Surround sound

Flying Lotus, Mogwai, AR Rahman and songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — there was plenty to like at this year’s Bacardi NH7 Weekender. But lack of a solid metal act and sound problems left the Delhi audience asking for more

AR Rahman at the Delhi edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender. Praveen Khanna

Flying Lotus, Mogwai, AR Rahman and songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — there was plenty to like at this year’s Bacardi NH7 Weekender. But lack of a solid metal act and sound problems left the Delhi audience asking for more

Equal parts high-school teenagers, flower children in their mid 20s, parents and toddlers — all were seen revelling in the sometimes average, sometimes brilliant music at the Delhi edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender. Nothing deterred people from coming in droves for a fan friendly line-up. So the AR Rahman set, despite being an average gig, drew more people than one saw at a Megadeth gig two years ago. American rapper, DJ and producer Flying Lotus, albeit set on a smaller stage, killed it with his fascinating sound and visuals; and Tipriti Kharbangar of Soulmate belted out some fantastic blues. The duo from Mexican act Rodrigo y Gabriela slapped their Spanish guitars to perfection.

Mumbai-based Maati Baani, helmed by Nirali Kartik, had Hindustani vocals laced with electro beats, while the Pakistani band Noori’s lead singers Ali Noor and Ali Hamza belted out some of their best hits awash with
the buoyant pop-rock pulsating beats and electric riffs.

The change in the venue from Greater Noida to Dwarka came with some happiness due to metro connectivity. But sound was a big problem as the stages were set up too close and a slew of artistes, such as the Scottish act Hidden Orchestra, complained about not being able to concentrate because of sound from the neighbouring stages. Some acts ran late, due to which people ended up missing gigs. The last one hour on Sunday night was spent running from one stage to another, balancing Flying Lotus and the Scottish post-rock band, Mogwai.

The four-member band played a surreal set comprising some of their best-known tracks such as Rano pano and Auto rock, among others. A well-received performance, Mogwai deserved a bigger crowd and a time slot that didn’t clash with another giant.

A big foam hand “We want Megadeth back” sealed some people’s position on asking for a famed metal band for this year. We certainly missed a call from the mosh pit.

Talk picks a few interesting gigs:

Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson

“I love you Delhi, can we do this every week?” screamed Mark Ronson in the microphone. “Yes”, they all cried in unison. Ronson ensured there wasn’t a single dull moment during his set, and that the dancing continued. The English DJ-producer belted out a mix of R&B, hip hop and pop tunes. From Big Sean’s thumping number I don’t f*** with you to Rihanna’s latest hit B**** better have my money, Ronson dropped predictable dance numbers. In the middle of the set, he played his most popular song till date — Uptown funk — which was the high point of the night.

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There was, in fact, a moment when the sound of the crowd singing was louder than that coming from the sound system. Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, Ronson dropped a mix of Punjabi MC’s Mundian tu bach ke.

AR Rahman

NH7 Weekender hasn’t seen chants as loud as the ones heard at the Rahman gig. Most songs were sung along with; especially Dil se and Humdum. The Mozart of Madras seemed pretty much at home behind the keys, occasionally popping in the centre of the stage to sing Rehna tu and Nadaan parindey. There were more problems than just not letting the audience have a piece of Humma and Roja. Most singers, including Rahman, were out of tune at times, making us realise that Rahman’s studio sound is class apart as compared to what one hears on stage. The audience chanted and waited for the next track nonetheless. Manish Sisodia, guarded by almost 20 cops, was also seen at the venue.

Ode to Nusrat

Mogwai

While Mogwai played a delectable set on one stage, a large crowd gathered to listen to a tribute set to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. A 75-minute set curated by Vishal Dadlani, featuring singers Neeti Mohan, Harshdeep Kaur, Ishita, Richa Sharma, Dadlani himself and a set of qawwals along with electric and bass guitar and a set of drums, was loved for its big sounds and famed Nusrat qawwalis enmeshed together. Warren Mendonca turned some sitar interludes into fantastic guitar riffs to become the star of the show. It was an interesting concept, but Nusrat’s songs are hard nuts to crack on stage. Mohan fumbled massively with More saiyaa, while Richa Sharma was was way too loud. Harshdeep’s voice managed to soar. Allah hu by Ishita, however, was the best bit. Head banging to Nusrat was a first for us.

Hidden Orchestra and Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus

At the Breezer Beat Camp stage, Scottish live act Hidden Orchestra and the formidable LA-based Flying Lotus hosted quite a party. The five members of Hidden Orchestra set the mood right with their live act, but the star of the night was Flying Lotus. Delayed by about 30 minutes, FlyLo got on stage ready with a tight set, and he set up his console between two screens that played some dark visuals. “I am so happy to be here with you guys but unfortunately you’re all dead,” said FlyLo on stage, giving a cue to his popular track You’re dead. He also dropped Never catch me, before
going desi with a mash-up of Kaliyon ka chaman, which was obviously met with a few hurrahs.

With inputs by Pallavi Pundir

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