Yamaha Asian Beat Band Championship Live At Hard Rock Mumbai On Thursday, 2nd September

Yamaha Asian Beat Band Championship is one of Asia’s biggest and most prestigious talent hunts for amateur bands spanning China, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, etc and also covering Mexico and Philippines. It is in its tenth year now.

Rolling Stone is handling this for Yamaha Music here.

To provide an overview, the process for selecting bands for Asian Beat is pretty exhaustive.

• Amateur bands send demos

• Shortlisted bands are invited to compete at regional levels

• Top bands from each region compete in the national final

• The one band that wins the national final goes on to represent the country at the Asian Beat Band Championship in Japan for a grand prize.

Some more details on this can be found via the links below:

http://asianbeat-yamaha.typepad.com/

http://asianbeat.yamaha.co.jp/

About the Indian leg Finals:

• 6 finalist bands competing against each other

• 1 established headlining band – Whirling Kalapas

• Panel of reputed judges from the musician fraternity

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

The Wolfpack Live at Hard Rock Bengaluru On Thursday, 2nd September

The Wolfpack project, in its various avatars, has been playing its own brand of hard hitting rock music that draws influences from blues, folk and rock n roll. The band's set list is derived from the 60s and 70s rock n roll and blues with hints of 90's alternative and pop rock thrown in. Influences include Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, U2, Nirvana etc.The Wolfpack has also played out successful tributes to Cat Stevens, U2 and The Beatles. The band also plays original music written by Rajeev.

The Wolfpack project has featured some of the best musicians in the country, including members of bands like Karma 6, Angel Dust, Cryptic, Kryptos, Synaps etc. The 400 plus gigs that the band has played so far, include college festivals and corporate gigs. The band stays clear of awards and hype as the only focus is to provide audiences a good time. This is the band's second outing at Hard Rock Cafe, Bengaluru.

Rajeev's original music has been featured on NDTV Good Times, Almost Famous.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Native Tongue Live at Hard Rock Hyderabad on Thursday, 2nd September

Native Tongue wanted to open for Iron Maiden, but didn’t, somebody else did and got booed…Talk about lucky stars and stubborn scars! They Wanted to open for Mr. Big, but didn’t, their pals did, and they did a good job. They wanted to open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but they never came, dang it! Native Tongue wanted to go play at a festival in the USofA (with a paucity of financial assistance and a plethora of strong will); the boys went to the US Embassy in Chennai and got their passports stamped with ‘Application Received’ not once, twice under section 214(b)

Walter Becker’s mom said, ‘Misfortune builds character', all heads bobb in full agreement! !

Anyways, Native Tongue’s been around for a while, six times to the moon and back to be precise and it’s been real! No, they didn’t play Strawberry Fields, never applied to go play Mood Indigo, Went all the way to BITS Pilani and ...came back home. Yes, they are too loud for Blue Frog… or that’s what been-there-done-that-we-know-the-scene critics speculate…No sign of its true validity yet.

Heck, Native Tongue has written songs, lots of ‘em, Love, Hate, Sunshine, Corruption, God, Sex (and the) City Life, Split Personalities, Et Al ! Native Tongue sing Strictleee in Engslihhhsss.

Electric Piano, the wisely titled seven song EP released in 2007 has been creating good vibes online and otherwise. The EP can be purchased online at www.musicyogi.com

Native Tongue's baby is The Chai Biscuit Foundation, a rag tag army fighting the disease. Log on to www.chaibiscuitfoundation.blogspot.com for more details, support and involvement.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

If 6 Was 9, Barefaced Liar & Ave Verdad Live at Hard Rock Delhi on Thursday, 2nd September

Hard Rock Cafe Delhi brings you 3 sensational bands to rock you on the same day 2nd September.

