Media Junkie

The gig at SRCC began half an hour earlier than expected, at around 7:10. I arrived at the venue, hoping that there was some way I could get in without passes. Thankfully, none were needed and I walked in past the food-and-games circus into the ground. Them Clones began with Zephyretta, one of my favourite TC tracks. The place was packed and there was hardly any space to move around and get close to the stage. A large number of people didn’t know the songs. And like I often do at a concert, I made space around me by headbanging and jumping around. :DTC played their OC’s - Zephretta, The Bomb Song, Sindrome, Wait for me, My Life, Zupertrip and an OC that is as yet unnamed. The OC went something like ‘Sing, sing’ and wasn’t an inch on their other OC’s. Gucci (guitars) sang with Prithwish (vocals, keyboards) on this one. They played quite a few covers - Yellow, Vertigo, Stupefy, Bulls on Parade, Take a Look Around and Pride. Take a Look Around was one of the songs that really got the crowd going because they recognised the MI 2 theme. Prithwish sang much better this time - his voice wasn’t half as powerful during the last

In the break that followed, as Helga’s Fun Castle prepared to begin, I switched over to the right side which was mostly empty and less claustrophobic. I’d heard Sidd of HFC sing at Youth Nexus, and had heard a lot about this band. They began with a RHCP cover which was okay. With a drastic switch in genre, it took a little time to adjust to the change of music. They sang their originals - Mr. Fancypants, Sometimes. I thought ‘Sometimes’ was a cover, initially; excellent song. They also sang their own version of Bulls on Parade, which Sidd called Cows on Parade. They also modified a song called ‘For Luke’, calling it For You and dedicating it to one of the chaps in the crowd. Also “Don’t Phunk with my Heart” and Elevation (U2). Some excellent lead guitar solos and one bass solo which was barely audible. I bought their CD from Vijay Nair (their manager and Dunbarish’s brother - those of you from FLS) after the show.

HFC’s music wasn’t of a single genre in particular. As they claimed, they were there to have fun, and that they did. On the sparsely populated left side, things were a little awkward as bhangra and strange govinda-like dances were being executed. Whatever works for the guys that were doing it - I really didn’t mind. No moshing there, unlike what Prithwish had pointed out.

On the whole, the gig at SRCC was a relief. I think I’m now addicted to gigs and am finding it difficult to ignore them. Went for a Christmas death metal gig at Cafe Morrison, where I didn’t understand what was being played. Okay, the thing about death metal that I now like is the variations in bass, which are otherwise not as evident in other forms of metal because lead takes center-stage. The variations in bass are subtle, and I guess it takes a while for you to tune into them. HDHD recco’ed an industrial band called Ministry to me three years ago, and I have only just begun liking it. This, anyway, calls for a review of the last year, with a focus on music.