to be one of my favourite tracks of the night, and I was very happy when the band did an encore. The unhurried fingerstyle guitar lines with their warm tone created a spiral through which Aditi’s vocals delved deep and soared high. The young lady marched to her own tune, totally lost in her music. The spoken word interlude was superbly executed, and the rhythm section had everything down pat. Glad I recorded the song during the encore.

Next up was a song that Mark introduced as Anglo-Nigerian Jazz, followed by another track which reminded me of ‘Black Velvet’. It started off soft and mellow, with the tempo slowly building up. Loved the ‘big-drum’ sound. The band played a couple more originals. I couldn’t catch the names of the tracks, but I didn’t much care. It was turning out to be a calm, unhurried experience that a Saturday evening ought to be. I had never heard these songs before, but their music has a comfortable familiarity, making me feel I had known and loved these songs for a spell.

The band shifted gears, lest anyone typecast them, and showed that they can shake things up a bit. Launching into the next number that had clear funk influences, Mark switches from his restrained guitar playing to some superb licks and a brilliant solo that was surely one of the highlights of the evening. Ditty too holds nothing back, hitting the high notes just right. There’s tremendous energy on stage, and the four are clearly having fun. Seamlessly moving from a Brazilian song to Tom & Jerry to Janis Joplin’s ‘Piece of my heart’, getting the crowd to join in on the ‘who-oh-take it’ refrain, the duo have an air of assurance about them. They have been playing together for a year now, but seeing them on stage it’s easy to believe they’ve been doing this a lot longer.

Over the next few songs they showcase their influences, ranging from latin, funk and R&B, which make up their brand of alternative Jazz. The trumpet comes into play at just the right times, sounding mournful or cheery, depending on the song, while the (mostly) minimalist guitar creates interesting spaces. Their interpretation of ‘Jailer’ by Asa was very well received. It was their own compositions, however, that make for the most compelling listening.  ‘Moonlighter’ has a lilting, haunting melody, a song for everyone who comes alive at night. ‘I know I’m a moonlighter, are you?’ Ditty asks, and tells you to let the night make you step out of yourself.  Since the gig, I’ve tracked this song down and it’s on repeat play. ‘Just to let you in’ has noticeable funk elements and is a very jam-worthy song. The latin-influenced ‘Illuminated’ is about a matchstick that is wants to be lit up, but is waiting for the right stroke.

Having regaled the audience for two hours, they announced that it was the end of their set, but the spellbound crowd clearly wanted more. Amid loud cheering, Ditty & Mark agreed to play one more song, and I was delighted that they chose ‘Music’. As they took a bow, the duo introduced their guest musicians again, and mentioned that their regular drummer had to drop out at the last moment and Nikhil had agreed to come on board on the morning of the gig. Considering how well he held the rhythm section together, one can’t help but applaud the guy, who is equally competent with the guitar. I’d first seen Nikhil at the NH7 Weekender as guitar toting half of Parvati and Mawkin. Arpan provides brilliant low-end grunt, and is quite a charged up presence on stage.

Right. This had turned out to be a great evening. To go and watch an unknown act live, and to be totally blown away is an experience we all crave, because there isn’t nearly enough of it. Because not every band is so uncompromisingly original. Because not every band makes music from the heart, and not the head. Because not every band can entwine poetry and melody perfectly. Because not every band is Ditty & Mark.

Watch out for them guys. If they are playing in your city, catch them live. When they release their album, get hold of it. Listen, as they tell you stories through their songs. And be thankful. For Ditty & Mark represent everything that is right with India’s music scene right now.

A Day Less Lived

Reminisces from the good old days in Signature Towers, back in 2004...........

