jakarta java jazz 09Category Archive

  • Anish Banerjee reviews the Hyderabad gig

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    A friend of mine once said that if you take all the Mallus (all in good spirit…: D) out of Bangalore, you’re not gonna be left with a single band in the whole city. So when you have three and a quarter (well, not anymore though) of them coming together to make music, you are bound to be transported to a whole new world of eclectic music.

    Hyderabad had its tryst with the Bangalore (yes, no Bengaluru for me) Power Trio Thermal and a Quarter on September 7.

    The venue… er, well let’s not talk about that. The “Only Couple Entries” sign is not very welcoming to a rock audience and I had to sorta impose the situation on my friend Priyanka (Thank you so much)… Yes, I was not going to miss this for anything in the world!

    Bruce in his shades, Rajeev in his ‘Chainese’ beard and Prakash in his HUUUGE hat were finally hereee…. Beautiful bass lines, excellent control over the solos and some slick runs all along the fret board; yes the new kid on the block had announced his arrival in the TAAQwagon. The level of proficiency Prakash showed with the other two on the songs would amaze any bass player – hats off to you! (no puns intended..: P)…

    Rajeev was as usual at his brilliant best with the chops and the rolls and complimenting on all the varieties of songs that the band has in their repertoire…

    Bruce Lee Mani, which is he better at exactly – singing or guitaring??… Tight throughout as usual, TAAQ provided a brilliant ambience to an otherwise below average pub. Be it the bluesy new number Grab Me “a Boost in the mug with no happy encore”, a teetotaler’s delectable intrigue against the upbeat “I’m drunk… I’m stoned… I’m high… I’m done” or the groovy Mighty Strange speaking about the heavily dependent IT world or their ever-popular song, the jazzy funky Paper Puli, they were all excellently textured to satisfy us all.

    “We come from Bengaluru, earlier known as Bangalore. You guys come from Andhra Pradesh and you don’t know what it’s gonna be called very soon… This is something you should have done a year back”…oh yes, it was time to Shut Up and Vote. The latter part saw Where The State Has No Name, a grim reminder of the political hullabaloo in the state. Oh, and of course, we were also entertained to the ‘Thermalised’ versions of Hey Jude, Wonderwall and Hoedown.

    Wonderwall came out all jazzy, fresh and new-born, bearing little or no resemblance to the original Oasis version. Hey Jude was AWE-TAAQ-SOME. Bruce’s guitar patch had a lovely orchestra-chorus vibe to it that left you wondering “How the hell did three guys just manage that shit !” – something that has been provoked very often by the works of Rush, Cream, The Police, ELP et al. The crowd happily sang along to the surging reeves of the coda as Bruce broke out on Vocal Mumbo-Jumbo… :P …

    “You think Paul would’ve liked that??”…Ya right, ‘like’… what an understatement!! And along came the most awaited song of the evening… people following them on Youtube and Bookface (.. :P ) greeted it quite enthusiastically… Kickbackistan speaking all about the travailed ‘common wealth’ flowing into political pockets. The song truly had all the flavours of a musical hit and people were seen leaving the pub humming along to “Let the Games begin. Let the shame begin.”

    Well, our thirst was quenched by the Thermal range of the music… for here before us stood a band which has championed the cause of original music when the whole country was still reeling under the shades and tunes of repetitive covers and also went ahead to make a mark supporting various social causes and to put the icing on the cake, came up with the stunning world class TAAQADEMY.

    So next time when these True Messiahs of Indian Rock decide to drop in your city be sure to fix an appointment and taste the sparkling shot of TAAQuila!!

    P.S. Word around the pub was that the number of Bruce Lee jokes had exceeded those of Rajnikanth and Chuck Norris…Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new hero!!!

    Photo: Anish Banerjee. View his gig album here

  • Vineet Jose reviews the Hard Rock Cafe Bangalore gig

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    Vineet Jose was there at Bangalore’s Hard Rock Cafe on August 5. Here’s his take on TAAQ that night:

    DSC_0339

    Being in college, going out to Hard Rock Cafe is something that one has weigh the pros and cons of very carefully. But when TAAQ is playing at Hard Rock, it’s a no-brainer. You know that you’re going to get your money’s worth. In fact I think it’s a steal!

