'V' brings a live hit machine

ONE-AND-A-HALF hours after the gates opened at the Indian Airlines grounds on Sunday, the Channel V0 guys were a nervous lot. Hardly 2000 people had turned up for the Samsung V0 Live concert. Flashback: The recent Delhi concert had more than 10,000.

Hesitantly, they got the show started by eight, waiting for a miracle to happen. It did. Soon, there were over 10,000 entertainment-hungry Chennaiites, out there, relishing the pop- pourri.

With `rockets' landing on stage, and real planes flying around to make up for fireworks, it was Artworx that set the tempo for the evening. What better an act to get it all started than `Sway'.

Incidentally, Artworx, John Britto's Chennai-based dance group is performing at all the 12 concerts of the V0 Live series.

VJ Cary went `Real Slim Shady' and got the crowd singing, soon after which DJ Ivan got it swinging: `Bailamos', `Maria Maria', `Who Let the Dogs Out' and finally `We will rock you' remixed.

Next to rock the stage was Club V0 VJ Kim who showed Chennai what she did for a living in Canada before she came to India and took up VJing. Well, she danced...well.

Shail was the first to pop on to the stage with `Kahaan Hai Tu'. He said ``It's nice to be here in Chennai'' and soon went on to sing `Maine Jhoot Nahin Bola'.

VJ Purab came on to cut a `cute' cameo with clever punch lines, before he introduced the nervous Renoo. The new starlet on the block, clasped the mike, held it tight and closed her eyes as she tried hard to concentrate and get her voice right.

Only that the merciless crowd screamed, howled, hooted, pleaded that she leave, even as she continued to croon `Tera Hi Yaarana'.

Renoo appealed for another chance: ``Please. Just bear with me. I am sure you will like this one''. And sang `Thiraktee Hai Hawa'. Now, the audience applauded this one.

Cary came on again and said: `Innum Jora Satham Podu Pa'. The crowd did just that as Vasundhara Das came onstage, to beats of `Chandralekha'. Vasundhara then sang three from her album: `Sohni Sohni', `Bola Re' and `Meri Jaan' and wound up with `Shaka Laka Baby'.

Ranvir then came on to give a Michael Jackson impression, before he introduced the pop diva who needed no introduction. Suneeta Rao, with her amazing screen presence, had the audience in a spell, starting off with `Aadi Paaru Mangatha' (from `May Maadham') and went on with `Paree', `Ab Ke Baras', `Kesariya', `Rootey Rahiyo' (from her new album) and `Kesariya' once again.

The next half an hour was the best part of the show as KK got the crowd rocking with `Aap Ki Dua', `Summer of 69' and then changed gear to slow `Pal', `Mehki Hawa' to a slower `Tadap Tadap' (from `Hum Dil De Chuke...') to a foot-tapping `Strawberry Kanne' and `Khabon Main Hai' and finally, with Suneeta again, as they sang `Mujhe Pyar Ho Gaya' together.

At the end of it, the crowd couldn't have possibly asked for more. The best part of it-it all came free. And it was really LIVE.

By Sudhish Kamath

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