If 6 Was 9
If 6 was 9 Five young boys with talent, big dreams and great passion for Rock music are given an opportunity of a lifetime with a unique business model. They are Lee Gounden, Shaun van Niekerk, Craig Ballantyne, Trung Le and Darren Terry. They are influenced by the Rock pioneers of days gone by and their ability to write their own music paves a way for them to be musical legends of tomorrow. The project is about shattering boundaries and breaking the mould commercially and artistically. Their musicality is under the guidance of the doyennes of rock in SA, Peter Vee and Myles Shannon. The project encompasses the ethos of best of breed alliances to capture the hearts and minds of the Global Rock World. This provides a platform for a unique recipe for success.
Barefaced Liar
Barefaced Liar Formed in 2002, Barefaced Liar is an amalgamation of the distinct and eclectic musical taste of its members, Akshay Chowdhry (Vocals, Guitars), Sumant Balakrishnan (Guitars, Vocals) and Dushyant Purohit (Bass). The band is heavily influenced by all time classic sounds of bands and artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, SRV, Hendrix and Metallica while leaning towards a more modern sound in the style of Tool, Stone Temple Pilots, etc

Based out of a country and culture that is still embracing the concept of rock ‘n roll and live music , BFL has worked passionately on honing their craft in terms of combining technical skill and quality songwriting. The combination of influences backed by a loaded blues rock driven guitar style that developed over the years, led to a unique east-west dynamic that has translated into complete and relevant songwriting.

The band has recently recorded their debut album with producer Zorran Mendonsa and are looking forward to releasing it in July 2010. With a twin guitar offensive, haunting basslines and thumping rhythms, Barefaced Liar is all set to impress….

Ave Verdad
Formerly known as Scarlet Ground, the band was formed in July,2007 with wide influences ranging from death metal(drummer) to blues(vocalist) & from progressive(bassist) to rock(guitarist). Ave Verdad's full 15-track debut album has been released.

*Line-Up:
Leon Dawson -[Vocals],
Vivek Gordon -[Bass],
Don James -[Drums, Backing Vocals],
Benjamin Samte -[Guitars]

"One of the nicest things about good metal is that it doesn’t leave gaping holes in your system. You hear Ave Verdad’s frenetic debut album Selah and you realise that this Delhi hard ass quartet has taken pains to not leave things to chance. No frayed mosquito net gaps in the sound from the start to the end........Clearly, these guys know how to chop and peel a song and serve it with a dip as the guitar along with the drums play a helluva sharp knife. Oh, they also know how to use the mixie — sloshing things up with speed-breakers and furious word-packed accelerations. The guitar lines jump like a giant rabbit caught in the electric line....." - Indrajit Hazra, Stop & Listen, 3rd April 2010, Hindustan Times.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Livewire Live at Hard Rock Pune on Thursday, 2nd September

A pune based band initiated in 2004 “LiveWire”

INFLUENCES: Eric Clapton, AC-DC, Pink Floyd, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, Dire Straits

The Band performs a genre of
Classic Rock, Rock, Retro, Pop, Raggae, Rock n Roll, Jazz

Artists Covered:
AC-DC, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, 3 Doors Down, Doobie Brothers, Deep Purple, Queen, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, Black Crows, Santana, Radio head, Michael Jackson, Dire Straits, Eagles, Skid Row, Van Halen, Survivors,Oasis, Scorpions, and many more

Members:
TROY DAMERUM : LEAD GUITARS & VOCALS
VIBHAS SHUKLA : LEAD VOCALS
JASON: KEY BOARDS & VOCALS
KESHAV: BASS
SALIL: DRUMS

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Shlomo Live At Hard Rock Cafe Mumbai On Wednesday, 15th September

Shlomo is a British beat boxing artist and is known for pioneering original beat boxing techniques.

Heard by 3.9 billion people around the world when he and Björk performed "Oceania" at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He has worked with artists like Martha Wainwright, DJ Yoda, Mad Professor, Damon Albarn, Mr Scruff, and Nitin Sawhney.