    Thermal And A Quarter, in my opinion, is one of the most professional bands I’ve ever seen live! Thursday night was no different. Now I’ve been to a lot of TAAQ gigs, but every show is just awesome.

    You have to give it up to the band for being so stubborn about playing only original music for so long. Even their covers are ‘Thermalised’. Only TAAQ can get away with changing songs like ‘Hey Jude’ and still getting the crowd to appreciate it. Bruce asked, “You think Paul would’ve liked that?”

    I’m sure Paul would reply, “It’s bloody brilliant mate!”

    Now to the originals, what can one say, every single one is just a trip. TAAQ always likes to change things up. To get in Mr. Ravichandra Kulur on the flute was stroke of genius! The flute fell seamlessly into the tweaked version of ‘One Small Love’ and played its part in that sweet song. It was also nice to hear Bruce’s guitar fills for ‘Paper Puli’ on the flute. Rajeev’s drum patterns on ‘Surrender’ almost make you want to dance. I miss Rzhude a lot, but Prakash seems to be right at home with the band and puts in some really groovy bass lines. He puts in some interesting solos as well. Great to see the overall vibe of the band still being the same . But missed Jason on the keys and the backup vocals. And Bruce, is he a guitarist who sings, or a vocalist who plays guitar? One of life’s great mysteries. His guitar tone is superlative through all their songs, whether it be ‘Simply Be’, ‘Respectable’ or ‘Drunk’. He has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, with his signature witty response to random drunk comment or gesturing to the crowd to sing softly, as though turning the volume down on a radio! The two new originals were great (one was ‘Clean Up’ I think). Thanks to the band for releasing ‘Grab Me’. Perfect for bluesy nights. But please, for god’s sake come out with a new album fast! ‘Ordinary Affair’ and ‘Chameleon’ (just to name a few) are just addictive!

    My favourites for the night were ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Grab Me’ and ‘Chameleon’. But I like all the songs because it’s so nice to see a band absolutely love what they are doing!

    Another trademark is the smile on the face of each one of them on stage. Great job guys!

    See ya at the next gig.

  • Sudeep Shenoy reviews the Mangalore gig

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    Photo: Santhosh Lobo

    It was an evening that can never be forgotten. I was passing by the auditorium at St. Aloysius after my recording at Radio Sarang when I incidentally heard some music emanating from the auditorium. Intrigued, I went to have a closer look, and I was surprised to see three people practicing and performing sound checks. On further inquiry, I came to know that TAAQ was performing at the auditorium that night. Ooh… This was something I couldn’t afford to miss!

    The concert started off with a small crowd, most probably due to the lack of proper publicity, but the music was astounding nonetheless. This was the first time TAAQ was performing in Mangalore, and quite a few people were curious as to know how a trio can handle an entire concert. But this trio more than just handled the concert; they rocked it!

    Surprisingly, the crowd consisted of not just youngsters, but many elderly people were seen enjoying the music as well. The crowd was all in cheers for the concert! Personally, I was mesmerized by the music and was in a sort of trance, and I’m not overhyping things. This was the ground reality, which I’m sure that the entire audience would agree with me. Also the TAAQ team maintained a good rapport with the audience, thereby involving them further in the music.

    Listing out the Pros and Cons:

    PROS:
    • TAAQ Team succeeded in getting the crowd involved.
    • Mangalore got to hear awesome compositions by TAAQ.
    • Excellent Sound and Lighting systems.

    CONS:
    • Being a weekday was maybe one of the causes for low turnout at the concert.
    • Lack of publicity of the programme in Mangalore, because many of my friends said they were interested, but had no idea that the concert was going on.
    • Maybe I’m being a bit greedy on this one, but I felt that the concert should have gone on for a longer duration :)

    Like I said, 6th July 2010 was an evening I’ll never forget. And I’m eagerly waiting for the day TAAQ comes back to Mangalore with another mesmerizing show! Cheers!

  • Raghunandan Prasad reviews the Mysore gig

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    This review is coming from someone who just attended his first Thermal And A Quarter concert just about a week ago, in Mysore. My sincerest apologies to the fans who might find this incomprehensive.

