Still, defiant singer’s Rage Against State finds free expression

On the eve of India’s 51st Independence Day, thousands of rock music lovers thronged the open air Rang Bhavan theatre expecting a highly censored rock concert in view of the fact that the state government had given the green signal to the show only after getting a written undertaking from the organisers that no “vulgar songs” would be played at therock show.

But while the youngsters were pleasantly surprised to hear their favourite hits at the concert, the Culture Cops of the Maharashtra Stage Performances Scrutiny Board were caught napping, blissfully unaware of the full-throated performance of the Indian rock band, Pentagram.

Talking to The Indian Express on Saturday, Dadlani said: “Yes, I was aware of the fact that no obscenity would be tolerated by the Scrutiny Board because on Friday itself I was forced to sign an affidavit that restrained me from being vulgar on the stage. But I just had to sing Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against Machine as India is a free country. I had to express my democratic freedom.”

When asked if he was afraid of a backlash by the Culture Cops, Dadlani replied, “I’m not at all scared, though I only hope that they don’t stop this three-day rock show and spoil the fun. C’mon! Rock is all about rebellion and defiance, and if I had only played `nice and decent’ songs, my audience would have booed meout!”

At the fag end of his spirited performance, the singer urged the crowd to “thank the culture minister, Pramod Navalkar” for allowing the show to happen but added later that he had said it “sarcastically”.

In accordance with the Scrutiny Board’s directives, all the three bands — Pythagoras & The Right Angles, Brahma and Pentagram that performed on Friday night urged the head-bangers to say `Vande Mataram’ at regular intervals. They also told them to keep their shirts on (“especially the girls”, the organisers’ improvisa-tion) and not to use bad language.

But what actually transpired on the stage might have made our self-styled keepers of morality in the government sit up and take notice – had they been present. Brahma drummer Cyrus Gorimar made his appearance bare-chested.

Later, the Brahma vocalist also shouted some obscenities such as “son of a b….!”, though they immediately apologised for the same.

During the first hour of the show, some of the boys were severely reprimanded bythe cops for showing off their torso. In fact, they lost their shirt when one of the dancers was without one and threw him out of the stadium. Later, however, may because there were so many shirtless to be thrown out, the security decided to wink at the `misdemeanour’ and umpteen rockers were seen dancing in the rain to Freddie Mercury’s I Want To Break Free — minus their shirts.

Surprisingly, the songs earlier submitted to the Scrutiny Board did not include the lyrics of Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against Machine. Though the chairperson of the Board, Shantaram Nandgaonkar, was not available for comment today, he said on Friday that he feared some “vulgar songs would be added on” without the Board’s knowledge. “It would be difficult to stop the show now, in spite of obscenity; but later on we will take action against the artistes,” Nandgaonkar had said just two hours before show began.

Saturday’s show was tame in comparison. No “vulgar” lyrics, no exposed torsos. In fact, more `praise’ was inorder for the Culture Minister with the crowd being urged to raise a cheer for “Navalkar and the Mumbai police” for allowing the show to go on for an extra 15 minutes.

The original defender of morality was apparently disinterested in the entire issue and had told this newspaper that “only Nandgaonkar is the man in charge now”. As an ardent rocker put it: “The state has been left with mixed feelings. On the one hand we say `Vande Mataram’, on the other there’s Rage Against Machine. On the one hand we `thank’ Navalkar, on the other we show the middle finger.”

“What hypocrisy, man!”

Heady stuff

Apart from the obscenities at the rock show, there was a distinct smell of grass, hash, and liquor in the air. Many collegians were seen smoking grass (marijuana) near the half-broken men’s toilet and though bags were checked at the gates for liquor bottles, cigarette packets weren’t. Some youngsters, however, had already consumed alcohol outside before the start of the show.