Thermal chemistry returns to rock

WHEN BRUCE Lee Mani, Rhzude David and Rajeev Rajagopal took to the stage at the Museum Theatre on Friday, there were about 50 people in the hall, including the organisers. Though a bit disappointed, Thermal and a Quarter played its heart out on Day One of their Two Night Stand concert in Chennai.

The next day, the audience doubled as word-of-mouth spread. The rejuvenated band, doubly charged up, belted out their own comps with passion, that was almost tangible. Rajeev broke his stick for the first time ever.

Now, this is not just a concert report, it's a story of guts, determination and steely resolve. A story about a band's self- belief, hard-work, survival and the struggle. A story of three musicians who on Friday, became heroes, in their own right.

No other Indian band would have ever done this. To start with, just three musicians with a mind of their own. Musicians who belong to the genre of no-nonsense rock (though they refuse to be labelled or slotted under any genre, at least for a while) who have stuck to their conviction of playing their own music.

So much principled, that they wouldn't change their style and play covers... So what if they were opening for Deep Purple? The organisers squirmed and the sound suddenly went down to one-tenth of what it was for Deep Purple later - a sabotage of sorts.

The band played on undeterred, and crowd was on a high. They didn't give much to the organisers' preference to play covers. After all, the band had none less than Deep Purple applaud their music.

Whether they got paid or fired is anybody's guess, but the trio continues to believe in their own music. It was THEIR band and THEIR music that mattered to them. The word `THEIR' there in the fullest sense - the instruments were their own, the sound (they recently bought a PA system through installments, spending quite a fortune for their means) and the trip to Chennai. Yes, they made that too, on their own.

The guys got their friends together, hired a van, brought their equipment all the way from Bangalore, piled on to friends in the city and did most of the organising on their own with a little bit of help and support from Promusic and Sudeen Prabhakar.

``You can call it guilt. These guys are doing what we guys didn't do. We, the old musicians have been culprits in a way. If we had done this years ago, stuck to our music instead of giving the audience cover versions,'' says Sudeen.

Over dinner after Friday's, near-disillusioning concert for the performers, we chatted with Bruce, Rhzude and Rajeev on the band and their conviction. ``We had a ball, man. That was our plan. We feel good after the show,'' says Bruce. ``How long can you keep playing `Another Brick in the Wall','' he asks.

``We're playing this because this is our music,'' says Rhzude. And they have been doing it all these years. Since they got together as Christ College band five years ago. Bassist Rhzude joined Bruce (at the lead and vocals) and Rajeev (drums) two years ago. And they've been rebels all the while.

Even on Friday when they got on to the stage, Bruce started out saying, ``They say we don't play covers. So we're going to play a few covers now''.

``We play covers only to loosen up, once in a while,'' Bruce says biting into a `Chainese Item' at Tic Tac.

`Chainese Item', by the way, is one of their newest additions to their 40 plus original compositions. ``We don't restrict ourselves to one brand of music. `Chainese Item' is a very funny song,'' laughs Bruce.

Those who have heard `Jupiter Cafe' and `Sanity in Gravity' would feel proud of India's own psychedelic rock. All it takes for a trip to Jupiter is three musicians.

And you suddenly begin to wonder - why do rock musicians in India don't get what they are worth? Bruce, laughingly admits he might be sacked soon, thanks to the dotcom recession. He occasionally writes for The Asian Age and teaches English at Christ College apart from managing Promusic's Bangalore Branch.

``I had a software job. I don't know if it would be there when I return,'' chuckles Rajeev. Rhzude, the family man of the trio is a ``full-time father and house-husband'', doing copy- writing and photography once in a while, apart from being a part of Promusic, Bangalore.

So why are they still into rock, if they are not getting enough bread, let alone butter? ``Must be the fun,'' says Rhzude. ``The fun and the music,'' says Bruce. ``Can't be the money. If it's the money, then its a job, man,'' says Rajeev.

The band brought out their own album without any help from any cassette company a few years ago. They made 1500 tapes and a few CDs. All of them were sold out. They invested that money in tapes and CDs, they don't have money to ``make them''. If you are a rock fan, you could pledge your support to the band at taaq@mailcity.com.

Thermal and a Quarter's `Two Night Stand' is just the beginning. They are coming back. For they know, that the word would spread. And the halls would fill. Someday.

``We're going to do, till we drop. It gets difficult and scary sometimes, but we have to keep it going. Because this is all what we want to do,'' says Bruce.

By Sudhish Kamath

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