JRO 2009

The time was 5 pm, July 4. The second evening of the eleventh edition of Chennai’s annual rock fest JRO or June Rock Out (yes, it’s the wrong month!) kicked off at the scheduled time. Calling itself India’s only ‘responsible rock’ event, it strongly forbade liquor and cigarettes among the bands and audience, and supported various NGOs with the proceeds from the ticket sales. The venue was excellent – an amphitheater (Bucks Theater) in the vast YMCA sports campus in the heart of the city. The long path to the venue had banners of the event organiser Unwind Center and the various charitable organisations supported by the event. The entry was priced at a modest Rs. 200 for the evening. With an interesting line-up of bands covering many genres, both local and outstation, it promised to be a memorable evening. Bands from Mumbai and Delhi, though, were conspicuous by their absence.



Jazz-Rock band Touch Wood and Funk band Public Issue, both local, were the first acts of the day. Public Issue interestingly began with a tribute to the recently departed Michael Jackson.

Nu-Metal act Crimson Wood from Trivandrum was up next. Their music was heavy and the band was tight, and their songs were quite varied within their sub-genre. I liked the vocals on their last song, which had elements of rap blended with a groovy metal riff. The medium sized crowd enjoyed the show, which was slowly warming up with more people filling the arena. No one looked up at the sky, though, which was quickly filling with dark clouds. By the time the next band started their set, it was pouring fast and fat.

The second band was Scrat, a local band quite popular with the crowd. Like the previous band, they were city winners and zonal finalists at the CRI last year. They were, according to me, the best non-professional act of the day. Their music was everything from grunge to blues - think Superfuzz. The songs were well mixed up in terms of tempo and breakdowns, and the tunes were upbeat and fast paced, with flashes of guitar, bass and drum brilliance. The frontman Sriram had the drenched crowd moving with his skill and enthusiasm. The band’s songs were well recognized by many of those present and a few of them were singing the choruses out loud. While it is difficult to recall one song over the other, I really enjoyed ‘Adrenaline’, and their cover of the Porcupine Tree song “Open Car’.

The third band was Bangalore band (and CRI finalists), Bleed. Their music could be called Nu-metal/screamo, and there were many fans of that genre present. Armed with a punk look (and some clichéd one-liners!) they managed to impress the crowd. ‘My Game’ was aggressive, and their heavy metal cover of ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ was quite good. Then, they made a musical U-turn by calling on stage one Andrew Kenny on acoustic guitar and vocals, and they quickly started playing emo rock ballads and covers of bands like Dashboard Confessional (‘Vindicated’). They may have pulled it off smoothly, but why play only covers at a stage like that?

They were followed by local favourites Blood and Iron. One of the older bands in the scene, they are credited with being the first metal band from the city to have released an album a few years back. They were selling copies of their second album ‘Dynamite World’ at the venue (priced at Rs 120/-, for those interested). They were quite a sight to look at – the guitarists had flowing long hair, open shirts and mean-looking V-guitars, and all the six band members were clad in black. They played Melodic/Power metal, really akin to Scandinavian band Norther. The vocalist’s strong voice (and sense of humour!), and the galloping keyboard-and-guitar riffs went down well with the crowd, and soon there was a good mosh pit going. The loudest members in the crowd were promised free CDs by the band, and one fan even went on stage headbanging, and pulled off some crowd-surfing! But it was the keyboard that was the backbone of most of their songs, and there were moments of brilliance. Their songs were well recognized too, and one was compelled to shout the choruses out loud. Noteworthy songs were ‘In Darkness’ and ‘Altar’.

Another CRI finalist band, Abraxas from Pune, was next. After an unusually long sound check, they finally kicked off hard and fast. Staying true to their genre of Melodic/Metalcore, their songs had clean, moody intros followed by grinding riffs and harsh vocals. But the occasional guitar solos were soulful and melodic and stood out in the songs. The moshing in the crowd continued. By now, the arena was nearly full of people waiting to see the headliners Motherjane. They had to wait a while, though.

Motherjane, riding high since the online release of ‘Maktub, gave a sublime performance. For the hour or so that they played, with their typical half-face paint, they simply wowed the crowd. Baiju on lead guitars was especially good, and the night ended with a touch of sophistication it may have lacked till then. ‘Chase the Sun’ was the highlight of their show, if you ask me. A great all round performance by the headliners is the best way for any show to end, and this was no different.