    Reason I was in Mysore in the first place owes to my being in charge of selling the taaq merchandise (the t-shirts by the way are an absolute must have for every taaq fan, contact for details). The band had the crowd wrapped around their finger right from the very first song, Sorry for Me, which they happily dedicated to the Argentina, the losing team of that day’s football match! They then went on to play ‘Grab Me’, ‘Ordinary Affair’, ‘Respectable’ and a dozen more of their best numbers.

    Listening and watching them play, you can see why the audience instantly fell in love with them… it’s really hard not to, their music is a mighty strange mix of originality with a sense of familiarity.

    By the end of the show, the crowd was a little too infected with TAAQ’s music to simply let them leave. The band was forced to oblige and played for a good half hour more, with songs like ‘Motorbyckle’ (my personal favorite) and finished it off with ‘Paper Puli’ (their greatest hit, so to speak). Which was a bad idea really, because the crowd decided continue their protest with renewed vigor! But it had to come to an end this time, there were curfews to keep up and autographs to sign!

  • Cariappa C K reviews Sunday's Alliance gig

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    Cariappa C K sends us his take on Sunday’s gig at the Alliance:

    It’s hard, walking in to see your favorite band play with a changed lineup. Tons of questions await answering in your head. Most importantly – Will I relate to them as I did before? You quieten these voices, and a little while before the band plays, you have prepared yourself to watch them devour a small furry animal, live, and still not judge.

    I walked into the Alliance Auditorium at 7:30. I noticed the new guy, Prakash. My eyes strained, I size him up. The aforementioned animal calls for pity in my head. First song on, comes bass solo #1, some slick runs/slapping, and in no time, Bruce’s shouts of “Give him what he wants, give him whatever he wants“, finds a willing choir on this side of the audience.

    Bruce’s “No!” to passionate cries for Paper Puli means I will listen to a new setlist today. Not bad, really. Mighty Strange, ever-so-groovy, about IT and such-like phenomena drifts by. Then, a bluesy Where the state has no name about the frivolity of name-calling. Next, my favorite song of the evening — Ordinary Affair. A beautiful progression, meandering only so much, with that sweet riff to start it all over again. Ah! Whatte beauty! Classic TAAQ songwriting as well, this one credited to Rajeev:

    “Some folks never get hitched
    Some get a few along the way”

    So simple, no? Like “This is it, our time is up” OR “Shut up and vote” OR just, “I’m drunk” OR like the fifty other songwriting sparkles they got — beautifully pithy.

    Then, a true “what the…huh?” moment. We stood gasping at the sheer brilliance that was TAAQ’s cover of ‘Hey Jude‘. Jazz / Funk / whatever it was, just made it an absolute privilege to be in the midst of it all. And as if to convince us they were no Martians, Bruce goofing up the lyrics to flash an impish grin. Charming!

    Finally, ‘Surrender‘, with its catchy – Should I should I should I should I surrender to round off a perfect evening of music and cheer.

    We had surrendered. To the awesomeness.

    Some things remain unchanged. Bruce still can carry off those bright red pants. His extraordinary singing/guitar playing, still makes for AMAZING. Rajeev still makes that hi-hat ring in the deepest section of your ear and surprises you with his creative intricacies. But IMHO, I can’t say they sound the same. Simply because, Rzhude and Prakash are about as different as can be! Imagine a John Entwistle replacing Flea, if you will! It will take getting used to. But that said, he is a SOLID replacement and his bass playing is skillfully cogent.

    In parts, the band sounds like a splendid cover of their older self and in parts a whole new dimension. You love them anyway! And if they wanted to, they could still devour a small furry animal, live.

  • Rzhude's farewell gig – words and pictures

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    [SlideDeck id='1' width='100%' height='500px']

    Last night Rzhude sang, perhaps for the last time with us, a selection of songs that took us down the cobbled street of memory, stopping under streetlights to reflect on the times gone by. Our songs were inflected with a new fondness. We hung onto every word, clung to every note, clasped the choruses tighter to our chests. Brigade Street — twice over. State of Mine — unplayed in nearly five years. Between the Lines. And Holy Jose — sung with more mischief than ever before.

