Kyra is what Bangalore has always wanted

And suddenly… unexpectedly…  just like that…  Bangalore gets a world-class performance venue.

Despite being the IT/BT capital of the world for over a decade, all that progress hardly made a whisper of a difference when it came to sound and lights available at any of the performance venues in our city. Progress, if any, was reflected in the pricing of the food and drinks.  The only place that has great, world-class sound is apparently the Infy boardroom where Murthy and Nandan jam on their Midas XL8 digital console (known to be the world’s best board). No kidding, they’ve got the works in there, I hear. While we mega rockstar guys have to shut up and play with whatever comes our way. Not to forget the standard pre-gig scenario of haggling with the organizers for that extra sub-woofer or a slightly bigger mixing board or removing a few tables at that pub to make that stage just a tad bigger so that I don’t have a guitar neck going through my ears or have my boom stand up the frontman’s rear.

Finally, here’s a venue where all of that bad stuff is history.

Kyra, with its 30/40 stage + JBL VRX compact line array system with multiple dual 18″ subs powered by QSC amplifiers, processed and managed by a DBX Driverack +  VRX delay speakers designed with ‘EASE’ to ensure even quality of sound across the venue. Not to mention the Soundcraft GB 2-24 24 channel mixer + Truss with 36 lighting points handled by a LSC Maxim M dmx lighting console with 48 faders.

Phew…I’ll stop for now, but there’s plenty more. For all the yada yada yada visit the one and only www.acousticcontrol.com, who have done a fantastic job at Kyra.

And the best part is Kyra promises that this is just the beginning… they are just starting off. Some standard teething troubles, etc. happening but lots more stuff is gonna be put in there.

And if you are wondering why yours truly is being so nice to this place, hear this: Finally, man, finally… finally… finally somebody decided to respect the work of the humble drummer and invest in a high end professional acoustic drum set. My eyes flood up as I thank the person whose decision it was to put in a good high-end kit in there. Contrary to what everybody (including my wife) thinks, we drummers do put in a lot of work into our sound, and for time immemorial we have been disregarded when it comes to spending that lil extra on making sure there’s a good kit at the live gig.

Thank you Kyra. Bangalore desperately needs you.

All the very best, and whatever happens the show must go on.

Gig review by Bruce coming soon.

Thank yous:

Team TAAQ: Vinay Kewalramani (Sound + Gig Mgmt), OB-Wan and Guzuru (Guitar/Bass/Drum Techs)
Kyra: Navneet, Chris, Shimrei, Anand, Ajit and all the staff

More later,
Cheers

Rajeev

The post A drumroll for Kyra appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Bruce was quoted in DNA today. Excerpts:

On the low turnout:

If you think about the way our country has been run, in the last few years at least, there are far more spectacular ‘failures’ that deserve mention. We believe that the campaign is a success that is still in the making.

On the comments of certain leaders that the campaign was a failure:

The assignment of blame is perhaps our nation’s most absorbing pastime; there’s always someone else responsible for your problems.

On voting for the first time:

It felt good to use the finger. I can’t say it was the best candidate who got my vote, but in the context of the ‘big picture’ maybe it was the right choice!

More

The post Vote's the fuss? appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

We’ll leave you with some fabulous pictures taken by Shrenik Sadalgi.

Bruce Lee Mani

Rzhude

Rajeev Rajagopal

Thanks, Shrenik!

There are more fabulous pictures taken by one (and only) Mr. Gaurav Vaz. Facebook people: you’ll find them here.

The post Thank you! Now go vote! appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

7 PM. Entry free.

Anushya Badrinath has shot some amazing pics of our gig in Mumbai.

TAAQ – Shut Up and Vote – Mumbai – © Anushya Badrinath

Dig in for more…

The post Mumbai rocked, and Bangalore will appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

TAAQ brings the Shut Up and Vote tour to the capital

The capital. Power center with no power cuts. Karims. Gulatis. Great gigs. TAAQ quite infested this joint between 2006 – 2007, playing some super shows in the colleges, pubs, etc. Delhi’s always been good to us!

Bruce at the Shut Up and Vote tour, Delhi

Staying at the Tata Tea guest house, while crew (who, btw, are beginning to look more like the rockstars than us) stay at a place called (see? see?) ‘Rockland’. Manage to catch up with old pal Hebbani Raghu Rao Venkatesh (of CNN IBN Anchor fame) and his lovely wife Anu at their home in Noida. Thanks for that great dinner!

Rzhude in full flow at the Shut Up and Vote tour, Delhi

Pragati Maidan is such an amazing place; last we played here must’ve been for GIR, way back in the late 90s, at the Hamsadhwani theater. Lal Chowk is also a striking location – the pics will speak for themselves. Sachin’s sound and lights were spot on, and everything came together just right. Changed the set list a bit; threw out the medley and put in Jupiter Cafe and Sanity instead. The jams were cooking! And there was a bunch of folks in front who seemed to know all the licks and lyrics… nice!

Rajeev skins 'em at the Shut Up and Vote tour, Delhi

Post gig Colonel’s (overpriced) Kebabs and Swagath Pomfrets later, we’re ready to move on.