I wish to make it abundantly clear at the very beginning, to whoever cares to listen, that I utterly, completely, positively detest coming to the office on a holiday. I reckon that I am entitled to the occasional day-off as much as the next man. But evidently, people higher up the hierarchical ladder do not share my belief. So, as it transpires, I end up in the office on yet another holiday. As I make my way to the fifth floor, grumbling and scowling for all I’m worth, I discover that the front door to the office is locked. Perhaps God is on my side after all, I tell myself. Alas, spoken too soon. The guard materializes, unlocks the door, ushers me in and proceeds to lock the door behind me. My startled look prompts him to explain that the State Government has issued a directive that all the offices be closed today, so we have to be very discreet. I make my way into the office, turn on my computer and sit there feeling sorry for myself. Just then, Avantika arrives, another soul unfortunate enough to be working today. We both sit and rue our fate and denounce the biased treatment meted out to us. We both agree that it is unfair to expect us to come to work when the rest of our colleagues are enjoying the day, staying at home, watching TV, sleeping and doing God knows what else. For the next couple of hours, we do very little work, crib a lot more and generally come to the conclusion that life is unfair. Eventually, both of us feel the need for a cup of coffee. Being chivalrous (actually junior) I shuffle across to the cafeteria. But of course, something has to go wrong. All I end up with is some bitter black concoction in my cup. The guard materializes again and with a smug grin, informs me that the coffee machine is out of milk. I mutter under my breath, telling the guard to go forth and multiply, although in not so many words. I tell Avantika of my misadventure. She accepts the bad news in a surprisingly calm manner, almost as if she expected this to happen. I crib some more and work even less. It’s almost one O’ clock now. I begin to worry about lunch. Just then Nitin and Rejo arrive. Two more of the unfortunates. At least we have company now. Strangely enough, these two don’t seem the least bit perturbed at the prospect of working on a holiday. I convince myself that they are both sadists (i realised much later tha ti meant masochists, but that's not the point). Having thus satisfied myself, I proceed with my cribbing and continue to hack away at the keyboard. Finally, it’s lunch time. At least the powers-that-be have been considerate enough to make proper dietary arrangements for us. The four of us morosely chew our way through lunch. At least, I fail to find occasion to rejoice. Lunch being dispensed with, I resume my work with reluctance, and my cribbing with a renewed vigor. Some uneventful hours later, the day’s business being taken care of, I prepare to leave. Some semblance of life seems to creep back into me. As I make my way out of the office, I’m almost cheerful, looking forward to a peaceful evening at home. Right at that moment, the thought that I’ll have to work on many more such holidays assaults me. All my happiness evaporates in an instant. I walk out an unhappy man. What could be worse than working on a holiday? Oh, and I forgot to mention, the AC wasn’t working that day, like every other day I was unfortunate enough to be working when the rest of my colleagues were having a lazy, busy, fun, whatever day. But I consoled myself with the thought that HELL IS HOTTER. Enough said.

Have you ever been lonely?

Life........lots about it that I can't figure out. I am not sure I want to. I have come to accept it as it is. But I sure could do without the shackles of loneliness that sometimes envelop me. I come back to an empty house and I don't feel like turning the lights on. Darkness seems like a protective cover. There are times when I would do anything to dispel that gloom. How many books can you read, how many songs can you listen to? There's the guitar lying in the corner, but that too does not sounds musical at all times, its discordant notes screaming for company. I watch FRIENDS for dinner-time company - I make believe that those six guys are here and I am just watching their antics. Stupid, you may say, but it's funny what a lonely man would do to try and convince himself that he is not alone, not forgotten, not unwanted. I have read the same books over and over again at times, just to have something to do. The ending never changes. The good guy still triumphs, although at times he loses some beloved people on the road to victory. The bad guys die or go to prison. It's the same with the hundreds of movies I watched, and when it all ends, it's just a matter of time before loneliness sneaks up on me. Well as they say, you can break the mirror into a thousand pieces, but they will only reflect your face. I know this is something I have to deal with for quite some time now - not sure how long. I know there are many people out there who feel the same way. On the surface, you appear this cool guy who is in control. But scratch just a little beneath the surface and there is a sad, needy human being, desperately trying to fit in the scheme of things, begging to find acceptance. This is not an exercise in self pity, I am not wallowing in my loneliness. There are times, indeed numerous, when I find my solitude fulfilling and treasure it dearly. I am just putting my thoughts to words, hoping that on a bad day I can read these lines again and find peace within myself, or atleast gain solace in the fact that this too will pass. To be sure, this phase has taught me a lot, and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything on this earth. Well, a little easy on the loneliness perhaps.....And now, I shall take your leave. It's time to have dinner with my FRIENDS. Hello Chandler..........Good to see you again!!