    Farewells are not easy if you have spent eleven years on the road, playing, grooving, hoping, making, celebrating, ruing… Our shared history puts a price on the nostalgia of the past, the weight of the present and the promise of the future.

    But farewells are inevitable. And they are a reminder of the present that we must acknowledge and the future in which we must be present.

    The Rzhude Decade — all eleven years of it — was the most important one in the history of Thermal And A Quarter. Four albums, hundreds of live appearances, three overseas tours and hours of jamming and toil. It was a decade of the discovery of infinite possibilities.

    Here’s to the next!

  • Crowdsourced gig review #2 – HRC Hyderabad

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    Photo: Suchin Moses

    Photo: Suchin Moses

    Samson Madella from Hyderabad writes this ringside first-person account of the night where the state had no name:

    Me and Rishi, an ex-TAAQ roadie, were with Bruce in his hotel room, catching up, talking songs, gear and biting his ears with questions while he was ‘leesurely’ penning down the set list.

    “Wonder how it’s gonna be… we haven’t played Hyderabad for a long time and are playing our new material mostly,” Bruce expressed with a tiny whim of uncertainty. Moments later, Rajeev and Rzhude walked in, looked at the set list, nodded… that’s all.

    The aptly titled show Where the State has no Name was a stunner and a bummer of sorts to the crowd at the Hard Rock Café Hyderabad. As an ardent TAAQ devotee, I noticed 10 things… 10 things you need to know about the night and the crowd (in no particular order):

    1. Pockets of musicians in the front row counting odd time signatures.
    2. Guitar players gleefully fretting… ‘How-does-he-do-that-man’ over every blue note.
    3. “These-guys-have changed-since-I-saw-them-last”
    4. “Dude, this band is boring, why did you bring me here… gimme back my entry fee”
    5. A cute girl from Dilli Oye singing almost all the songs.
    6. Audience decibel levels rising from 100 db – 145db (    Origami to Roxanne)
    7. “The bass guitar is actually driving the band, man”
    8. “Let the band guys know that there are people who appreciate their brand of music in Hyderabad too” – A brilliant local musician, Anand Paul, who left halfway through the gig
    9. “Chanineese Items”…”Without Wings”…”Jupiter Café”…”Motorbyckle”… all old songs denied!
    10. “Whaaat? they wrote a song for this show … what talent, bah bah bah, kya baat hain”


  • Crowdsourced gig review #1 – HRC, Hyderabad

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    Photo: Suchin Moses

    Photo: Suchin Moses

    As men, we feel very flattered when a woman says nice things about us. So when the young and eloquent Ramya Sriram gushed about our gig at Hard Rock Cafe, Hyderabad, where we played last Thursday, we blushed. And then, without a thought, plagiarised this bit from her blog and cut-paste-posted it here.

    Read on:

    The show was brilliant. They started off with one of my favourites, Look at Me, and by the end of the song I was already filled with that feeling only Bruce’s tu ta paraburapurooo can express. The new song, Where the State has No Name is a bluesy, catchy number and has one of those choruses that comfortably settle down in your head. A total singalong song. I really liked that they wrote this one. I’ve always believed that TAAQ is an intelligent band; from their lyrics to the structure of their songs, there’s a characteristic subtle wit that underlies. They’re classic, they’re contemporary. They reach out to the audience with songs like this one, and previously, with Keep the Promise, One Small Love and Shut up and Vote.

    It was the first time I heard them play their signature cover, with its long intro (oh what tones on the guitar!) delightfully breaking out into Roxanne. At this point I glanced at the bouncer, contemplating my fate if I did get hysterical. De-arranged was anything but. I love how all the parts come together in their songs. I grinned throughout the show, and everytime Bruce went hic! during Drunk I grinned a little more.

    Read it all here.

    We’ll post some pics once our missing-in-action roadie with the throaty heavy-metal caller tune resurfaces with them. Meanwhile, if any of you have taken photos on Thursday, be kind enough to share them so that we can see what we looked like that night.

    And here’s to all of you in Hyderabad: You made it a very memorable gig for us, no matter what you name your state. You have spirit, and you have guts for braving the bundh to watch us. Thank you!

    As for ‘where the state has no name’, we’re not done making a noise about that yet! ;)

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