Three concerts of 2022

In 2022, I got a chance to experience live music in different ways and venues. These three were my favourites.

1. Coldplay concert at Olympiastadion in Berlin: So we planned a euro trip around it after we bought tickets 9 months earlier. This was my first concert in a stadium, the band played a setlist of old favourites and we even had a richter scale moment from all the jumping.

2. Andrew Bird at Tivoli, Utrecht: This was an unplanned concert. The concert appeared on Spotify when we were discussing how to look for events in your city. Utrecht was a short train ride away and there were tickets so off we went. The serendipity of this experience makes it stand out.

3. Simon Marantika and friends at Warung Turki: This one happened over a dinner with a friend. What makes this experience stand out is that towards the end, when there were just 3 tables left, singers from one of the tables took stage and sang some old favourites. To experience that collaboration in a small group of strangers was magical!

JYG: A Concert to Remember

There are bands you always wish that you get a chance to listen to live in concert, but being in India that doesnt often become a reality. Big Band concerts are few and far between and often limited to the same set of bands. Now the indian rock scene is an interesting one. There are more bands than you realise and they are all trying to fight for the top positions in india and believe me its not a easy thing to do.

Junkyard Groove is one such band. I first heard of them through Rajat. They had appeared on Channel V’s Launchpad and they apparently played an epic version of ‘Dont Cha’ by PCD. That piqued my interest and after a little bit of digging around i found out that they gave their music away for free download, actually they would get paid if people downloaded their music. So i got all their tracks downloaded and i was hooked. I got people hooked as well. I keep doing that. I am a self-confessed music explorer ever on the lookout for good alternative music. My latest find was ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ and before that was ‘Newton Faulkner‘. I would like to mention more but i digress.

So when i came to know i was going to work in Chennai, i was hoping to get a piece of the music i had heard so much about. But 7 months passed by and with no luck. I sincerely feel that finding out events in big cities(or small) is not easy. I know there is Burrp but that isnt always so helpful. For eg., i finally came to know about the JYG gig via a friend and more info via a Facebook event. I had to be there for the concert. I was not going to miss this opportunity and i started rounding up people to go along with.

Junkyard Groove had all of a sudden undergone a breakup barely a couple of months back. It happened on their Facebook page where 3 of the quartet decided to call it quits while Ameeth was left in the dark about the whole thing. Sad stuff. When i heard that they had called it a day, i was sad. I thought i should somehow finish a tribute post to them but soon i came to know that the line-up was reformed by Ameeth.

The new JYG line up has Hudstin Fernandez on drums, Naveen Thomas Joseph – Fan Page on lead, Ameeth Thomas on vocals and acoustic guitar and Sajith Satya on bass …..

This was good news, but even better was the fact that they would be playing their first gig at nearby EC41.

So 17th July was the d-day and we made it in time. Bassin Bridge was headlining for them. Sajith played the Bass for them as well. So the show began and that was one awesome night. I missed the fact that i didnt have a camera to capture those wonderful moments. I had to make do with Nievu‘s android phone. So not much could be salvaged from that. Hardly anything is clear but then i could not be choosy either. The venue was wild, underneath the moonlight sky they played with the bay in the background. After the first few songs, me and Reddy made our way downstairs and we spend the rest of the night there. In front of the band, enjoying the music we swayed, barely a meter from the band. I didnt want it to end and i screamed the songs and headbanged through the night so much so that i had to take the Tuesday off ;P but i still say it was totally worth it. That was my #1 concert till date and i had the most fun. Even now as i write this post , i am happy that i was able to attend it.

JYG, Rock On!

Beginning of the End

Its at an end. The 6th sem and with it the third year. Things just went by so fast. Just some time back it was like the beginning of the year and no its all done. The memories remain, they fill up my Facebook albums and overflow everywhere. By far this is the most memorable semester in more ways than one. Weah , i havent been blogging about it all. So you people out here may not know all that been going on. Sorry couldnt helps it.
Where do i go next? thats the big question that remains now. What does the future hold? Placements have never been on my mind and there aren’t any to talk about anyway thanks to recession. Whats next? undecided i say. Entrances stare back at me yet again. Maybe i ll take the plunge and settle down for another 2 years of “higher” studies. Maybe thats the easy way out. Cushioning yourself to launch into the big wide world out yonder. So studies will have to start this hols. Only time will tell if they bear fruit.

Listening to Dave Mathews Band…Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.

Exams begin on 23rd.

Music Review: Snow Patrol, The Killers

A Hundred Million Suns: Just an amazing album alltogether. I wasnt much of a Snow Patrol fan but this album kinda changed it all for me. I can stop listening to it! The subtle Music and awesome Lyrics are just what the doctor ordered for me 🙂

You cool your bed warm hands down
on the broken radiator
And when you lay them freezing on me
I mumble can you wake me later

But I don’t really want you to stop
And you know it so it doesn’t stop you
You run your hands from my neck
To my chest

Crack the shutters open wide
I want to bathe you in the light of day
And just watch you as the rays
Tangle up around your face and body

I could sit for hours
Finding new ways to be awed each minute
Cause the daylight seems to want you
Just as much as I want you

It’s been minutes it’s been days
It’s been all I will remember
Happy lost in your hair
And the cold side of the pillow

Your hills and valleys
Are mapped by my intrepid fingers
And in a naked slumber
I dream all this again

Crack the shutters open wide
I want to bathe you in the light of day
And just watch you as the rays
Tangle up around your face and body

I could sit for hours
Finding new ways to be awed each minute
Cause the daylight seems to want you
Just as much as I want you

Crack the shutters open wide
I want to bathe you in the light of day
And just watch you as the rays
Tangle up around your face and body

I could sit for hours
Finding new ways to be awed each minute
Cause the daylight seems to want you
Just as much as I want you

–‘Crack the Shutters’

Day And Age: Ok now this is typically ‘Killers’ sound. On the first hearing it didnt impress me much except for the first 3-4 songs. The Killers are the type of band who’s Lyrics being largely non-sensible are nontheless catchy and make you want to sing them out loud( and also to learn them drum rolls 😉 ) Hence its always a pleasure to hear them.

Console me in my darkest hour
Convince me that the truth is always grey
Caress me in your velvet chair
Conceal me from the ghost you cast away

I ain’t in no hurry, you go run
And tell your friends I’m losing touch
Fill their heads with rumours of impending doom
It must be true

Console me in my darkest hour
And tell me that you always hear my cries
I wonder what you got conspired
I’m sure it was the consolation prize

I ain’t in no hurry, you go run
And tell your friends I’m losing touch
Fill the night with stories, the legend grows
Of how you got lost

But you made your way back home
You sold your soul, like a roaming vagabond, yeah

I heard you found a wishing well
In the city
Console me in my darkest hour (in my darkest hour)
And you throw me down

I ain’t in no hurry, you go run
And tell your friends I’m losing touch
Fill your crown with rumours
Impending doom, it must be true

But you made your way back home
You sold your soul, like a roaming vagabond

And about how you got lost, but you made your way back home
You went and sold your soul, an allegiance dead and gone
I’m losing touch

–‘Losing Touch’

These are the two albums i have been listening to continously and even though it doesnt show it on Last. fm its the truth. The music plays on the mp3 player mostly and its not an iPod to scrobble.