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  • Gig review: Arian Hellsing on the Kolkata gig

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    Arian Hellsing waxes poetic about our gig at The Park, Kolkata:

    It’s Sunday night, and it’s Halloween,
    Zombies and monsters are DYING to be seen
    But wait, Thermal and a Quarter’s here!
    And no, they’re not green.

    Before them came Skinny Alley,
    And BOY, were they good
    And the zombies jived
    As they well should.

    And then came the monsters,
    The music monsters are here
    Bruce with his guitar and goatee
    Rajeev, ready to take it to another gear
    And with newest addition Prakash
    The boogeyman is here!

    In the land of mishti doi and ilish (maach)
    Was cooked a spicy dish,
    Delicious was it, and you had to ask…
    How Can I Get Your Groove?
    How indeed… Hey Jude! Maybe you know?
    Or Roxanne maybe?
    Well, the crowd certainly knew.

    Then of course, there was the ditty
    About the funny man from the funny papers
    And lots of publicity

    The ineffable bass man got his fingers going,
    And the man with sticks was untouchable
    And the bard with the guitar
    Made you ask yourself
    Why isn’t it on fire?

    They jammed, they sang
    They had fun, and we did too
    Thermal and a Quarter,
    We love you!

  • "It's time for us Indians to shine!" says Raghavendra Singhania

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    Our gig at Firangi Paani, Andheri, as experienced by Raghavendra Singhania:

    Thermal And A Quarter were in town last night at Firangi Paani. And they were so awesome that this is the first blog post I’ll be doing for a band, considering the fact that I’ve been for shows like Iron Maiden, Porcupine Tree, Joshua Redman and various other shows. The reason for this is these guys have the potential, the skill… Putting it in other words this band begs to differ using their unique set of skills (IT’S TIME FOR US INDIANS TO SHINE :) ) It’s not the same old usual stuff/covers what everyone out there is replaying.

    Secondly, the whole world is following existing musicians; very few like TAAQ are differentiating with a very thin line which is really, REALLY awesome.

    Thirdly, India has to start creating its mark on the world by fabricating something diverse/different. For example, at last night’s show there was this song (Look At Me) where Bruce improvised vocals with “balle balle” and other songs like Jupiter Cafe where he uses ragas — which is awesome (trust me on this one).

    Every song performed by them was gripping the crowd. I was standing right in the front of the stage all-show-long. LOL!

    They played unexpected stuff like Hey Jude (The Beatles), a jazzy cover which was a simple jaw dropper.

    Right after a few songs I happened to ask someone if Bruce takes classes anywhere, and I was surprised to hear that there is a TAAQademy, I was expecting a sarcastic answer like: YEAH RITE!!

    BUT HE TAKES CLASSES!! Unfortunately, they have them only in Bangalore.

    Overall a very lively band to be catch! I can today say that even if you haven’t heard even a single song of TAAQ you still should catch them live and you would love it!

    - A SATISFIED CUSTOMER. :)

  • Sayash Kumar reviews the Seagull, Pondy gig

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    On September 18, Sayash Kumar beamed himself down to Pondy from Chennai to watch TAAQ in concert at Seagull, that balmy little cafe by the beach. Here’s his review of the gig:

    Once upon a time, in a concert far far away, a desperate voice cut its way through the crowd… craving, needing and demanding Metallica or some music like that with the gain turned way up. And then the 3-piece band on stage, looking cool behind their shades, beards and hats and shiny guitars connected to seriously sweet amps played such mind-numbingly awesome music that people just shut up and listened. Who knows, maybe they even went back, voted and started to work to rid their country of corruption. But then again, that place was Pondicherry and it’s likely that everyone just got very happily drunk and passed out at the beach.
    Now, ever since I heard the extended intro in Jupiter Cafe, I’ve always been rather fond of their unique sound and song-writing. I happened to watch them live during the Jaago Re tour (March 2009) and I knew I just had to see them play many many more times after. So then I began the exercise of waiting for dates and venues to match schedules and convenience and if you’re from Chennai, you’ll agree that the best places in Chennai is actually, Pondicherry. No kidding. And if you’re a Chennai fanatic, one visit to Seagull could change that. It was a really nice venue for the concert – an open air restaurant right next to the beach where you could just sit back on the grass and experience a very high degree of peace.

