A look back at the best gigs by international artists performing in India in the year gone by.

Benea Reach @ Oasis, Pune

To be honest we had absolutely no expectations from Norwegian metal act Benea Reach. The thirteenth edition of Great Indian Rock came to Oasis, Pune with a lineup that included Indian metal pros Scribe and Bhayanak Maut. So, even without the Scandinavian band, one was guaranteed a reasonable quality gig. While the Indian bands efficiently went about creating mayhem at the scenic outdoor venue, the seven-piece from Oslo delivered their hardcore with a battering ram-like efficiency and an act that screamed “pro”. Pune was left sufficiently shocked in the best way possible.

The Giraffes @ Blue Frog, Mumbai

We knew we were going to like The Giraffes after watching some of their eccentric music videos. We knew even more that we were going to like them when the Israeli band still went ahead with their gig in Mumbai, which was held barely a month after the terrorist attacks in November. What we didn’t know just how compelling an act the five-piece from Tel Aviv was. No matter that they were singing in Hebrew, The Giraffes were a garage rock band, in both sound and spirit and once lead singer Gilad Kahana got into the zone no one could stop him, not even the bouncers at the Frog who tried in vain to prevent him from walking on (and eventually breaking) the glass between the pods.

Grand Pianoramax @ Blue Frog, Mumbai

We were impressed by electro-jazz keyboardist Leo Tardin aka Grand Pianoramax the first time we saw him at the Frog in 2008. When he returned this year, he brought along trusty percussionist Karsh Kale and slam poet Celena Glenn aka Black Cracker and together they gave us plenty of both groove and grit. Though Tardin was as skilful as we remembered him to be, he almost saw himself being overshadowed by his guests. The highlight of the gig came when he briefly left the stage, leaving Kale and Clen to treat the crowd to a spontaneous freestyle jugalbandi.

Porcupine Tree @ IIT Bombay

An hour before the Porcupine Tree gig, staged as part of IIT Bombay’s annual cultural festival Mood Indigo, it seemed like the college  students were clearly overwhelmed by the logistics of an event of such  scale. Once the British prog-rockers took the stage however everything, from the inefficient booking process to the absurdly stringent security restrictions, was forgotten and forgiven. This was a band a significant portion of the city – and the country – had been waiting years to see and ultimately, we got everything we were hoping  for. We got the lights, we got the sound but most importantly, we got the songs. A set of greatest hits, on a tour specifically designed to promote a new album, left everyone in the audience smiling, swaying and satisfied.

Bauchklang @ Blue Frog, Mumbai

Bauchklang have made India, and particularly Mumbai, their second home. Every time the Austrian beatboxers make their way to the city they are greeted by manic audiences that go mental to the sound of their vocal techno. It helps that they know exactly how to work the crowd with their set of ‘vocal groove’ that’s instantly engaging and loads of fun. While this set wasn’t as enthralling as their sets in 2008, it was another killerific performance by the quintet.

Image & Content Courtesy: Indiecision.com

A look back at some of the best concerts by Indian artists in the year gone by.

Pentagram @ Carter Road, Mumbai

For all the other performances at the Bandra Festival gigs at the Carter Road Amphitheatre this year, rows of plastic chairs were arranged as seating for all the aunties and uncles strolling in from their evening walk to check out the proceedings. For Pentagram’s concert, however, no such conveniences were provided. No one was going to be sitting down at this gig, and Mumbai’s most electrifying live act made sure that no one stood still either. A performance so forceful, it led the teenaged slum kids in the front row to invade the stage, albeit not without some implicit encouragement from frontman Vishal Dadlani.

Bhayanak Maut @ Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai

Mumbai metal act Bhayanak Maut launched their second studio album at Hard Rock Cafe and played to one of the largest audiences we’ve seen at the venue. BM threw down some impressive hardcore powered by the dual vocal attack of Vinay Venkatesh and Sunneith Revankar. Had this gig been at one of Mumbai’s old guard venues like Razzberry Rhinocerous, half a dozen kids would’ve suffered minor to major moshpit related injuries. Hard Rock Cafe was left battered and shocked.

Thermal & A Quarter @ Blue Frog, Mumbai

Weekday gigs at the Blue Frog are usually quiet affairs. This is because more often than not, very few people show up. And while the lack of audience member does discourage some acts from giving 100% on stage, the quiet in the Frog made for a remarkably intimate TAAQ gig. Put simply, this was a masterclass by the Bangalore (now) quartet. With picks of material spanning their catalogue, Thermal & A Quarter showed us just why they’re one of the best live acts in the country today.

The Jets @ Blue Frog, Mumbai

A reunion gig by a bunch of schoolmates who hadn’t played together in years – and a cover band at that! The Jets’ appearance on this list may seem surprising to some but even those under 45 could see that the former Campionites still had what it takes to get the crowd growing. Sure, there were no Blackstrat-esque chops on display, but there was plenty of good energy flowing around. We have yet to see the pit transform into a dance floor as quickly as it that night.

The Medicine Show @ Royal Mirage, New Delhi

For those of us sick of the same old scenes – rock, metal, trance, hip hop, whatever – it’s wonderful to be exposed to a spectacle independent of categories and cliques, existing entirely in a realm of passion, creativity and joyous tribute to music, art and freedom. The Royal Mirage at the Surya Crowne Plaza Hotel played host to the newly upgraded Medicine Show; a setting that had enough kitsch décor to resemble a ghetto Moulin Rouge; enough gaudiness to make the most undistinguished of gentlemen blush. Delhi has never been quite so kooky, so fruity, and so fun.

Image & Content Courtesy: Indiecision.com