Rock Raid Fest to Indie Feast
Ko While music events have returned with a vengeance following the pandemic, one genre that continues burgeoning in Mumbai remains rock, and thank goodness for that!
Barely a fortnight away from ‘Heaven & Hell – A Tribute To Black Sabbath & Deep Purple’ held at Mumbai’s Stables on April 21, Rock Raid Fest 2024, an independent initiative featuring eight rock bands, was held on May 5 and 6 at Mumbai’s Glocal Junction.
While day one featured Blackout Riot (from Pune), followed by three bands from Mumbai (Contra, Claver & The F Band, Sceptre), the four that appeared on day two were all Mumbai-based, including The Venom Berries, and Blakc. While each of the bands had their respective levels of competency, two that really scaled up the independent movement due to their focus being predominantly on original compositions were: the RAAD Quartet, and Chandresh Kudwa.
RAAD Quartet & Anand (left)
Rock Raid Fest proved a stellar debut for the RAAD Quartet from Ravi Iyer‘s previous outings. Leaving behind the more traditional stint with music in 1975 when he started learning the tabla, it was the influence of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore that changed Ravi’s direction towards the guitar by founding several Indie rock bands in Mumbai. Having recorded various compositions ranging from rock to fusion, it was the platform of this Fest that really had Ravi revel in what this writer believes was the discovery of his true vocation… a selection of original compositions that touched upon virtually every genre from the history of popular music: funk, R&B, reggae, pop, blues, jazz, soul and, of course, the genre that really started it all for Ravi: rock! Among several standouts were the rock ‘n’ roll of “The Last Goodbye” featuring the blues harp of guest Anand Dwarkanath, the Latino-influenced, tequila-flavoured “Affected”, the instrumental metallic gem from Ravi’s past, “Rush Hour”, and a ballad named “Flying“. While time restrictions meant that the RAAD Quartet was unable to complete its set, the band’s talent was plain to view.
Supported by immaculate instrumentation – with drummer Antony and, most notably, bass by Arvind Iyer – it would be unfair not to make reference to member and vocal powerhouse Dimple Cyrus, who continued to showcase her singing acrobatics that truly stand tall alongside the best vocal performances heard in the city.
If it was not for a gentleman named Narendra “Lord” Kusnur accompanying this writer to this musical fe(a)st, this writer would have probably missed out on yet another incredible guitar talent that followed the genius of Ravi Iyer: Chandresh Kudwa. In fact, it was much of a surprise that a musician who has been playing guitar since age 14, been part of the Indian music scene for three decades, and having released two albums: ‘A Change’ (2009), and ‘Conqueror’ (2011), remained unknown…until now, that is!
Chandresh & Eva
In mainly performing originals across his albums – including songs such as “Disco Chicken”, “Cappuccino Queen”, and “18 Again” – Chandresh, grouped with long-time bass and drummer compatriots, focused his composing “voice” on the instrumentals with his sweet electric guitar playing on full display. True to his talent that flowed across the set, Chandresh showcased many different guitar tones, ranging from apparent distortion to the timbre of his clean-toned rhythm/lead work and, as the set progressed, it was obvious for the listener that they were not merely witnessing a “good” guitarist, but a “great” one.
The catchy, driving instrumentals showcased by Chandresh ‘s chops, eventually culminated with the introduction of a guest, none other than his 12-year old daughter, Eva, who did well to extend the musical talents of the Kudwa family by sincerely attempting to match her father’s immense flair, but within her range, with an interesting version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and a fine rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World”. Indeed, the Kudwa legacy appears to be intact.
Rock Raid Fest 2024 was certainly a well presented event. The only downside was the lack of attendance where, literally, there were merely a handful of people supporting the bands performing. It was more surprising then that inspite of the pricing being reasonable – with an option of selecting daily tickets, instead of season – and the centralized location of the venue, crowds were not present.
Parikrama Album Cover
In the midst of live performances in the city, the Kolkata-based Free School Street Records, an independent record label, released pan-India the vinyl of Parikrama’s “Live At Mahindra Independence Rock 2022”, a recording of that extraordinary November 6 performance at Mumbai’s Bayview Lawns. With over three decades of experience in the live space, the band from New Delhi continue to amaze both fans of the past and the younger generation of the present with their prowess, as was last witnessed by this writer at the Bandlands festival held in December last year in Bengaluru.
The recording of the nine-song set list, consisting of fan favourites, has been mixed and mastered from an original multi-track recording by Keshav Dhar, with additional mastering for vinyl by Free School Street Records co-founder Rajiv Pandey, in Dallas, U.S. The album is dedicated to Parikrama founder-member-guitarist Sonam Sherpa, who passed away in 2020.
Besides the pure quality of music, the vinyl is packaged attractively, much like most international releases. A detailed description of the concert by Rajiv’s partner in rhyme, “Eight Days” Aveek (Chatterjee), further lends to the vinyl experience. As additional bonuses, the album also contains song lyrics, images, and a replica of the concert setlist personally autographed by the band members.
Besides the Rock Raid Fest, as also the thankless vinyl service provided by Free School Street Records, both are welcome additions for genuine followers of Indian rock, which truly deserves moving out from being local to going global!
