Live Wire

Theres a new band born in Delhi every other month. But in a city where there are few spaces for live gigs,most bands die unheard,unsung.

Theres a new band born in Delhi every other month. But in a city where there are few spaces for live gigs,most bands die unheard,unsung. Which is why,the recent arrival of Hard Rock Café on the Capitals music firmament has sent excited vibrations among music bands. HRC,known for its edgy approach to music and stress on live acts,could create the right ripple effect and encourage other restaurants,pubs and eateries to rope in live shows. Currently,Café Morrison,Mocha Bar,Shalom,F Bar and Turquoise Cottage are among the few places where bands can go live.

Subir Malik,manager and keyboardist of Parikrama,feels,Its always a good thing to have more venues for live shows. HRC is a world-renowned outlet,so we can expect more live acts,especially by younger bands. But for more established bands,its more about a quality gig no matter where it is. HRC has earmarked Thursdays for their live shows. Last week,holding fort was the band Crimson,which belted out a steady stream of songs like Maroon 5s Harder to Breathe or The Doors Light my fire. Aditi Singh Sharma,vocalist of the band,remembers feeling a strange thrill as she took centre-stage. Its always a kick for a musician to play at HRC. Were all conscious of the fact that it is a brand that is known worldwide for great music.

Amit Keswani,vice-president,sales and marketing of JSM Corp Pvt Ltd,which runs HRC in India,is aware that the outlet is the gold standard as far as live shows in the city is concerned with their the lavish amplifiers and sound arrangements. As the largest indoor venue,HRC has always given a better platform for bands to perform. Also,the multi-city presence of HRC is certainly an advantage since bands who get signed on by us can perform at HRCs in Pune,Mumbai and Bangalore, says Keswani. HRC has a concert format its 7,000 sq ft space can accommodate 800 people.

Mocha Bar in Nehru Place has recently hopped on to the bandwagon by kicking off band nights on Wednesdays. Drop by to listen to Menwhopause and Sajid Akbar among other original artistes. Café Morrison has a Dubstep Night every Friday with the BASSFoundation,the collective starring DJs Maartien Klein and Praxis and Delhi Sultanate,rev up their reggae and dancehall sounds. They perform again on Wednesdays at Shalom. Thursdays look fixed to draw a packed crowd at HRC. Concert-starved Delhiites shelled out Rs 250 as entry fee for the gig last Thursday. Gaurav Soral,owner of Turquoise Cottage,which sometimes charges an entry fee of Rs 100 for the live gigs,says,We decide on the entry fee based on the kind of following a band has. So,if it is a very popular band,people wont mind paying to listen to it. Live shows will resume at Turquoise Cottage on June 28.

But it was disappointing that the sound on HRCs opening live night wasnt anything to boast of and the bands rendition of songs like Kelly Clarksons Walk away and The Doors Roadhouse blues were average- something not expected at HRC. That is the feedback we got and perhaps the filtration process to select bands will take care of the quality of the gig that HRC will host in the coming weeks, says Keswani,who is ready to bring in international acts like Outlandish and Crime Circle to the city during the second week of July and August respectively. Let the music begin.

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Live Wire

Theres a new band born in Delhi every other month. But in a city where there are few spaces for live gigs,most bands die unheard,unsung.

Theres a new band born in Delhi every other month. But in a city where there are few spaces for live gigs,most bands die unheard,unsung.