Satyricon by an Undying Scribe

"Rock Show mein moisturizer leke kyon aate ho?” the lady-security personnel snapped at me...and I gave her stares-to-kill! If I sit down and count all that I have lost in the bargain, boy! it would be something. Davidoff perfume, moisturizer and a plethora of such other things...

How a song,
like a cup of coffee,
Can taste
like solace in solitude
And yet
provide
The delight of
company
- Vinod Rajagopal

Or vice-versa...

Every year with great expectations I wait for this one event, The Great Indian Rock Show - the largest and the loudest ever! This year too I had made crazy plans to attend this event on both days. But due to some unavoidable circumstances, I had to miss the first day. SAHG, Freak Kitchen, Satyricon, Cyanide, Frequency, Them Clones, Level 9, Scribe -- name it and you have it!

Amidst a sea of bubbling crowd and smoggy environment, I made my way through the gates. First blow was the confiscation of my treasured belongings. Next was I almost lost my friend who accompanied me there...well, I mean lost track of her in the humongous ocean of people, where everyone looked the same. I am made to believe that there is a code of dressing when one goes to a Metal concert to maintain uniformity (though I don't understand how and why?!?)

Level 9 began with a bang( watch Level 9 performing exclusively on our Financial Chronicle channel on youtube at http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=AElhjA4Vmhk ). Their music is something that I prefer -- a dose of Jazz, a pinch of Blues -- basically Progressive Rock. I thanked God the show didn’t begin with deafening hard Metal.

Next entered the Undying Inc with their never-dying energy...there began the saga of hardcore Metal. Loud music and lyrics that would take one infinite attempts to decipher. I realized and made up my mind that next time before attempting to try my luck with metal, I shall be extra-cautious. In fact, would never try so!

The envoys of hardmetal enter next – Scribe! It was pretty evident that the band from Mumbai already had a huge fan-following and thus the crowd too had much anticipation. I was too engrossed shooting videos while suddenly a vendor selling Bisleri glasses comes up to me and asks “Cigarettes chahiye madam? Waise toh allowed nahi hai, lekin aap ko de sakta hu.” I was too flabbergasted to react and the only thought that played in my mind was then why were my things confiscated? Pray why???

Scribe was followed by Them Clones. (Watch Them Clones performing live in GIR at http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=oLitd_KbP5M ). Being familiar with the crowd helped them get the crowd grooving easily.

The finale was yet to come! In the end Satyricon( watch Satryicon performing live on our youtube channel http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=kRfdghpY8OI ) , a Norwegian band and the only International band yesterday made their grand entry with some crazily loud music. I thought they would be similar as like others. But...but...buttttt...they were good! Trust me! Their music, though belonging to the Metal genre, was quite different and didn’t seem sheer mundane screams...to me at least. I say so because behind me was a couple discussing how they would never agree to an extra-marital affair and how Bryan Adams and Elton John-ish music was what they had expected here. For Lord sake, somebody tell them it was a ROCK CONCERT!

When I think how Rock concerts are a place to meet and encounter varied people, I get morosed about thinking the pre and post-math of such concerts. I refuse to talk about it any more. If you want to find out more, then why not go to some such concert next time and experience it yourself? I’ll be the one reading your blogposts then and analysing it! What say???

Ipshita Kumar.

For more videos of GIR 2008, tune into the Financial Chronicle channel on youtube at http://in.youtube.com/profile?user=financialchronicle&view=videos