Shlomo is a classically-trained percussionist, a jazz drummer and heads the world's only human beat box choir, the Vocal Orchestra.

Shlomo has performed at many major festivals over the past few years, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Glastonbury, Bestival, Womad, Latitude, Oxegen Ireland, The Big Chill and the Lovebox Weekender.

He is the key person behind humanbeatbox.com

He has also run his own collaborative concert series Music Through Unconventional Means.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Retronome Live at Hard Rock Bengaluru On Thursday, 16th September

Retronome is a fun cover band that believes in churning out hits... and nothing but the hits! Although relatively new, they have become one of Bangalore's most sought-after bands. If you want your party to rock, you call Retronome! And while the band is new-ish, the band members have been playing with other bands and projects for well over 10 years now. A typical Retronome gig will include pop-rock and rock hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today. Retronome has been playing at all the big venues in Bangalore.

The lineup:

Chris Avinash - lead vocals, lead guitar. Chris is a singer/songwriter/musician and runs his own studio which is called Christortion! Chris is the livewire in the band and has been known to talk non-stop in his sleep as well!

Ryan Colaco - drums. Ryan is one of Bangalore's best drummers and a passionate animal lover. Ryan has his own fan following - mostly human. He has just returned from a tour of Europe with his other band Kryptos and is feeling pretty pleased with himself!

Tiny D'Souza - lead guitar. Tiny is a guitar god. He lives, breathes and eats music. Tiny is the Joe Satriani of Bangalore. He just cut his hair and is one step closer to the Satriani look!

Uday Jose - keyboards, backing vocals. Uday has played with different bands and projects and is extremely talented. He teaches music and is fondly called "Yanni"! He isn't fond of that nickname.

Riccha Paul - vocals. Riccha has an engineering background and is currently pursuing music. She has been singing on the circuit for a few years now and is comfortable with rock, pop and jazz. She also loves dancing - someone, please ask her to dance on stage!

Saggy - bass guitar, backing vocals. Saggy is an RJ with Radio Indigo and hosts The Rock Show. His real job, however, is with an NGO, something he is committed to for life. Saggy is a recent Justin Bieber convert and you will often catching him humming along to "Eenie Meenie". At this point, the band pretends he's not with them.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Dewars Rerock - A Tribute to Nirvana Live at Hard Rock Pune on Thursday, 16th September

All-Star Tribute Concert Nights at Hard Rock Cafes across India
In association with Rolling Stone magazine

Introduction
There are cover bands in every corner of India but it takes more than any random cover band do justice to the original artist they’re covering. Accomplished musicians help bring a fresh perspective and innovative twist to a legendary artist’s music that has been created years ago.

Concept
The Legends of Rock is Rolling Stone’s endeavor to bring all star musicians from some of the biggest bands in India to collaborate on tribute concerts to some of the biggest legends of rock.

• Artist lineups to be put together by Rolling Stone.
• Rolling Stone expertise in pulling off tribute concerts with fantastic turnouts and superb music content.
• Each concert to feature an all start lineup of musicians traveling to various cities with HRC presence. Collaborations with accomplished local artists to be arranged by Rolling Stone.

The First Legends of Rock Tour was a Tribute to Dire Straits featuring a stellar Line – up of Bruce Lee Mani (Thermal and a Quarter) on guitars and vocals, Naveen Thomas (Galeej Gurus, Parousia) on guitars, Jason Zacharaiah (Thermal and a Quarter, Allegro Fudge) on keyboards, Prakash (Amit Heri Group, L Subramanium) on bass and Rajeev Rajagopal (Thermal and a Quarter) on drums. These musicians were accompanied by guest musicians in each city. Following the success of this tour Hard Rock Café and Rolling Stone plan to launch another tour under the same property to pay Tribute to Nirvana with Luke Kenny and his band.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Shlomo Live At Hard Rock Cafe Delhi On Thursday, 16th September

Shlomo is a British beat boxing artist and is known for pioneering original beat boxing techniques.