    I reached Pondicherry a bit late, missing the first ten minutes, and apparently I missed a lot of rock and roll moments… drunk people in shiny shirts trying to take over the stage and what not! But that enthusiasm-dampener notwithstanding, TAAQ slowly built their energy levels and tightness over the next couple of songs, particularly around Between the Lines. The skill and proficiency of this band clearly stands out with their songs sounding practically indistinguishable from the studio versions! It’s quite something to see Bruce hum his solos AND play them note to note! Not an easy feat, but it sounds terrific. However, VERY demoralising for anyone who has plans of playing a guitar. Unfair Bruce. Plain unfair. The ‘baby’(!) of the group, Prakash, has brought in a bit of a new sound to TAAQ, and it was great to see the band at ease with their new bassist – his extended solos flowing right back into the songs on every occasion. Just one doubt though… Can he see anything from behind his hat?

    The sound though wasn’t top notch, there was some static and some jarring. I really wish that wasn’t the case as it lessened from their typically perfect patches and tones.

    The crowd though didn’t take much notice of that and really got into the groove around the song Drunk, probably as it reflected their state at that moment. With the audience and TAAQ’s energy levels rising, Paper Puli was timed to perfection. In fact, Rajeev was throwing away his drum sticks in a fit of drum-rage too! You can’t deny it, that song is rather sticky. At the risk of making a very bad pun based on a common tea ad… Wah TAAQ Wah… The wah of that guitar!

    Now I’m not sure about one thing, but there was this shockingly original rendition of Hey Jude! I swear you haven’t heard anything like that before and The Beatles would have been proud to see a 3-piece band from Bangalore pull that off! I hunted on their website but couldn’t find a studio version of that, but I hope that changes soon and a few more ‘original covers’ follow. And no, its not an oxymoron with TAAQ.

    It’s a pity that to see the end of their shows, but the evening did come to an end amidst many shouts for an encore performance! Nonetheless, great music at a great place. Hoping to catch another show again soon. Though I often wonder… with all the other worldly skill that they possess, how would they sound in a completely acoustic setting, a fusion-ified and Carnatic-ified version or one with an all out backing orchestra and what not? Damn. Need more TAAQ!

  • 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!

  • Aswin Nandakumar reviews the Alliance gig

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    The Alliance Francaise was packed to the rafters on Sunday evening for the TAAQ gig. But some folks out there were taking notes. Aswin Nandakumar sends us his take (for the record, it’s his first-ever gig review). We’re honoured, Aswin. Thanks!

    The music they breathed out at Alliance Francaise (with the new bassist) was entirely unpredictable. It might be a naïve comment, but it’s been ages since I last attended a TAAQ concert. I am talking about ‘those times’ when they used to belt numbers from Plan B. I must say their enthusiasm for their live craft to play is grand with likeable degree of energy. Their music did the talking.

    There was a festival atmosphere in the Alliance as they rendered all new tracks keeping aside their most peppy hits. Fans gazed into each other’s eyes with the expression “OHoo… Wowwiiee” as the new bass guitarist Prakash on his debut performance plucked, stroked and strummed with great ease and grooved so well with Rajeev (drums) and vocals.

    The gig was short as they played just less than half a dozen songs. ‘Ordinary Affair’ and ‘Surrender’ were my personal favorites. I was also pleased with their intention to write the song the ‘Where the state has no name’, which sang about the “geographical divide” situation in Andhra Pradesh. I just hoped they would play ‘One Small Love’ with the video flashing in the background.

    Perhaps more pleasing to the impartial listener might have been the Beatles number ‘Hey Jude’. On request from an unknown shout from a fan who probably would have come to sing along with Paper Puli, Bruce humbly replied, “No. All new songs today.” And his request to the sound guy: “Give him (Prakash) whatever he wants” added fun to the gig.

    Backup vocals/seconds (God knows how Bruce did that) was timely and limited just like the number of t-shirts they had for sale!

    On a lighter note, I was wondering if TAAQ would tell their newbie to trim off his metal look! The TAAQ concert at Alliance Francaise was a fine breeze. It was pleasant and engaging. TAAQ serious followers were all there! It came as no surprise as half of the crowd left the Alliance with them. It’s great to to see TAAQ find equilibrium at 3 yet again!

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