NH7 Weekender - The Happiest Music Festival - Delhi 2012

Would Delhi/NCR pull it off? The question had been coming up ever since the NH7 Weekender ‘The Happiest Music Festival’ announced its foray up north. Given Delhi’s past disastrous relationship with any big concert, doubts abounded. Amid much cynicism, tickets were bought, plans were made and expectations were given the freedom to soar. As the day drew closer, the excitement in the air was palpable. Some of the best acts in the country were going to enthrall us. Megadeth was headlining. For those of us who had seen them in Bangalore, attending a second live gig would give us bragging rights. This would surely be memorable. Like I said, expectations took flight. But did they soar? Or did they come crashing down, much like the ‘Parinda’ in Kailash Kher’s song ‘Allah ke Bande’? Read on to find out.

Day One

After an 80 Km drive from Gurgaon, I found myself at the Buddh International Circuit, host to Delhi/NCR’s sophomore edition of ‘The Happiest Music Festival’. The grounds seemed to be huge, the stages were generously spaced apart, there seemed to be a decent variety of grub, and the flea market was slowly coming to its own.

A riot of colours

My first stop was at the Dewarists stage, where the trio of Adi, Suhail and Tarun (AST) got things going. Although not familiar with their music, I nonetheless enjoyed the few songs that I heard. The only hitch was the poor sound. Sound glitches, as we shall see, made their presence felt at multiple stages throughout the two days, much like Warren Mendonsa, who flitted from one stage to the other, only, his presence was mesmerizing.

Adi, Suhail and Tarun  (AST)

Anyhow, after AST, I made my way to the Black Rock Arena, where Vir Das and Alien Chutney were up next. For his comedy rock act, Vir Das was backed by two supremely gifted musicians – Warren Mendonsa on guitar and Sidd Cuotto on drums. He raised quite a few laughs with his songs about ‘Banging your mummy’, the stinking friend that everyone has in ‘BO is my Deo’, a Haryanvi man’s bedroom preferences in ‘Village Man’, the tendency of Punjabi mundas to grow ‘Man boobs’. He ran through the periodic table in ‘The metal song’, praised Delhi’s girls’ make up miracles and denounced all J.K. Rowling characters as whores. His set was peppered with expletives and his lyrics were delightfully offensive. I saw many people laughing and squirming at the same time, especially a teenaged girl who’d turned up with her dad. Both were doing their best not to look at each other. Must have made for an awkward conversation post the set. Some may have dismissed Vir Das’s set as being crude, but he got the crowd going, and he elicited more than a few laughs. Granted, he is no Stephen Lynch, but if you were buying what he was selling, you wouldn’t feel shortchanged.

Vir Das and Alien Chutney

I strolled back to the Other Stage, hoping to catch Barefaced Liar unplugged. But all the sound glitches had led to delays, and I found Parvati and Mawkin just about to start. And for the next half hour, I stood enthralled as Parvati on vocals, Mawkin on the guitar and Natalie on the flute brought forth their brand of magic. It was serene, it was otherworldly. I did not understand a word of what they were singing, their tracks mostly being in Spanish and Portuguese, but I came away elated. And that’s when it started to hit me – that we need more of these festivals, so we can get to see and hear more of acts such as Parvati and Mawkin. And that Music the most widely spoken language in the world. Yes, the NH7 Weekender was coming alive for me.

Parvati and Mawkin, with Natalie on the flute

And now, back to the Black Rock Arena. Boy, this is turning out be quite a bit of walking! I’d missed out Indus Creed, but had no regrets, such was the music of Parvati and Mawkin. Zero was up next, and by now a sizeable crowd had built up. The ‘best band India has ever produced’ was armouring for their once-a-year gig. Frontman Rajeev, resplendent in a stovepipe hat, took the stage with a very Brit ‘I say, old chaps’ and Zero kicked off a firestorm. They ran through their catalogue of hits such ‘Old man’, ‘Hate in Em’, ‘Stop’ and ‘Lucy’, the crowd singing along lustily. The band was so tight, their stage presence so compelling, one would never guess they play just once a year.  Pity, really. The Indian rock scene would get a shot in the arm if bands such as Zero were gigging more often. Bobby Talwar’s fluid basslines locked in tight with Sidd Cuotto’s immaculate stickwork, and Warren, well, he was just magical. His playing is so restrained, never too many notes, fast when fast is needed, but always melodic, never flashy. Is he the best guitar player around? I can’t think of anyone else who comes close. By the time the quartet get around to their iconic ‘PSP’, they have a moshpit going (which was rather annoying, truth be told, with a bunch of juvenile delinquents pushing everyone in sight) and the crowd had been transported to another world.