Must be quite a trip to do this kind of thing 200 days a year.

Tonight, be there in Mumbai. We have a huge stage, full power sound and the works in terms of lighting and multimedia. And it won’t cost you anything except the train fare.

If you miss this one, you’ll rue it. We know Nerul isn’t exactly Near-ul, but it ain’t Far Out either. Please note the correct address of the venue:

Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology (RAIT) grounds  (D Y Patil Academy campus), Nerul, Navi Mumbai.

Location details and map

See you there tonight!

Happy Ugadi to all of you in Bangalore. We’re coming at ya live on Saturday evening at St Joseph’s College of Commerce Grounds. 7 pm onwards. Entry free.

The post The Shut Up And Vote Tour Diary – 3 appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

So all you Mumbaikars and Bombayites, whichever side of the nomatophobic divide you may subscribe to, get yourselves over to Navi Mumbai.

Mark your calendars – 7 PM on Friday, March 27

Venue:

Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology (RAIT) grounds, D Y Patil Academy, Nerul, Navi Mumbai

Entry free.

The post March 27 – Mumbai, shut up and vote! appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Calcutta (er, Kolkata) felt like we went back in time by around 40 years. Everything’s old and has a quaint feel about it. On the other side of its quaintness, even the traffic, honking and road rage is played out so realistically in true barbaric form, unlike Bangalore where the same scenes are enacted by formally dressed yuppies driving their mid-sized luxury cars (my great self shamefully included).

Rajeev at Shut Up and Vote, Kolkata

Been to Cal a few times before but this was the first time at college street and its many narrow gullies. What an amazing place! You know, I’ve never got it when people speak about their favorite cities and how they are absorbed and soaked in the character of these cities, etc. (pretty much like how I don’t understand auto buffs who speak of how their vehicles handle and hug and kiss the road so well, etc… what the!!! ).

Bruce at Shut Up and Vote, Kolkata

Anyways, I think Calcutta did it for me this time. It drizzled a bit as we were rushing back from Bhojohori Manna to Presidency College for sound check. It was a mad drive back.

Calcutta may not save me, but together we can cry

It’s the closest to my idea of the real real reality of an Indian city. To me, in the end everything boils down to being some shade of grey and Calcutta has the most shades to choose from.

So as Calcutta handles amazingly well, and gently hugs and caresses the road, we move to the next big city on our tour – Ny Dhilly.

adios
Rajeeb

About the gig: Suffice to say it happened!

TAAQ takes the Shut Up and Vote tour to Kolkata

The post The Shut Up and Vote Tour Diary – 2 appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

TAAQ kicks off the Shut Up And Vote Tour at IIT-Madras, Chennai

The heat. The dust. The burden of the beast… Chennai is a true ‘Look At Me’ situation. Love it!

IIT OAT – the last time we played here was at least eight on nine years ago – when the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior was docked in Chennai’s port, sounding a clarion call for ‘No More Bhopals’. Was a great gig then (will always remember this one moment: everyone in the crowd was given a candle and asked to light it at the same time… never seen so many stars in the audience like that before – it was stunning); and last night was no less.

Rzhude on bass at IIT-Madras, Chennai

Soundcheck doesn’t quite go according to plan; there’s some conference going on and the Dean keeps ringing us to say ‘Oldein’ (travelers on B’lore buses will know that distinctive sound). But it’s all looking good… the backdrop, the lights, the stage.

Chennai band Greyshack open the gig and get the crowd going with a high-energy medley. We get on after a quick AV and intro; start with Shut Up And Vote and crowd is already roaring. Nice!

Rajeev on drums at IIT-Madras, Chennai

Saw a few Walkie-Taaqies in front singing along to Paper Puli, Look At Me, etc. One Small Love was one of the highlights; used good friend Angshuman’s Taylor acoustic (need more work on getting it to sound right, though) and played the video on the AV screen. Happy lads, kudos! Every pair of hands in the audience spontaneously came together when Rzhude drew that smile on… It was a great moment.

Bruce on guitars and vocals at IIT-Madras, Chennai

Wrap up with Humpty Dumpty, Chameleon and finally, Motorbyckle, complete with sound effects.

Good Gig! Hope we got folks to at least start thinking about the message. Make a date with us – the tour is coming to your city, or at least close!

On to Kolkata now.

Ciao!

TAAQ performs at the Shut Up and Vote tour at IIT-Madras, Chennai

The post The Shut Up and Vote Tour Diary – 1 appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

The Shut Up and Vote Tour

You have already previewed ‘Shut Up and Vote’ on YouTube. Now, coming soon to your city, or a city near you, is the ‘Shut Up and Vote’ tour, part of the Jaago Re One Billion Votes campaign. This is an initiative of Janaagraha and Tata Tea.

We will play in five cities to get the youth together to stand up, shut up and… vote!

It’s interesting how some good folks in the blogosphere are already dishing out their cynicism and quasi-intellectual gibber about the campaign and its effectiveness. They yap about India and China, about the economy and their parsimony, about the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, about Padma Shrees and Padma Laxmi. But hey, just for a minute, get off that high horse and do something, people.

