Music speaks a language that transcends barriers and if you’re a music buff, you’ll understand the value of a live show. Just so you don’t miss out on any, Rhea Dhanbhoora & Priyanka Singh give you a lowdown on the most popular fests, events and international acts you should check out...
Do you drown out the sound of city traffic by increasing the volume on your mp3 player and do you get panic attacks when you realise you’re going to have to spend a day without listening to a single note? Music can soothe you when you’re stressed, ease your worries, erase your pain and heighten your emotions. Whether you’re a self-proclaimed music connoisseur, an amateur enthusiast, a crazed devotee or an eager fan — we’re sure you agree when we say there’s nothing like live music. So, take off your earphones, turn down your speakers and listen up as we take you through the upcoming festivals and music events you shouldn’t miss out on this year.
FOR THE ALL-ROUNDER: NH7 WEEKENDER
Popular indie music festival NH7 is back! The Pune event will see performances by bands such as Karnivool, Adam & The Fish Eyed Poets, Driving Lolita, The Supersonics, Slow Down Clown, Them Clones, Indus Creed, Paradigm Shift, The Raghu Dixit Project & Friends and Spud in the Box. The concert is multi-genre, with multiple stages and the best music from India as well as a few international artists. Tickets cost `1,000 for Friday and `1,500 for Saturday and Sunday respectively. If you want a weekend ticket, it will cost `2,500. We suggest getting yourself a three day ticket for the entire show for `3,000.
When November 2, 3 and 4
Where Amanora Park, Pune
Contact www.nh7.in/weekender
FOR THE FOLK LOVERS: RIF FESTIVAL
It’s the sixth year of the Rajasthan International Folk (RIF) festival and this year it promises to be bigger and better. From carnatic violin performances to collaborations between artists from different countries and many international folk music artists — this festival is a good reason to head to Jhodpur. We suggest buying a pass for `4,900 for the entire festival. Single events can cost anything from `350 to `1,100 and a lot of events are free. The schedule includes Scottish and Irish Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson Band; African, Latin percussionist Rakitha Wickramaratne and Naadro from Sri Lanka; Scottish folk singer Kaela Rowan and Carnatic violin duo Ganesh-Kumaresh from Tamil Nadu.
When October 26-30
Where Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur City, Rajasthan
Contact www.jodhpurfolkfestival.org
FOR JAZZ FANS: JAZZ UTSAV
Every year, jazz lovers across the city gather for one of the city’s biggest jazz festivals, Jazz Utsav. This year there is a smashing line-up of some of the best jazz acts, Indian as well as international. The event kicks off with Matej Benko Quintet, Czech modern jazz pianist and moves on to saxophonist Froy Aagre from Norway. The event’s impressive line-up includes Pommelhorse from Bern, Switzerland, the Frederik Köster Quartet from Germany, Indian drummer Tarun Balani, Polish pianist Marcin Warrilewski and Indian jazz musician Dhruv. Passes cost `500 per day and are available to book online.
When October 26-28
Where blueFROG, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Lower Parel
Contact 61586158
FOR CAMPERS: RAGASTHAN FESTIVAL
Three days, four stages and over 40 artists, this festival is where ‘Ragasthanis’ can dune board, shop at the nomad market, take a camel safari, sand surf and watch movies while lying on a mattress under the open sky. For accommodation, you need to bring your own tent or pay for Swiss tents on rent. If you bring your own tent, the cost for three days would be `7,000 including tickets, but if you opt for their luxurious Swiss tents for two, it would cost `24,000 for three days. Not sticking to a particular genre, the line-up includes artists that play rock, electronica and metal, as well as local Rajasthani acts. Must-watch artists are Brahma, Sky Rabbit, Peter Cat Recording Co., Dualist Inquiry, Shrilektric, Advaita, Swarathma, The Bicycle Days, Bombay Bassment, Spud in the Box and Menwhopause.
When November 16 to 18
Where Laxmana Dunes, Kanoi, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Contact www.ragasthan.com
FOR CHILLERS: LIVE FROM THE CONSOLE
Live from the Console (LFTC), the monthly music gigs that rediscovered Mehboob Studios as one of the most amazing venue for live musical performances, is all set to hit Goan shores. The full fledged schedule is to be decided, but the festival will have 15 Indian artists who have performed in the past and some emerging international acts. The line-up confirmed as of now includes Indian artists such as The Colour Compound, Sky Rabbit, Siddharth Basrur, Peter Cat Recording Company, Tough on Tobacco, Nikhil D’souza, and impressive international acts such as American electro-rock act Awolnation, indie-pop band Cults, Julian Marley, UK dub/dubstep band Dub Mafia and Austrian dub artists Dubblestandart. Tickets are tentatively priced at `2,500 for one day and `3,000 for both days.
When December 29 and 30
Where Colva Beach, Goa
Contact TBA
FOR HEAD BOBBERS: SUNBURN
This annual festival brings down some of the best artists from the world of house, trance, electronic and progressive music. The line-up and ticket details haven’t been announced as yet. The festival in its sixth year, can only get bigger, so keep your dates blocked! Last year, Sunburn played host to English stalwarts such as trance music giants Above and Beyond, Israeli psytrance/electronica duo Infected Mushroom, German trance music DJ Markus Schulz, Funkagenda, Indian electronica biggies such as DJ Pearl, Jalebee Cartel, Anish Sood, Bay Beat Collective and B.R.E.E.D.