Zero Order Phase (2008)

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This is the first solo album released by Speed/Thrash Metal band Nevermore’s guitarist Jeff Loomis, and in my opinion, a must have for any fan of instrumental metal. Loomis has cited Jason Becker and Marty Friedman as influences, and this album lives up to its expectations (it even has a cool, Sci-fi inspired album cover) without getting bogged down in neo-classical technicalities. The musical style is broadly faithful to that of Nevermore, so fans of that band will take to this album quite well. Released just a few months after his bandmate Warrel Dane released his solo album, Loomis plays guitar and bass on Zero Order Phase, with former Nevermore member Mark Arrington on drums.

A complete album, it includes fast tracks filled with face melters (‘Jato Unit’, ‘Devil theory’, ‘Race against Disaster’), slower, more melodic tracks (‘Azure Haze’, ’Sacristy’) and the odd Neo classical inspired track (‘Miles of Machines’). The more memorable songs are the ones where the absence of a vocalist is not felt. While all the songs are enjoyable, there are parts which sound like overstretched solos from a Nevermore song. There is tons of shredding going on here, but it is well-balanced among tastefully-arranged riffing and atmospherics as well as actual melodic playing that is soulful as well as technically able. Keeping the listener’s attention from wandering during the entire 50 plus minutes of a solo guitar album is quite an achievement, and this album grows on me everytime I listen to it.

My favourite song here, ‘Jato Unit’ is a lightning fast, twin guitar attack with guest guitarist Ron Jarzombek of Watchtower trading solos with Loomis with dizzying pace. The song plays like an extended thrash metal solo with neo-classical bits that leave the listener stupefied. Another beautiful track, ‘Cashmere Shiv’ features ominous atmospheric parts, soulful soloing by Loomis and Pat O’Brien of Cannibal Corpse, an Indian-fusion sounding bass solo by Jazz musician Michael Manring, and a fretless guitar solo by the producer Neil Kernon. ‘Miles of Machines’ is a shreddy, fast paced track that reminds one of Yngwie minus the excessive classical parts, demonstrating Loomis’s range as a guitar player. The rhythm guitar work is also commendable, with frequent changes of pace that keep the listeners on the edge.

The production is crystal clear and very tight, with a downside being that the drums sound very programmed (which they are not). I also thought that the bass was rather subdued in most parts. On the whole, there is nothing very different or mind blowing about this album, just some very good instrumental metal. In my opinion, it cements Loomis as a guitar virtuoso well on his way to becoming a contemporary guitar ‘god’, which many people lament the absence of.

- Siddharth R

Jimmy and me

It was a good Apogee, with me keeping BOB in the batch (credit to Vivek on a great quiz), and coming second in a few other quizzes (credit to Jha and Roy on coming first in them)...a good time to make an exit from quizzing, I guess.

Jimmy Wales's lecture was articulate and funny, but it seemed like he was only here to drum up publicity for his latest venture, Wikia. Anyway, I (along with a couple of others - Kaul and Rukku) accosted him backstage as he was leaving the stage, and after saying a few words about how Wikipedia has really helped our 'Quizzing Club' here, I managed to get a photo with him...or rather, in the same frame as him:

Fresh Offerings

This post is about the latest releases of two old bands and how and why I enjoyed them.

AC/DC's latest release 'Black Ice' surpassed all my expectations. Not because it's anything new or path breaking but simply because it isn't. I'm no fan of these ancient Aussies, but it's refreshing to hear something raw and primal, a blast from the past, in this age of post-progressive technical metal and whatnot. These guys haven't changed anything from their old winning formula - it's balls-out rock and roll. I recommend 'Big Jack' and 'Black Ice' as enjoyable tracks.



REM's latest offering 'Accelerate' is another refresher. Again, I wasn't a big fan of these guys except for a few notable tracks here and there, but this album is fun to listen to. Songs like 'Horse to water' and 'I'm gonna DJ' are fast paced and groovy, and if one pays a little attention to the lyrics, are also strongly defensive in their tone, almost as if Stipe is sending out a message out to his detractors, who were only too happy to write the band off. it's good to know that these guys, plagued with break-ups and and bandmates giving up and quitting in the past, have come out with a fast paced, quality record to win over a new generation of fans.



