Bangalore Rock Capital of India - Concerts/Events/Plays

[dino_srk]

In India, there used to be a time when we felt lucky to get one or two international metal bands per year to perform in our country. Iron Maiden in 2007 was the first ever big metal show, then came Megadeth in 2008, and Iron Maiden also made repeat visits in 2008 and 2009. Gradually, things started picking up and relatively smaller bands like Opeth, Lamb Of God, Enslaved, Amon Amarth played their own headline shows. Even then, the average number of gigs per year was very small. Compare that to this year, and there is a vast difference. Opeth in February, Vreid in March, Wormrot in April, Lamb Of God in May, and Kreator in June. But still, these gigs were not too close to each other, and people didn’t really have to make any tough choices in terms of which show to attend. Enter October 2012. Below is a list of international bands that are slated to play headline shows in the country within a mere two month period between October 14 and December 16, along with the cities and original ticket prices (a couple of these shows already happened) :

1. Megadeth – October 14th – Delhi (NH7 Weekender) – Rs. 2000
2. Children Of Bodom – October 14th – Bangalore – Rs. 1200 (Rs. 1750 on day of show)
3. Slayer – October 20th – Bangalore (Rock ‘N India) – Rs. 2500
4. Behemoth – November 3rd – Bangalore (Indian Music Conference) – Rs. 750
5. Karnivool – November 4th – Pune (NH7 Weekender) – Rs. 1500
6. Wolf – November 24th – Bangalore (Harley Rock Riders III) – FREE
7. Gojira – December 15th – Bangalore (Indian Metal Festival) – Rs. 1250
8. Testament/Periphery – December 15th/16th – Bangalore (NH7 Weekender) – Price TBA

Moving on, the other big clash is between Indian Metal Festival, and again, NH7 Weekender, on December 15th. And what’s worse, this time both shows are in the same city, Bangalore. To ask people to choose between Gojira and Testament is beyond ridiculous, specially when neither band has performed in India ever before. And once again, IMF was announced long, long back, and the NH7 Bangalore announcement came in only last night. I’m afraid to say, NH7 have come across as the most inconsiderate bunch of people in this unnecessary war of the organizers. I really feel for the IMF, because they are not only bringing Gojira, but five other international bands Cerebral Bore, Xerath, Flayed Disciple, Inner Guilt and Bloodshot Dawn, all for a very reasonable ticket price, even without any apparent corporate sponsorship. And now they have to compete with the mighty NH7 Weekende

Another issue with shows in India is the choice of opening acts. I’ve been noticing the lineups of shows, and I’m seeing that a number of the Indian bands are being repeated. This isn’t good for anyone, neither for the bands nor the audience. The audience don’t really get to see any new Indian talent coming into spotlight through these shows, and might get tired of seeing the same bands over and over again. Inevitably, whenever such bands come to town yet again as the opening act next time, a large portion of the audience will run to the bars and restrooms, and the bands, however good they might be, will start losing their fan-base. There has to be a better way of handling the lineups and choosing the local openers.

Besides, the Indian bands need to be treated better. I heard of a few bands dropping out of the Children Of Bodom show due to financial issues, which is extremely sad and frustrating. Again, it’s really simple: pay your Indian bands their performance fee, and if you’re including out-of-town Indian bands in your lineup, compensate them for travel and accommodation too. They’re putting on a show for you, and this is the least they deserve. Paying the international band and keeping the rest of the money in your pocket will only hurt the local scene in the long run. Talking of the local scene, something needs to be done about the local shows, the ones featuring only Indian bands, like the upcoming Bevar Sea album launch shows in Bangalore and Mumbai on October 19th and November 18th respectively. There needs to be more interest from sponsors, promoters, venues and media when it comes to funding Indian bands to put on their own shows.

And my final point is, every show doesn’t need to be a massive open-air festival. Yes, I did say after Bangalore Open Air that there’s nothing like the experience of festival shows, but then again, there needs to be a club scene as well. The same bands that are playing open-air shows in India play small club shows in the US. It’s a packed house every time because of the limited capacity, and the intensity of the atmosphere in such shows is absolutely fierce. That’s what the metal culture is all about. It’s a pity that India doesn’t seem to care about embracing that culture. Can’t any of these mega organizers with the big bucks and corporate sponsorship come up with the revenue model, venues and the logistics to host club shows? They sure can, if they want to.

In my opinion, India can easily become the next Japan of the metal world, i.e. isolated yet popular. But not if things continue to be done the way they are at the moment.