When December 27 to 29 Where Candolim Beach, Goa
Contact www.sunburn.in
FOR NATURE LOVERS: THE AQUAJAM MUSIC FESTIVAL
Aquajam Music Festival is the brainchild of The V-Play Foundation. This foundation has been set up by a group of music lovers to discover, encourage, nurture and promote musical talent across the globe. On the first day of the event, Shubha Mudgal is going to elaborate on the basis of the foundation. Aquajam is also the foundation’s launch pad for the pupils of V-Play and several other budding musicians to jam and collaborate with the industry’s most senior and renowned names. Aquajam is where the musicians will jam and collaborate with each other and Aqua Concert is the main stage concert area for younger musicians to share the main stage with well established musicians. Artists to watch are Indian Ocean, Advaita, Parikrama, Adil and Vasundhara, Half Step Down, Mark and Ditty and Shantanu Pandit.
When October 24 to 28
Where Naukuchiyatal, Nainital
Contact www.aquajam.in
AROUND TOWN
If work has tied you down and you can’t afford to leave the city, here are a few events in the city that you can head for:
blueFROG
Sunday with Shankar Tucker & Maatibaani: Music gets more refined with this blend of Indian classical, western classical and jazz.
When October 21; 9pm onwards
Entry `300
Pump up Friday with the Bass Camp Festival: Increase your adrenaline with Manchester based drum and bass producer Dub Phizix, BassFoundation and a DJ set by Jazzsteppa.
When October 26
Entry `700
Bonobo
Bob your head with Bay Beat Collective: Popular electronic act from Mumbai, Bay Beat Collective are all ready to launch their debut EP consisting of three tracks and up for free download. The EP also has tracks wherein they have collaborated with artists such as Ox7gen and Gumnaam from the UK.
When October 19, 10 pm
Entry Free
Cool Chef Café
Explore genres with Flux: The evening will see fairly unheard genres such as nu-disco, chill-wave, synth pop, funk, glitch and electro hip-hop to name a few. The artists playing for the evening are Sandunes, rayG and AlgoRhythm.
When October 20
Entry `300 with cover
Hard Rock Café
Savour musical Aussie BBQ: This will see Australian musical duo Big Scary and afro-pop rhythm inspired Jinja Safari.
When November 7
Entry TBA
One day specials Here’s a great line-up of popular international music acts that you should be buying tickets to:
For the reggae bunch: Sean Paul
Jamaican music sensation Sean Paul had us humming to hits such as Like Glue and We Be Burnin’ and he’s back with a bang, touring the country for the first time. We don’t need to tell you what a great concert this will be, so get your adrenaline pumping and book your tickets as soon as possible.
When November 2 Gurgaon, November 3 Mumbai, November 4 Bangalore
Where HUDA Grounds, Gurgaon; Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai; Jade Garden, Bangalore
Tickets `1,950, `2,950, `5,950 in Gurgaon and Mumbai; `1,650, `2,750 and `5,550 in Bangalore
For pop lovers: Enrique
Pop sensation Enrique is ready to have Indian girls swoon over him as he follows up his Pune and Gurgaon concerts with one in Bangalore. If you’re lucky enough to be in the city, try and get hold of a ticket for the concert.
When October 21
Where Nice Grounds, Bangalore
Tickets `2,500 - `8,000
For rockstars: Slayer & Santana
Popular Grammy winning American thrash metal band Slayer is here and they’re getting set to dole out a heavy set as they headline the Rock ’n India fest this year. If you’re a fan of more mellow rock, Carlos Santana will be more your style, showing off his globally acclaimed guitar prowess. And, Indian rock fans aren’t left in the lurch either, with Indus Creed opening the show for Carlos Santana at the festival.
When October 20
Where Bhartiya City, Bangalore
Tickets `2,500
For funk freaks: Aurora Jane
This is the seventh time that Australian musician Aurora Jane is touring India. This time, Canadian band called Picture the Ocean, for which she is also the bass guitarist, will accompany her. The tour is primarily to pay tribute to a pioneer of indie music in India and Rock Street Journal founder Amit Saigal who was a close friend of Aurora. The tour is titled, Fully Fantastic Amit Saigal Tribute Tour, inspired from Amit’s favourite phrase, ‘Fully Fantastic.’ If you are fan of funk rock and in the mood to explore a new band, then this gig won’t disappoint you.
When November 3, 7, 9, 10 and 15
Where Lemp Brewpub, Gurgaon; Blue Frog, Mumbai; High Spirits, Pune; Opus, Bengaluru; blueFrog, Delhi
Tickets TBA
For the progressive: Mood Indigo
IIT Bombay’s Annual cultural festival Mood Indigo has brought down many talented bands in the past such as Australian progressive rock band Karnivool and British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. This time around, Canadian rock band Simple Plan will headline the fest for the institute’s Livewire Night.
When December 22
Where IIT Bombay Campus, Powai
Tickets `699 for college students, `999 for non-students
My music city
Neha Jain
“I think that there are many venues in Delhi for gigs but when it comes to upcoming bands with new sounds, I think Mumbai and Bangalore have an edge. Most of my favourite indie bands are from Mumbai and Bangalore, barring Peter Cat Recording Co. which is, of course, from my own state. I’d love to see Radiohead perform here.”
Rebecca D’souza
“I think Mumbai has the best scene for indie gigs. There are so many unconventional venues that are coming up, trying to host home grown bands. Initially, Mumbai’s independent music segment was full of metal bands. But, of lately, there are many new genres coming up. I’d love to see Death Cab for Cutie perform here.”