And well, about our song.

Some of the comments on the music video made a big deal about language: some viewers thought the song ought to have been sung in Hindi. Heh, we’ve heard that one even before most of you started to Rock On! Our piece of advice: Try that in Chennai, my friend, and you’ll spend the rest of your years picking splinters out of your rear.

But seriously, language is a non-issue. If you have English newspapers and magazines, English TV news channels, and English theatre, if you can fill your bank application form in English, and sign your name in English, why Bollywood-ise our world?

Go to the neglected Northeast (we have) – English works there better than the officialese of Hindi. And then, we have always maintained that English – thought, written and spoken our way – is an Indian language, and that stays.

For those who haven’t heard us before, we urge you to listen to our songs a little more carefully. Potatoe Junkie, Humpty Dumpty, Cynical World, Galactiqua, Sevenish, The Steal, Chameleon… scratch the surface of these songs and you’ll get to the heart of the messages we have been spreading for the last 13 years. To that list, Shut Up and Vote is one more addition.

So, come and watch the concert. It’s the first step you can take before you use your index finger to make a difference.

And while you’re at it, we’ll practice what we preach.

Here’s the schedule:

MARCH 20: Open Air Theatre, IIT Madras, Chennai

MARCH 23: Presidency College, Kolkata

MARCH 25: Pragati Maidan, Lal Chowk, Delhi

MARCH 27: D.Y. Patil College, Mumbai

MARCH 28: St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore

Be there!

The post The Shut Up and Vote Tour appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

If Led Zep was a Hindi rock band, and “Chandrande irritu bhagam” was that great Floyd album and “Sakkaray magu nanna” or something like that, was the biggest Tamil/Kannada hit by Guns n Roses, if only it had happened like that, it would have helped me learn all our beautiful languages so much more easily. It’s difficult for me to catch up now… at this ripe age. I repent bunking all those tuition classes for 2nd 3rd and 4th language in school. I’m part of a pathetic hopeless minority, and it’s lonely here. Obviously, you must have figured by now, i bunked most English classes also

So that’s no Eng, no Mallu, no Hindi, no Kannada, no French..wow (and when it comes to math and physics and chem… just forget it boss..it’s a hopeless scene).

Some people say we ape the west…Bijoy says we are the apes here.. and that mixed with being a hard core Nirvana fan makes it the full circle of life, evolution existence, sociopsycho whatever etc.

Speaking of Nirvana, that reminds me of what happened at a tribute concert in Kozhikode (Calicut) Kerala, when Kurt Kobain died. Why a tribute gig happened in Kozhikode??? I don’t know, blame it on Vasco da Gama.

Anyways, some Calicut buddies (the drugstore cowboys) who were devastated at Kurt’s death got plastered, and were screaming out all the lyrics of Nirvana songs…and that’s when the cops landed up.

And the mallu cops pull up the boys and ask them whats happening?

So my friends replied “Kurt marichu saaray, Kurt marichu sniff sniff”

Cop is very surprised and replies – “endhu keatu marichu???”

hehehe…sorry that was a bad private mallu joke

But i guess in the end its all about how you mean things and not about how its said … remember that Moody Blues song that went…

“Its not the way that you say it
When you do those things to me.
Its more the way you really mean it
When you tell me what will be.”

Spot quiz – name the song.

So I guess, in a sense, if the heart is in the right place then language skills are not that critical

In any case I would like to catch up with the Indian vernacular rock and I hope in a few years we will see the Delhi release of Patthar Gully Akhbaar (Rock Street Journal) and Urulunna kallu (rolling stone) for our beloved Keralites.

Had a quick beer with a good friend of TAAQ + eminent journo (not a paper puli, she). She interviewed Mick Jagger once and asked him a pretty pertinent question… why they sang ‘Satisfaction’ in such an American accent. “i Cain’t get no saaatisfaaaction” as opposed to “i Kaant get no satisfaction”. For that matter even the sentence construction is completely non British. In propah English it should have been “I cant get ANY satisfaction”…. ‘i cant get NO satisfaction’ is so wrong.

Obviously, even Jagger was aping someone from further west.

I think there’s no education like rock education – we don’t need no education.

Or to put it in correct English – we don’t need “any” education period (meaning bunk all classes)

Cheers,

Rajeev

PS:

Here’s my favorite Nirvana lyric. The way he meant it can never be translated. Listening to it right now … long live Kurt

Dumb

I’m not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I’m having fun
I think I’m dumb
Or maybe just happy

Think I’m just happy [repeat 3x]

My heart is broke
But I have some glue
Help me inhale
And mend it with you
Well float around
And hang out on clouds
Then well come down
And I have a hangover

Have a hangover [repeat 3x]

Skin the sun
Fall asleep
Wish away
The soul is cheap
Lesson learned
Wish me luck
Soothe the burn
Wake me up

[repeat first verse and chorus]

I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb
I think I’m dumb

The post Urulunna Kallugal* appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).