Peace.

Indigo Children

Indigo Children, (formerly The Superfuzz) are today one of Delhi's best rock bands. They may not be easy to classify, but they are great to just listen to. With the inclusion of two talented musicians at the top of their game, guitarist Rahul Sainani of Joint Family and drummer Sahil Mendiratta of Inherited Curse, and the return of frontman Sanchal Malhar from Music School in New Zealand has completed a near superband lineup.

The music has transformed from its simplistic White Stripey garage blues to a complex, multi-layered sound with twin guitar melodies and killer drum fills. They effortlessly cover electronica bands like Sade, thanks to the great musical sense of the drummer, and their extempore jams on stage are insane. But the one thing they haven't lost or changed is the energy with which they play their music. I saw them live recently at the CRI Chandigarh zonals which they headlined, and they stole the show away from the contesting bands that played before them. The highlight of their setlist was "Sing for me", an intense song with an awesome chorus. The crowd, populated mostly by drunks, was spellbound.

Having bagged studio slots with Yashraj studios (one of four bands from the country to do so), they are in the process of releasing several songs on an album. Keep checking their myspace page to stay updated(http://www.myspace.com/indigochildrenmusic).

Here's to these future stars, and my favourite Delhi band. This is an interview I conducted over email with the band's bassist Nikhil Rufus, a few months back for Split Magazine (but eventually wasn't published).

1) You guys have been together for quite a while now. How did it all start?

It all started when sanchal joined school. We are from St.Columba's. We started playing inter school competitions. When we finished school, we decided to keep on playing as a band.

2) When and why did you drop the 'bigmuff' out of your name? Because I remember the band as Superfuzz Bigmuff when you played at Rocktaves a couple of years back.


The 'bigmuff' was dropped because we thought it was very cheesy. Also we dint want to get sued by Mudhoney. It was dropped just before we played GIR.

3) How far do you think you're inspired by Nirvana and Jack White? Is constantly being compared to them a drag?

We were heavily influenced by Nirvana and The White Stripes. Nirvana is one of mine and sanchal's favorite band. We are big fans of Dave Grohl's drumming. Obviously our songs had a vibe similar to theirs because as kids we were listening to them. Being compared to them was initially quite irritating, but we've moved on from such petty issues.

4) What genre do you think your music fits into?

We as a band do not like to categorize our music. We simply like to call it Rock n' Roll.

5) You've been touring all over the country recently. How were you received at the various cities you've played at? And what's it like to play at college fests?

We've been received quite well in all the cities that we have played in. I remember the gig in Someplace Else, Kolkata, we took 5 minutes to reach the stage from the entry of the pub because there were so many people in there. College fests are more exciting because there are more people who come to watch you.

6) Lastly, what did it feel like after the Launchpad victory, and the chance to play at HRC NY?

It felt really good after the launchpad victory because we guys had practiced our asses off for it! It was a very satisfying feeling as we had worked really really hard. Our HRC New York gig is scheduled for March next (this) year.

Cheers and stay heavy
Siddharth

Kolkata and the days following

The Xavier's Quizzing and Debating festival was quite an experience. Attracting participants from all over the country with it's outlandish claims of prizes of 1.2 Lakhs+, the teams were in for a rude surprise when they found that the prizes were slashed to around a tenth.

Nevertheless there were a few character-building positives to be gained from the trip:

1) Never doubt the ability of arts and commerce students to throw a good party even at short notice.

2) If there's a steady demand for Old Monk at the bar table, be sure that engg. students are around.

3) Look a little closely at pedestrians in Kolkata, and notice the extra finger burning in their hands.

4) Never complicate your return trip like by going to another intermediate station to catch a train unless absolutely necessary.

5) Next time you're in Kolkata on a Saturday night, do head over to Someplace Else in the Park Hotel to hear Hip Pocket play. Killer blues in a chilled out place. And you would have probably at least heard of Oly's.

6) Kol is also one of the few places where one can use all possible modes of transport in a single day.

(Here's the winning scorecard...the finals were quite close really..credit to AEC Guwahati, NUJS and Presidency for some good quizzing)



Siddharth