Date:05/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/05/stories/2005080501450200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A jinxed start for rock festival

Sudhish Kamath

CHENNAI: It's been a rather jinxed start for JRO rock festival this season. First, the London blasts pulled the plug on UK-based Aziz's visit and the show was postponed to July 21. The artiste finally made it to the curtain raiser concert but the rains flooded the YMCA halfway into the show.

Rains continued to haunt the show as Mumbai-based Metakix remained stranded there. Nevertheless, JRO got off to a rocker of a start with Chennai-based Powder in the Ashtray's explosive act. There was a dash of Deep Purple and the band spiced up their own compositions with Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Black Crowes. The band dedicated their version of `Stayin Alive' to the absentee band Metakix.

Joint Family from the capital followed up with a heavy-duty power-packed dose of classic hard rock, with a little metal for flavour. The band paid their tributes to Slip Knot and Korn and had the crowd head-banging to their own compositions as well.

This Saturday at the Unwind Centre, Chennai's most refreshing `Garage Monsters Inc' will share stage with Parousia from Bangalore and Bhayanak Maut from Mumbai.