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One of India’s leading bands, Thermal and a Quarter, are set to bring their trademark fusion of jazz, funk and Carnatic music, to Likwid at the City Centre hotel, Manama this Friday.

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As-salaam alaikum!

When we were little, we went home to Mallu land for our school vacations. There, we met many little boys and girls whose daddies were away in the Gellf. Doing all kinds of jobs to earn money so that they could study and grow up and become good boys and girls. So that they could anoint their wives with gold from the souk and Yardley talc and Charlie perfume. So that they could distribute razor blades among their chettans and aliyans and chocolates to the neighbours.

In our fertile little minds, an idea took shape – that of the Mallu Fatherland. Simply, where all the fathers go between their painful two-month vacations in the land of god’s own beach party. Vacations where the dust in time’s hourglass slipped away faster than sandstorms in that faraway desert.

This June, we visit the Fatherland. Two gigs – one each in Dubai (June 20) and Bahrain (June 22). So all you good folks, gang up and land up. Here’s a toast to you all!

And here’s an interview in Time Out Dubai.

Until then, ma-assalamah!

Came across this:

http://dubai.timeout.com/dubai/features/review.php?id=1258

Been a while since I posted here – Guitar Dr. has been happening quietly on the side though.

BAC – the Band Association of Chennai – put together a good gig on Sat 26th, in association with CAN-STOP etc. As an organization, they’re but a few months old; they’re dreaming big and that’s good. This was probably the first time they’d got an outstation band to play in Chennai under their auspices, and barring some minor hiccups, this was a gooood gig.

No one can, like Air Deccan! (Remove comma and see what happens…) The copywriting genius who came up with that has obviously moved on to more challenging pursuits, for this glorious one liner was conspicuous by its absence. But the flight did take off on time. Received at Chennai airport by a sign-toting Bengoli called Obhinondon – the sign saying ‘Wishing for Magic’. Nice! TAAQ-friend Narayan believes fervently that air-conditioning is the greatest invention ever (“give the inventor a Nobel Prize every year!”), and when you’re in Chennai, you’re inclined to agree.

Put up at a decent hotel close to the Music Academy. Soundcheck 4ish. Spent most of the day lazing about, apart from a small trip to Central Station for a Tony-relative rendezvous and a pit stop at Ritchie Street to procure some jewel boxes for Plan B CDs. Ritchie St. is like the SP Road of Chennai – come to think of it, I think there’s an SP Road clone almost everywhere in India, which makes it as big as those others named after good old MG.
Soundcheck was good. Our man on the spot, Vinay, worked his usual magic on the mix. Buck’s Theatre in YMCA Nandanam is a good place – an old-fashioned red-brick amphitheater well within the YMCA campus, a good distance away from the road and sheltered by old old trees. Lots of folk milling about already – we’ve heard the buzz that this gig might be a sellout.

Watched almost all of Junkyard Groove’s set. First time seeing them live. Really seemed to be getting the crowd – with lots of fans up front singing along, etc. Missed Easy Street though. Heard they were good.

Got on stage pretty late – 10ish, but there was still a fair crowd waiting around. Launched off with Respectable, then Look At Me etc. Chainese Item featured a stalwart from a local band on that little fast-talking-menu intro. Good spirit there! It’s always great to have people not from your home town singing along with you, and there was a sizable bunch here that seemed to know a lot of our material. Our only recognizable cover for the night was received well too – Shine on! Humpty Dumpty was another highlight – it’s reassuring to think that we wrote this song way back in ’97 or ’98, and it’s still seems absolutely relevant today – and still has the same impact on an audience. Wrapped up with Hoedown and Motorbyckle.

Fuzzy – thanks for helping out on this, and you did a killer job dude.

A few more gigs and BAC should have definitely got its whole act together. Keep doing it, fellas.

Back in B’lore Sunday. Traffic. Sigh.

1. What would you like to see TAAQ do in the next 10 years?

2. What are we doing now that doesn’t make sense to you?

3. Which TAAQ song would you like to see on video?