Make it large

An electronic dance music duo,Basement Jaxx will be represented by Felix Buxton,one half of the duo,who will play a DJ Set on the first day of the festival at the Eristoff Wolves Den,the stage for dance and electronica. Imogen Heap will play at The Dewarists Stage,dedicated to world,folk and eclectic music,on the second day.

Joining Basement Jaxx at the Eristoff Wolves Den are Delhi’s Jalebee Cartel,Midival Punditz and a solo live electronica act by Sahej Bakshi called Dualist Inquiry; Mumbai’s Shaa’ir + Func and Bay Beat Collective; and Bobby Friction,DJ Nihal and Riz MC from London. The Dewarists Stage,apart from Heap,will see the likes of soul and blues band Soulmate from Shillong,the incredibly popular Raghu Dixit from Bangalore,Swarathma and Hipnotribe from Mumbai,among others. The third main stage,Bacardi Black Rock Arena,features some of the best rock and metal acts in India today,including rock giants Pentagram; metal bands Scribe,Bhayanak Maut and Skyharbour; alt-rock bands The Circus and Menwhopause; and pop-rock act Tough on Tobacco.

India has its fair share of music festivals,but few can confidently be called multi-genre. Vijay Nair,CEO,Only Much Louder,agrees and says that was the very reason they decided to start Weekender. “I have attended plenty of festivals abroad. I realised we have nothing that matches up to those festivals in India,” he explains. “My gut instinct made me believe that people in India would truly appreciate a multi-genre festival as opposed to a festival for just rock or electronica.” Thus was born Weekender.

Sahej Bakshi,the brains behind Dualist Inquiry,believes that Weekender has stamped its superiority as a multi-genre festival. “Weekender is the best platform for an Indian artiste to be discovered,” he says. “For me,there’s nothing better than a multi-genre festival,and Weekender is the best of its kind.” Bassist and backing vocalist with Bangalore-based folk fusion band Swarathma,Jishnu Dasgupta agrees with Bakshi. “Weekender is right up there with all the festivals we’ve played abroad,” he says and adds,“Production-wise,it makes a big difference if people who care about music organise a festival. It changes the very vibe of the festival,which then becomes pro-artist.”

For the first pre-party for this year’s Weekender,Tough on Tobacco (TOT) return to Arc Asia,Koregaon Park,after a gap of six months,to perform songs from their upcoming album. Also scheduled in the prelude to the three-day fest is the screening of a documentary on last year’s event,produced by Babble Fish Productions. The 50-minute documentary is supposed to have captured all the revelry that reigned at the musical jamboree – of the fans,organisers and the performers.

The gig begins at 7:30pm