Zero

A bit giddy after the display of sheer awesomeness, I walked (a couple miles, it seemed) to the Fully Fantastic stage, set up in the memory of the Godfather of Indian Rock, Amit Saigal. I was very much looking forward to Menwhopause. Sadly though, they seemed to be having a bit of an off day. Sound continued to play spoilsport. While singer-bassist Randeep tried his best to involve the crowd, something seemed amiss, and the people started trickling out. I trudged back, more than a little disappointed. Would Pentagram have been a better choice? Judging by crowd response, the answer seemed to a resounding ‘YES’. Oh well.

Randeep Singh of Menwhopause

Final act of the night – Parikrama. They opened with the very catchy ‘Vapourize’ – Nitin pushing his vocal chords to the limit. They followed that up with ‘Am I dreaming’,’ Load up’, ‘Gandalf’, going steadily downhill. The vocals went awry, band members seemed to be missing cues, and the only saving grace was the violin virtuosity of Imran, who was in his element. The good part – I finally saw Parikrama play an all original set. They were saving ‘But it rained’ for the end, but ran out of time, and had to take a rather abrupt bow.

One can clearly see Nitin was having throat probs

Well, so far the day had been a mixed one. The sound left a lot to be desired, some bands disappointed, while others shone bright. Zero was the highlight of the day for me. Could any band better their performance on Day Two? Oh, and no beer in a music festival? Even though Bacardi is the sponsor, ale deprivation is plain wrong. I stuck to sobriety and 7Up it was for me. Cut to the bright side again – the organizers put in a great deal of effort to ensure the audience got a ‘happy' experience. Brining in the mobile ATMs was a very thoughtful touch.

Day Two

The long drive, the almost equally long walks and the occasional bout of excitable bodily contortions to the music on Day One meant I woke up in a distinctly ramshackle condition the next morning. But all that was soon forgotten as I popped in some Megadeth and turned the volume to eardrum damaging levels. It was the big day. I was going to see Megadeth, again. Yay! But before that, quite a few more bands to listen to, some more new music to get acquainted with, and who knows, maybe get blown away by!

I steered clear of the Black Rock Arena, for today was growl rock day, not my kind of music. No disrespect, but the couple of times I did venture close, it sounded like someone was gargling with nails. On a mic. Very loudly. I would come back for the headliners. This I’d pass.

I made my way to the Fully Fantastic stage, and pretty much spent the evening there.  First up was Ankur and the Ghalat family. Ankur Tewari, backed up by the prolific Sidd Cuotto on drums, Johan Pais on the bass, and Niranjan ‘Pozy’ Dhar (of Tough on Tobacco and Shkabang fame) on guitars, made for a great start to the proceedings. His simple but easy to relate to lyrics and great melodies had the audience singing along, jiving. Ankur regaled the crowd with songs about being broke, political clout in Delhi, ‘Chand chahiye’ about a materially demanding girlfriend, and ‘Yaari’ about, well, yaari. His easy connect with the crowd was a treat to watch. The band displayed they have a sense of humour too. When the sound problems surfaced again, the band, instead of going silent, sang an ad-jingle for Bajaj lights from way back when. Ankur Tewari then crooned his signature – ‘Sabse peeche hum khade’. I had a feel good lump in my throat after listening to their set. Later on I bumped into him, and told him how much I enjoyed his songs and could I buy them online? His humility, when he said thanks and I could get some songs online at Flipkart, is something I will not forget.

Ankur and the Ghalat Family

Next, Them Clones took the stage. They were accompanied by Nikhil Rufus of Indigo Children on bass, while Adil Manuel subbed for guitarist Joseph. Dedicating the evening to Amit Saigal and Clarence, their deceased bassist, they played a tight set, belting out their hits, and had the crowd singing along. For their last song, ‘Zephyretta’, the band was joined by Abhay Sharma on the saxophone. Amazing how a single instrument can alter the whole sound of a band. The last track was a moving experience, and the strains stayed with me long after the song ended.

Them Clones

Rudy Wallang and Tipriti of Soulmate tore into the stage with their brand of red-hot blues. Rudy’s guitarwork was a masterclass in blues playing and Tipriti poured her feelings out with her voice. The one catch, again, was the sound. Too loud and too trebley, it marred an otherwise awesome set.

