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Rock and revelry
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The bands Parikrama and Strings took turns to entertain rock fans at a recent concert. SUDHISH KAMATH reports
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Photos: R. Ravindran
Electrifying Strings and (right) Parikrama performing at Amaze-08
“You guys were so loud before the show started. What happened?” asked Nitin Malik, lead vocalist of Parikrama, two hours fifteen minutes after the IIPM concert at Amaze 2008 was supposed to begin at Wesley School Grounds, according to the ticket.
Rock fans were so tired waiting for the show to start that Malik had to work on their enthusiasm levels. He gave them 59 on 100 for energy. “Don’t you want a 90,” he yelled. And when the crowd said “Yeah,” he screamed back saying: “Shame on you. You should want a hundred.”
He reminded the crowd seated in the VIP section: “This is not Jagjit Singh. This is Parikrama.” Bathed in sweat within a couple of songs, he said: “Now I know why I sweat every time I have rasam.”
Malik came up with ‘Fear of the Dark,’ as a soulful dedication to Leon Ireland of Moksha. This was a song Leon used to revel in every time he performed it. Thanks to the crowd waking up to provide that haunting chorus, the concert had finally come alive.
Sensing the time was right to sneak in an own composition, the band gave the audience ‘Am I Dreaming,’ which Malik described as a song dedicated to Sam and Frodo’s journey in “Lord of the Rings.”
Coldplay fans and the girls seemed quite excited with ‘Yellow’ and the mood was just right to launch into one of their most famous songs… ‘And it rained’ which was followed by Imran Khan’s lingering violin solo ‘Open Skies.’
Desi touch to metal
Rock fans loved every bit of Parikrama and the band’s desi touch to metal. Nitin wrapped up with what he claimed was the greatest rock anthem: ‘This is The Trooper,’ he screamed letting the Iron Maiden sound loose into the night, one of the guitarists breaking a string.
The crowd wanted more but there was hardly any time left. Fans chanted ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ much to the band’s displeasure. “Bhaad Main Gaya Sweet Child of Mine,” shot back Nitin. “The God of singing is AC/DC,” he said giving them a ride on ‘Highway to Hell’. “What fun to play in Chennai again. I totally admire your enthusiasm. And your sense of humour rocks… Never take anything ‘beeping’ seriously,” Nitin told the crowd before going off stage.
After a nearly half-hour break, Strings began their show with ‘Aakhri Alvida Na Ho’ and ‘Humsafar’ from the new album ‘Koi Aanewala Hai.’ Again, sensing they needed a little push to participate, Faisal Kapadia adopted the same ‘Divide and rule’ strategy that Parikrama did earlier in the show, pitting the VIP section of the crowd with the rest of the headbangers, making them sing along ‘Chaaye Chaaye’ (from Dhani). Faisal and Bilal Maqsood won them over in no time.
Chennai also got a taste of ‘Na Jaane Kyun’ from the Spiderman 2 soundtrack as Faisal asked people to flash their phones. “This is beautiful. Thank you guys,” he said touched by the wave of the glowing phones in the dark.
The vocal chords of the two sections were put to the test again with ‘Anjaane’ (Duur) before the band went on to do a song from their new album called ‘Ek Do Teen’. Drenched in sweat, Faisal sat down onstage to complete that song with an old-world charm before giving them the titular ‘Koi Aanewala Hai’ from the new album.
“This is a song that’s very special to us. A song that gave us a break and reunited us and encouraged us to bring out our third album,” said Faisal before ‘Sir Kiye Yeh Pahaar’.
That’s when a brawl broke out in the crowd as a couple of trouble-makers got into a fist fight and soon their friends joined in. The crowd was a little distracted but that didn’t stop the show or make the band lose focus.
Faisal came back on stage with a new shirt. “It was too hot. I had to change,” he said before performing ‘Duur’ and ‘Yeh Hai Meri Kahaani’ from “Zinda.”
“We get so much love and respect here, we have so much fun here that we enjoy playing this tribute to Bollywood,” he said before Strings tossed up a medley of ‘Om Shanti Om’ (from “Karz”) and ‘Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe.’ They knew the impact it was going to have as even the non-rock fans in the crowd went berserk, singing along and dancing.
Soon, it was time to wrap up. “We don’t want to go home but it gives us a reason to come back. Let’s go crazy everyone,” screamed Faisal as the band climaxed with ‘Dhaani’.
It was a touching moment when they blended in a bit of ‘Saare Jahaan Se Accha’ right at the end. Music knows no boundaries indeed.
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