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Alive and rocking

Radio City Live will showcase the city's rock talent every Sunday. Zero G hosted a tasting session of the programme that goes on air tomorrow

ECLECTIC TASTES Members of Phenom feel that Bangalore is receptive to many genres of music Photo: Murali Kumar K.

Radio City Live promises to be a lively and colourful arena for rock bands of the city that are on their way to making a name. Radio City's Radio City Live will be on air every Sunday between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (starting tomorrow) and feature some talented rock bands of Bangalore.

The two-hour show, says RJ Rohit Jayakaran, is looking to "catch the rock pulse" of Bangalore and bring larger audiences to emerging bands and artistes. After the first few months, the channel will also air music from other genres. "If the music is good, we will get bands to perform. We want to offer good music to our audience," says Rohit, who did a lively job of presenting two city bands — Phenom and Lounge Piranhas — at Zero G earlier this week as a promotion for the programme.

Intimate space

The cosy and intimate setting of Zero G and its location on the 10th floor (from where you look down at the vast spread of the city) and Rohit's live wire hosting brought an impact to the performances. Phenom played its own composition "Glide" and then a song created on the spur of the moment. The show on air will have a section called Right Here, Right Now, where the band creates a song then and there. Rohit picked up four words for the band to create a song — 10th Floor, Glass, Girls and Buffalo — and Phenom took the cue. The band went straight to the great Bob Marley and then quickly moved on to their composition — "10 Floors High". The band then performed Mr. Big's "Green-tinted '60s Mind" before signing off.

Phenom, which mixes classic rock of the '80s and '90s and the progressive rock it grew up with, is semi-pro for the last one-and-a-half years. Vocalist Mark Lazaro and bassist Gaurav Vaz acknowledge that the band is evolving in its sound gradually. Bangalore, they are happy, is becoming receptive to music other than metal. "College crowds look for metal. But outside campuses, there is a wider audience. We have a place not because of ranking — the best band or the second best — but because of the kind of music we offer. Each song of ours is very different from the other and each song has something for someone. People say they like and relate to parts of our songs," says Gourav.

Phenom sees Bangalore as more receptive to new bands in recent times and Radio City Live as part of that culture. "The channel is a space and stepping-stone for new bands. And a space for the audience to listen to new music."

The band is working on its new album it has not yet named. The band features Mrinal Kalakrishnan on drums, Trinity D'souza on guitars and Jnanasehwar Das on the keyboards. (For more on Phenom and their songs log on to http://wearephenom.com.)

Lounge Piranhas, which performed after Phenom, is a relatively new band set up in early 2005. The band brings an ambient-psychedelic music that comes through predominantly in Abhi Tambe's guitar who plays it layered, textured and laidback. Lounge, however, stands out for its chorus that makes its atmospheric sound more intense. The band members say people describe their music as psychedelic, British Rock. In the little time they've performed, the band has been received well, says Abhi. "We do well in intimate, private settings like clubs. Zero G, Taika are our kind of spaces."

The band also believes Bangalore is not all metal. "There is space for everybody. Different people have different preferences. People here can certainly catch a different sound. Mumbai isn't as receptive yet," says drummer George Mathen, who comes from Mumbai. Kamal Singh, who plays the guitar, also sees Bangalore as being very open to original music. Abhi does point out, though, that it will take time for the band to make inroads. "We will not rush. We will keep playing, develop our own sound and work hard. We are not here to play big or to big crowds. The response so far has been good. Such live programmes are an opportunity for us to showcase our style and sound. Its how people get to know us. Hopefully, we should do well." For more on Lounge, check out www.loungepiranhas.com.

And much in the ambient mode, the band played its number "Hand-Hole", intense in its chorus and melodic guitar.

PRASHANTH G.N.

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