Soulmate

It was now the turn of Blackstratblues and friends. Warren was joined by Jai Row Kavi on drums and Adi Mistry on the bass, and he showed, again, why he is so in demand. I am running out of phrases to describe his guitar playing. Always in the pocket, never playing too fast, never playing too many notes. And always putting melody first. We have our own Eric Johnson here! Karsh Kale took over the drum duties and Apeksha Dandekar showed off her vocal prowess. As it turned out, Mr. KK can really play drums. Wickedly well. Nikhil D’Souza, Vishal Dadlani, Uday Benegal, Prithwish Dev all took the stage with the man playing the Blackstrat and the crowd, which had swollen by the minute, lapped it all up.

Warren with Karsh Kale and Apeksha Dandekar

It was now time for the big one. The Black Rock Arena was crowded with black tees, and more were sweeping in. The backstage cam focused on Dave Mustaine as he queried ‘Are you ready for Megadeth?’ A huge roar went up, anticipation building up in spades. Megadeth took the stage to massive applause, and immediately launched into ‘Trust’, off the ‘Cryptic Writings’ album, followed by ‘She Wolf’ from the same album. The one thing that became immediately apparent is that surprisingly, the sound folks had failed to get it right for Megadeth too. Chris Broderick’s guitar sounded too loud and whiny, while Mustaine’s vocals and guitars seemed to be controlled by an on/off switch. David Eleffson was pretty much inaudible too. Apart from the messed up sound, another downer was Mustaine’s patronizing speech in the middle, where he droned on about how he appreciated 'Indian' people coming out to see them, having had to make so many sacrifices, and spending money. Thanks for your concern Davey, but all of India isn’t exactly destitute. Blah! Talk about stereotyping!

The crowd, though, was living it up. The thrashmongers then chugged through their ‘Countdown to Extinction’ album. Tracks such as ‘Symphony of destruction’, ‘Skin o’ my teeth’, ‘High speed dirt’ and ‘Sweating bullets’ led to many a sprained neck. The crowd sang along to every song, hysterically, ecstatically. Megadeth played two songs off their new album ‘Thirteen’ – ‘Whose life is it anyway’ and ‘Public  enemy number one’. Youthanasia, surprisingly, got just one nod, with ‘A tout le monde’. Megadeth threw in ‘Hangar 18’ in the middle and ended the proceedings with ‘Holy wars’. I sorely missed ‘Tornado of souls’, but then everyone has their own ‘deth favourites. The band took a last bow, Mustaine saying ‘Thank you, you’ve been a great crowd, we’ve been Megadeth’. As the speakers went silent, I felt the last hour rushing back at me, reliving the Megadeh experience. The line from ‘Turn the page’ played repeats in my mind – ‘The echoes of the amplifiers ringing in your head’. Did the Megadeth experience turn out to be what I expected? Did the four-year wait seem worthwhile? In all honesty, the answer was no. I went to watch Megadeth expecting a whole lot of anarchy, and came away with just a little bit of malarkey.

Thus ended the Delhi debut of the NH7 Weekender. Judging by experience, the claim of ‘The Happiest Music Festival’ is not entirely unfounded. It was well organized, the audience was well cared for, and it showcased some fantastic music. The 300 km drive, the aching body, the decimated throat were all worth it. It reaffirmed my faith that live music trumps recorded music everytime. Granted, the sound flattered to deceive. But I am sure that will be looked into, next time around. I can’t wait! 

The Beatles Tribute Show - by Barefaced Liar - 16 August 2012 - Blue Frog, New Delhi

The image above popped up on my Facebook page one day and immediately caught my attention. This was one gig I knew I couldn’t miss, for reasons more than one. One, being a lifelong Beatles fan, and not getting nearly enough opportunities to hear them covered live, this sounded promising. Second, I’d heard Barefaced Liar’s first album, and was hooked to their songwriting prowess. Third, I had always wondered what effect a thoroughly modern take on their songs would have. So, the evening of 16^th August was reserved for the gig. A quick exit from office, and a thankfully traffic snarl-free drive later, I ended up at the Blue Frog. Now it’s not the easiest of places to get to. The area isn’t particularly well lit, and there was hardly a soul on the road to give us directions. Finally, Varun, of who you shall hear more later on, guided us over the phone.

