Pub Rock is In

While India may just be discovering pub rock, the movement began in Britain and Aus-tralia in the early to mid-1970s. The precursor to punk rock, pub rock threw up bands like INXS and AC/DC in Australia and singers like Elvis Costello and Dr Feelgood in UK. Atypicalpubrock giginvolvesnoise,crowd, sweat and all-around riotous and merry may-hem. For pubrock,thescene hasneverbeenas rocking before.

Agrees Amit Sehgal,editor ofRockStreetJour-nal whichhasbeen organisingtheGreatIndian Rock for 10 years and now conducts the Pub Rock Fest show in Delhi: “Pub rock is the best way to consume live music. Summer is tradi-tionally supposed to be a dry season for live music. But now, one can catch live gigs at pubs almosteveryothernight inmostmajorcities. It isthenext bigthingandhas givenaplatformto alotofbands toshowcasetheirmusic.”

The biggest USP of pub rock is the close set-ting and intimate interaction it ensures be-tween the audience and the band. Says Surojit Dev, drummer with Delhi-based band Them Clones: “As a performer, it’s a great high to in-teract with the audience. This is only possible in pubs and not in stadia. We can talk to the crowd, make eye contact, explain our music and receive immediate feedback from them.

It’s a unique one-on-one.” Happily enough, the audience is evolving. Says Shivjit Majitha, Director of DV8, a Delhi pub that regularly hosts gigs:“Our customers are lookingforsomethingnew. Livemusicisa great way of breaking the monotony of a DJ beltingoutpredictablestuff. Italsohasalotof visualimpact,asthebandisrightthereinfront ofthem.Wehavea lotofregularswhocomein for it and also first-timers who keep coming back.” LikeGaryWaters, anadexecutiveanda regularatthe Delhilivegigsscene. “Ihangout a lot at pubs with my friends and if there is a live band playing, that makes it extra special.

In fact, we sometimes plan our evenings out according to the schedule of our favourite bands and go to the bars they play at. The live scene has a different vibe altogether, we can talk to the bands about music and even send ourrequeststothem.Asfororiginalcomposi-tions, quite a fewbands have a good thing go-ing,” he explains.

Not only has pub rock given a chance to a lot of bands to showcase their stuff, it has also been a boon in terms of original music. Indian bands, which have so far survived on lip sync with foreign rock stars , are now taking the big leap towards original compositions.

“If we need to be taken seriously, we have to make our own music and get the audience to appreciate it too. And it is gradually happen-ing.

The audience has started recognising our original music and are demanding it more and more. They prefer it over cover music,” says Rahul Guha Roy, frontman of the Kolkata-based band, Cassini’s Division.

He adds: “Most major bands perform a 60:40 ratio of original and cover music at pubs. Traditionally, pub rock was a back-to-basics movementinEngland andAustralia,wherethe music remained simple and unpretentiously hard rock. However, our bands here are trying many different things—from rock to a fusion of jazz, blues, country and even hip-hop.”

“Rock remainstheessence,but inapub,the energy levels are not as high as in a stadium. A lot of people are just out there to unwind. So, we have the option of playing slightly softer music as well,” says Girish ‘Bobby’ Talwar, bassist with Mumbai-based Zero, which has also cut a couple of albums.

So, what are you waiting for? Drink to catching a live gig at your nearest pub.