Source: http://metalassault.com/articles/201...e-big-picture/

[dino_srk]

Bangalore gets its first multi-genre festival experience this weekend. The Bacardi NH7 Weekender music festival comes to town on December 15 and 16 at the Embassy International Riding School. The fest will feature over 60 artists on six different stages, each dedicated to a different genre of music. There’s folk at The Dewarists Stage, high-energy dance music at the Wolves Den, rock and metal at the Bacardi Black Rock Arena, singer-songwriters at The Other Stage, dubstep and drum and bass at Dub Station, and indie bands at the Fully Fantastic Stage.

There will also be a mix of international headliners that will include hip-hop and dubstep biggies Foreign Beggars, beatboxing legends Bauchklang, indie folk greats Fink, and metal giants Testament, as well as newer bands like indie folk sister trio The Staves, and celebrated triphop singer Martina Topley-Bird, among others, who will take the stage. Some of India’s biggest acts will also play at the festival, including The Raghu Dixit Project, Indian Ocean, Pentagram, Arjun Vagale and Vir Das’ Alien Chutney. The Bacardi NH7 Weekender, though, is not just about the music. There’s a lot more to explore, including a special Royal Enfield Café for riders, a bazaar area with quirky merchandise and great food, a flea market with only organic and eco-friendly products, and a lot of installation art. The fest promises to be the place for non-stop music and good food, at which music lovers can have a happy time.

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...ue&Skin=TOINEW

[dino_srk]

To book tickets for the concert: http://www.buzzintown.com/bangalore/...d--719047.html

[dino_srk]

Vivanta by Taj in collaboration with Sony Music is showcasing musical extravaganza, 'Deep India' concert for Bangalore's music enthusiasts, performed by Grammy Award winner - Deep Forest. The band shall perform in India for the 1st time.

Deep Forest known to compose and perform on 'Ethnic Electronica' theme of world music will be performing in the city to celebrate the one with nature' rainforest retreat Vivanta Madikeri Coorg If that's not all, as a part of the much awaited album, 'Deep India' Deep Forest and Rahul Sharma, the Santoor maestro have created a special track called Viva Madikeri to pay tribute to Vivanta by Taj - Madikeri, Coorg, a visually stunning rainforest retreat spread across 180 acres.

The band, Deep Forest headed by Eric Mouquet, won the Grammy Award for 'Best World Music Album' in 1995 for the album Boheme.

To book tickets : http://www.buzzintown.com/bangalore/...d--716491.html

[dino_srk]

[JhonJ]

NH7 rocks Bangalore

With musicality as eclectic as indie rock, metal, folk, fusion and electronica; the diverse repertoire of the gigs at NH7 Weekender acted as a catalyst to pump up the energy levels. The two-day music festival saw some memorable performances shrouded in eccentricity and musical refinement. We give you a complete roundup of what the festival was all about:

Indie acts: Showcasing a host of young indie talents on Day One, the festival saw some fantastic performances by Clown With A Frown and Mumbai indie rock trio Blek.

Electro rockers Sky Rabbit played an impressive set with popular tunes including ‘I Become I’ and ‘Anti-Coke Ganpati’. Headlined by veterans Tough on Tobacco, the reggae-tinged act set the tone for the night.

Day 2 ended on a banging note with the first family of Indian rock PINKNOISE and Friends putting up an experimental set with artistes like Karan Joseph, Bruce Lee Mani and Randolph

Dub/Reggae: Next stop dubville! With an assorted genre of bass, dub and dance hall, the artistes kept the groove alive by introducing a wide range of tunes including Reggae. OX7GEN, who built up the tempo gradually during his drum ‘n’ bass set had the crowd asking for more.

Likewise, Su-Real played the last set of the night, paying a fitting tribute to the diversity of the acts by playing a set that was laced with dub and moombathon.

Day 2 started on a promising note with Wazulu Da Ill Dravidian fusing Indian street rhythms with beats to make his version of earthy ‘hip hop’. Also, Reggae Rajahs and Herb-A-Lize It set the mood with some progressive tunes and rock steady rhythmic patterns.

source:http://newindianexpress.com/cities/b...cle1383694.ece

[dino_srk]

[JhonJ]

Getting personal with Periphery

Periphery has come a long way since 2005. Can you tell us a bit about the band’s journey?
Misha Mansoor: Well, this started as a bedroom project that I started in 2005. And over the years I
found a bunch of members who completed the band. And after a lot of lineup changes, here we are now, as Periphery today. But this is the most solid and happiest lineup of them all so hopefully it stays this way. Back in the US, we’d signed some labels few years ago and have been touring full time ever since.

As time goes, you find many bands change their sounds, hopping from one genre to another and experimenting. Has Periphery’s music and sound also been changing?
Spencer Sotello: Not really, we just write what we like. Whatever feels good is what we play.
Misha Mansoor: When we’re writing a song, it is all about hitting the right spots. Getting the spots
right and making everybody like it is the overall goal. We don’t think that just because it’s our
second album, we’ve got to shift genres and make it melodic or thrash. That’s not it. That’s not
how we work.”