Getting inside, it’s easy to see why The Blue Frog is becoming increasingly popular. It’s spacious, has well laid out interiors, with scattered high tables and a cluster of very comfortable cocoon-like seating, spread around in amphitheatre fashion. The stage is the show stealer. High and wide, with a great background (see pic below), it was accentuated by the brilliant lighting. Anticipation was building up, but curiously, the crowd wasn’t. Although the gig was supposed to start at 9 PM, even at 9:20, the place was pretty much empty. It’s only around 9:45 that the well heeled gentry make their fashionably late entry. Ah, Delhi! One wonders what would happen if a band actually started playing on time. They’d just be playing for the staff at the pub.

Showtime. Barefaced Liar (BFL) saunter on stage sharp at 10. Being seasoned professionals, they are just a notch over fashionably late.  The line-up features Akshay on vocals and guitars, Sumanth, or Bala, as is more affectionately known, on guitars and vocals, Rohit on Bass, Suyash on drums and Abhimanyu on the keys. For the performance, the band has donned white shirts and black ties, no less, in case someone missed the point that it was a Beatles tribute. And no messing about once they get on stage, no widdly dee-ing, they dive straight on to “Back in the USSR” with gleeful intensity. So sudden is their start that they catch the crowd completely by surprise. And in the first few minutes, I know I am in for a good time. The band sounds tight – handling the stop-start song with aplomb. Akshay’s vocals are superbly supported by Bala’s harmonies. ‘You don’t know how lucky you are’ the band sings, to the crowd. And quite right too. Akshay doles out a searing lead on the guitar, followed by a keyboard solo by Abhimanyu, and as the song comes to close, Akshay goes ‘Good evening everyone! How’s it going?’ The crowd screams back at him, hungry for more, that’s how it’s going!

Akshay and his trusty Tele

Next up is “Revolution”, where the rhythm section really shines, Suyash on the drums plays with a smile on his face, clearly having a great time, and Rohit on the bass is swaying away, locking in tight with the drums.  The band moves on to “I feel fine” and then to “Something”. The latter, from the Abbey Road album, sees a great vocal harmony trade-off between Akshay and Bala, while the staccato drums make for a great build-up and release. Akshay again launches into a solo, getting a superb weeping tone from his Fender Telecaster. “Strawberry Fields” sees Bala belting out a great solo, his first of the night, followed by “Lady Madonna” in which Bala makes his singing debut for the evening. By this time, the crowd is in raptures, lustily joining the band to shout ‘See how they run’.

On a roll

 Things have been going rather well so far, so the law of averages inevitably catches up. The next song “In my life” sounded a bit shaky, the band not entirely together. The drums sounded a little jarring, especially the cymbals, which seemed to be at odds with the rest of the song.

BFL makes up for the lukewarm song by launching into “Day Tripper”. Yeah!! Full on adrenaline – fast paced, grunge tinged sound. Fat riffs, loud drums and the fluid basslines get the crowd really going. And to help them along, yes, you got it, the band moves onto “Help”. Excellent vocal harmonies again by Bala. The band did have a few lyrics gaffes on this song (and on Day Tripper too). Now I am a bit stuck on getting the lyrics right, everytime, but that’s taking nothing away from the band. The last two songs were absolutely kick-ass.



Great music, powered by Line 6. Helped on by beer.



Akshay then traded in his Tele for an acoustic and got a surprisingly authentic Sitar tone for “Norwegian Wood”. It’s one of my favourite Beatles songs, and I sang the entire song with the band, not the only one in the crowd to do so. I saw a lot of hands waving in the air. If it were not Delhi, those hands would be waving lighters. Great experience, that song! The band a bit of an oops moment with “Here comes the sun”, with some missed cues. I’ve always felt that one can tell a musician worth his salt by the way he recovers from a stage error. BFL proves that. They do not bat an eyelid, do not stop, and carry on into the song, which makes for mellow, pleasant listening. Next up are “You’ve got to hide your love away”, of which I had only heard the Eddie Vedder cover on ‘I am Sam’ soundtrack, and “Let it be”. Abhimanyu on the keys is brilliant on the latter, providing a great foil to Bala’s vocals.



Akshay goes acoustic



BFL decide that they want some dancing in the house and their rendition of “A hard day’s night” brought to mind the Pied Piper, drawing the people forward in front of the stage. First a few PYTs, then two (slightly) elderly and very sweet couples joined in. Yes, everyone was feeling alright! Akshay is the quintessential frontman, be it trading quips with the crowd or belting out those vocals and guitar solos with supreme confidence. The next song was “Eleanor Rigby”, a track one doesn’t hear too often. Abhimanyu on the keys carried this song on his capable shoulders, creating an atmosphere that transported you into a bygone era. The refrain ‘Aaah, look at all those lonely people’ stayed with me a long time after the song ended.

