There’s always been an insurgence of rock and alternative music in India – be it from the local bands in Bangalore, Calcutta, Pune or Delhi for that matter. One Delhi band that’s been quite active lately is – Menwhopause. I blogged about them earlier, and exchanged a few messages with their manager, Satish, in the recent past.
Since I’ve been in Delhi for a while now, I was looking forward to catching up with the band at their next live gig. They performed at Kamani Audi last week as part of their @home concert, but I missed it. Yesterday, the guys got together to perform at Blues pub. And I had a close encounter with this “musically physiological cessation” called Menwhopause. I was there with my wife and cousins, and we were all hoping for a fun evening.
The guys started with some instrumental pieces at around 9pm, and performed till around 12pm. Those few hours encapsulated – rhythm and draught-beer! Sarab (lead vocalist) was great with his “sweet despair”, while IP and Kutty (guitarists) dazzled with their string-ular energy. Rahul (drummer) thumped thick, and Randeep (bassist) added tenure to the sound. The guys surely have the fortitude to stay ambient, and still enjoy the motion of soundwaves. Its very important for a band to enjoy their own sound before anybody else can, so says “puppets & paupers“.
In between, one of their Oz mate, Penelope, who was in Delhi from Sydney, joined the band for a song or two. I hinted, she could do a great “Cranberries”. After the gig, I briefly chatted to all the guys, and it was kind of them to hand me over a CD of some of their tracks. It was good to know that the guys performed at South-by-South-West (SXSW) 2007 in Austin, Texas.
Seems like time gets lost in space,
So, you know, how far you’ll be.
When I dream, I see strange lands,
Strange lands I need, need to see for me.
Largely, we weren’t disappointed. Atleast I was wasn’t, and I’m sure many other rock enthusiasts who were there, weren’t disappointed either. Menwhopause, are certainly one of the best underground bands in the country to have surfaced in the recent past. Keep it coming guys, and your fans will keep listening. Wishing well!
Update: Some more snaps from the gig …