Talking about India, what do you like the most about the country?
Misha Mansoor: I’d definitely say the food. I had some incredible cheese fondue today. Probably one of the best cheese fondue I’ve ever had. I’d recommend to anyone visiting the country to try the cheese fondue at Indian restaurants because its absolutely amazing.
Spencer Sotello: Indian food is just amazing. It really tastes nice. That’s my favorite part about this
country.

NH7 Weekender is huge. It’s kinda like a legacy here. How does it feel to be a part of the music festival?
Misha Mansoor: There’s probably a mistake somewhere, man. (Laughing) They picked us up
from nowhere. But it feels awesome to be here and be a part of this to meet global fans. It’s a
great feeling.

Periphery has a lot of following in India. There are people waiting for you to get on stage.
Misha Mansoor: The fans seem to be really awesome here, but you guys live far away from us. Maybe you guys should consider moving somewhere closer to us like the Montgomery County area or Baltimore and Northern Virginia because we play there a lot (laughs). We’d be happy to see our Indian fans there.

afterhrsblr@dnaindia.net

source:http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainmen...iphery_1781030

[JhonJ]

German hip-hop legend storm hits Bangalore

Storm is back in town! Calling Bangalore b-boys and girls. Storm, the German hip-hop legend is here to conduct an exclusive workshop. For those of you who missed the action at the Indo-German Urban Mela in June 2012, this is your chance.

Storm is a dancer, choreographer, and self-taught specialist for b-boying, locking, and popping techniques of the 1980s.

He toured worldwide with his first dance company, Battle Squad. Various stage performances followed in the US. Formation of the Ghettoriginal Production Dance Company from 1992 to 1995.

Since 1993 Storm, who was born in North Germany, lives in Berlin. In 1996 he co-founded, with Jazzy Lee, the Berlin-based dance company The Storm & Jazzy Project, which performed in theatres and at festivals throughout Europe until the end of the 1990s. Since, Storm works independently.

He has completed numerous creations and commissioned works, such as the choreography for the opening gala of the Expo 2000 in Hanover and a large repertoire of group and solo works.

‘Storm’ started dancing as a little child, but seriously caught on to the dances Bboying, Popping and Locking at the age of 14. His first tours he did for “Bravo Breakdancesensation 84”. Soon after that, the big fashion ‘Breakdance’ died out. Nevertheless, he didn’t stop studying styles, got connected with other Bboys and stayed creative and productive throughout the times when Breakin´was considered obsolete.

By 1991 his group “the Battle Squad” was one of the leading bboygroups worldwide and thanks to them and others, the art of Bboying is so alive and strong these days. In 1991 and 1992 his crew Battle Squad won the “international Balle of the year”. Because of the struggle in times when Bboying was out of fashion and the fact that he has been dancing for so long, he decided to establish HipHopculture in the theatre world. From 1992 on he danced with a New Yorker dance Company called ‘Ghettoriginal’. He performed shows in Washington’s ‘Kennedy Center’ and in NY Cities ‘Lincolncenter’.

During the same period he was hosting the HipHop Magazine ‘Freestyle’ on the german TV channel Viva. Briefly after quitting the job in early 1996, he decided to form a dancecompany in his hometown Berlin, which was called the ‘Storm and Jazzy Project’. With two choreographies they toured many different theatres around the world. The first performance was seen in February 1997 in the ‘Maison de la danse’ in Lyon. In times he wasn’t dancing, he wrote on the book ‘From Swipe to Storm’ which came out in January 2000 and is telling the story of breaking in Germany.

It was only published in German language. In 2000, Storm decided to create a Solo, named ‘Solo for two’. It’s been shown all over the world in more than 50 different countries and 160 cities. Currently he is mainly touring with the Solos.

Nowadays Storm also choreographs and directs for different theatres and institutions all over the world. He also choreographed for the opening ceremonies of the ‘Expo 2000’ in hannover and the ‘FIFA soccer worldcup 2006 in Germany’.

In 2004 he conceptionalised the art of urban dance an informative didactic piece with 10 other dancers from Europe.

source:http://newindianexpress.com/cities/b...cle1421261.ece

[JhonJ]

A multi-genre music festival

Why not head to a music festival that celebrates the beauty of diversity. For the very first time, Fly Music Festival will bring you some of the biggest and most legendary names in the world of live music entertainment in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru on February 16 and 17.