BFL followed it up with “Taxman”, a song I hadn’t heard in more than a decade. But I was instantly hooked. There was a major groove going, with the Suyash dishing out the 4/4 beats, while Rohit was on a roll with the basslines. By now, Varun, of whom you may recall there was a passing reference earlier, was a certified fan of Rohit. Rohit – if you ever read this, please know that not all shrieks of “Go Rohit! Aaiiiiieeeee” were from the (very pretty) girls present that evening. Varun shouting in falsettos constituted a sizeable percentage. All said and done, this was my favourite song of the evening. The song featured two solos – one by Bala in the middle and a great one by Akshay at the end. Much to Varun’s delight, Rohit donned a harmonica neck holder for the next song. “Love me do” had the crowd dancing again, and to my delight the sweet white haired lady I spoke of earlier was there too. She was absolutely adorable!



Varun's fixation for the evening...Rohit, you may soon get a stalker!

The band invited on stage a special guest for the next three songs. “Helter skelter” saw Neerja showing her vocal prowess. A wee wisp of a girl, but what a voice! I am sure we’ll be hearing much more of her. “I want you” was superbly executed, with the band taking the tempo changes in their stride, jamming and (almost) dancing on stage. Great vibe on that song!  Next on the list was “With a little help from my friends”, Neerja again doing a fantastic job on the backing vocals. But the star of this song was Bala. He sang with such feeling, so much emotion in his voice. While this song was all vocal glory, the other instruments were spot on, never intrusive, and always holding it together. A word about the sound – in terms of acoustics, Blue Frog has one of the best set-ups I’ve come across in a long time. Everything sounded just right. Whoever the sound technician is, I take my hat off to him.


Neerja wows the crowd with her powerful vocals



“Hey Jude” was next. By now, the band had the crowd eating out of its hands. They could sing “Baa baa black sheep” and get away with it. They invited the crowd to join in (for ‘Hey Jude’, not ‘Baa baa black sheep’), handing over a mic to the enthusiasts for the ‘nanananana’ refrain. Askhay and Bala then engaged in a guitar duel, trading off solos. Bliss!

Bala then urged the crowd to “Imagine”, with his guitar and Jesus Christ looks. I am told he’s conserving his facial foliage till BFL’s next album is out. I am also told it’s a couple of months behind schedule, but with Jesus Christ on their side of the ring, BFL needn’t worry! The next song was “Come together”.  Need I say more! After wards, Akshay introduced the band, who acknowledged the cheers from the crowd with some great drum rolls, fretboard wizardry and the Pink Panther theme on the keys!



Bala does a Jesus Christ



It was now time for “While my guitar gently weeps”. Bala traded in his PRS Santana signature model for the guitar that best does the weeping tones – The Les Paul. This song turns out to be a guitar lover’s dream.  Bala made his guitar weep, and none too gently, while Akshay’s Mark Tremonti Signature Wah pedal created a wailing tone for his solo. This was turning to be an evening far beyond my expectations. I came here expecting about 10-12 songs, but this was the 23^rd song of the evening, and the band hadn’t taken a break, just marched on, immersing themselves, and the crowd, in a deluge of melodies.

Next up, Bala treated the crowd to an acoustic double bill – “Yesterday” and “Blackbird”. The former was particularly well received. Time for the final act then. BFL wrapped things up in style, inviting the crowd to “Twist and shout”. And everyone present, they twisted and they shouted, as BFL brought the house down.  A fitting end to what was for me the most exciting live music experience in a long time. I missed “Get back”. And I regretted that I didn’t capture the concert on video. Note to self for the next BFL show!

A gig to remember

All said and done, it was a tribute show the Beatles themselves would be proud of. And it was a show that I am sure made a lot of people reminisce. On that night, I got a little bit of my boyhood back, when I would come back from school, pop in a Beatles cassette into the old National Panasonic player, and air guitar my way through life, knowing for certain that life could throw nothing at me I couldn’t deal with. That naiveté has long gone, tempered by reality and replaced with cynicism. But every once in a while, something comes along that makes you feel, if only for a little while, that you are invincible. Thank you guys. For the music.  For the memories. For the two-hour cloak of invincibility.