The festival will comprise of multiple stages, multiple music genres and an overall experiential package bursting with a musical journey so eclectic that it is nothing less that historic in every sense of the word. Fly Music Festival will bring together top popular acts like Limp Bizkit, Anthrax from the big 4, legends like The Wailers (Original band of Bob Marley) and Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors to artistes like KT Tunstall, The Dhol Foundation, Deap Valley, Dub Pistols, The Cuban Brothers, Kittty Daisy and Lewis, Nervecell and may more such iconic talent from across the globe to give India for the very first time a dream line up.

The complete line up will be announced shortly on www.flymusicfestival.com. Ticket sales have already begun from January 10.

This journey of musical harmony will take the form of a road trip from multiple cities across the country culminating to the festival venue.

The journey will also comprise of elements like band on the bus, music pit stops and car pooling “Live entertainment has the power of bringing social change. There is no better feeling than to give our crowd an ultimate music experience; we are excited to take it to the next level. For a long time now the fans of live music (rock, metal, blues, reggae etc) have been getting a raw deal with all festivals bringing in 1 international act and repeating the same Indian acts. FLY will be the first festival that will boast of a line up with majority of international artistes. For the first time Indians will witness the likes of Limp Bizkit, Anthrax, The Doors, The Wailers, KT Tunstall and many more popular names on the same stage,” said Shaliender Singh, Percept.

Fly Music Festival is all about letting the music let you soar to a world beyond the ordinary, a world where you can come face to face with your musical icons , free your mind , live your dream, make new friends all connected by a singular passion music.

source:http://newindianexpress.com/cities/b...cle1421260.ece

[dino_srk]

Swedish House Mafia is a Swedish electronic dance music trio consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008 and was placed at number 10 on the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ Poll 2011.
Everybody knows that Axwell, Steve and Sebastian are separate entities: they all have their own record labels (Axtone, SIZE and Refune respectively) and they all have separate lives and individual concerns. The dynamic of the three and their collective history is the key to the Mafia's continued success.

Book Tickets at:

http://in.bookmyshow.com/concerts/su...mafia_15012013

[dino_srk]

Fly music festival will for the very first time bring to you the biggest & most legendary names in the world of Live Music entertainment. to be held in Delhi NCR & Bangalore on February 16th & 17th The festival will comprise of multiple stages, multiple music genres & an overall experiential package bursting with a musical journey so eclectic that it is nothing less that historic in every sense of the word Fly Music Festival will bring together top popular acts like Limp Bizkit, Anthrax from the big 4, legends like The Wailers (Original band of Bob Marley) & Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of The Doors to artists like KT Tunstall, The Dhol Foundation, Deap Valley, Dub Pistols, The Cuban Brothers, Kittty Daisy & Lewis and may more such iconic talent from across the globe to join forces with Percept Live to give India for the very first time a dream line up.

2013 looks extremely promising on the music front. The Fly Music Festival is coming your way and the lineup is something that will bring a wide smile to every music lovers face. Few of the artists that will perform here are:

1. Limp Bizkit - This band needs no introduction. The band has given us hits such as Take A Look Around (Mission Impossible: 2 soundtrack), Nookie, My Generation, Rollin' and many more. This act you should not miss. Led by the ever explosive Fred Durst this band's music is raw and abrasive and will leave you with scars that you would want to keep for a lifetime.

2. Anthrax - The metal band that belongs to the league of the BIG 4, this band needs no introduction. Their music will thrash you with such brutal power that you may just end up with a broken neck (a feeling you will totally love). With Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer already having made an appearance in India previously, Anthrax is the perfect icing on the top of this heavy metal cake.

3. Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek - The two geniuses from The Doors. One wrote the song Light My Fire (Robby), while the other doubled up by playing Bass and Keyboard (on a Keyboard itself). They are legendary musicians and even a thousand words will fall short to describe their brilliance.

Book tickets at: http://in.bookmyshow.com/concerts/fl..._2013_17012013

[dino_srk]

Norah Jones, is a world-renowned American jazz singer-songwriter who will be performing in India for the first time. Jones will headline a brand-new festival called A Summer's Day in Mumbai before playing live shows in Delhi and Bangalore. A Summer's Day Festival and Norah Jones' India tour have been organized by Only Much Louder Entertainment, who are the people behind the Bacardi NH7 Weekender. M Ward who has earlier collaborated with Norah Jones in her track Sinkin' Soon, will be supporting the Grammy Award winner.

To Book Tickets: http://in.bookmyshow.com/concerts/no...jones_17012013

[dino_srk]

[dino_srk]

[nandan_ks]

Schedule can be found here http://www.narthaki.com/hplinks/gudiyas2013.pdf

Few Pics

CC; Amit Nag



CC: Nikhil Krishna



CC: Mithun

[vineethcm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sn_jFlcSYw

[vineethcm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sn_jFlcSYw