Heard by 3.9 billion people around the world when he and Björk performed "Oceania" at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He has worked with artists like Martha Wainwright, DJ Yoda, Mad Professor, Damon Albarn, Mr Scruff, and Nitin Sawhney.

Shlomo is a classically-trained percussionist, a jazz drummer and heads the world's only human beat box choir, the Vocal Orchestra.

Shlomo has performed at many major festivals over the past few years, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Glastonbury, Bestival, Womad, Latitude, Oxegen Ireland, The Big Chill and the Lovebox Weekender.

He is the key person behind humanbeatbox.com

He has also run his own collaborative concert series Music Through Unconventional Means.

Shlomo's tour of India has been put together by Nevil Timbadia of That Cat Entertainment. Earlier this year, Nevil Timbadia went to the UK on the British Council Music Entrepreneur Tour where he met with music promoters and entrepreneurs in the UK. Shlomo's tour of the the UK was born out of that trip. He went back to British Council with the project who were keen on supporting him on it.

British Council in India runs it's music projects through 'Soundpad' and over the past few years has focused on collaborations between UK and Indian acts and also on capacity building with the Indian music industry. This project directly fulfilled both those aims. British Council believes that collaboration between artists is a great way to start dialogue between the two countries and that equal focus should be laid on both urban acts as well as folk musicians as they both represent India's diverse musical heritage. Shlomo's India Tour is supported by Only Much Louder who has also been instrumental in bringing together the collaborative acts on this tour.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

The Other People Live At Hard Rock Mumbai on Thursday, 16th September

About six years ago, a talented, enterprising group of musicians came together to form what set out to be one of Mumbai’s most acclaimed bands. Indeed, the band saw early success and stood out in the crowd, aptly calling themselves ‘The Other People’.

The band debuted with a frenzied night of Classic Rock and Rock n’ Roll at Not Just Jazz By The Bay, Mumbai in July 2004. Jam packed shows and many rehearsals later, The Other People had Mumbai’s nightlife abuzz and became hugely popular for their Rock n’ Roll renditions. Edgy and experimental, the band’s move into covering classic artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Louis Amstrong, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Doors, Bon Jovi, U2, Bob Marley, Billy Joel, Billy Idol, Police, Status Quo, The Eagles, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Bee Gees etc; qualified Soft Rock, Retro and Rock n’ Roll as The Other People’s distinguishable genre. With Reggae and Blues coming a close second, the band has a wide audience and fan following of people aged anything between 16 and 60 plus, and more often than not, the band ensures that they ‘dance till they drop!’

Known to bring an original twist into each track, the band never fails to surprise an audience and has them hooked. Committed to quality music and entertainment extraordinaire, The Other People have innumerable shows under their belt and continue to wow crowds at Mumbai’s hotspots including the Hard Rock Café and Blue Frog. Along with these big clubs, the band has performed at the world – renowned ‘Lakme India Fashion Week’ Finale After Party in November 2008, the prestigious Terry Fox Marathon After Party, the launch of ‘Absolut Vodka’s Rock Edition’ and at a party hosted by one of India’s biggest and most respected Fashion Designers – Mr. Wendell Rodricks.

Unstinting talent and a passion to perform drives the band to persistently raise the bar and endeavor to deliver something unique each time. Of course, being from India, the band adds its own little Indian flavour to each song they perform which makes them stand out and be different from the other Retro cum Rock n’ Roll bands around the world!

THE OTHER PEOPLE

Gavin Cason – Guitar / Vocals

Samuel Berlie – Guitar / Vocals

Loy Henriques – Bass / Vocals

Garth Dmello – Keyboard / Vocals

Danesh Khambata – Drums / Percussion

Zarir Warden – Lead Vocals

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Above & Beyond Live At Hard Rock Cafe Hyderabad On Thursday, 16th September

“Few trance artists have reached Above & Beyond’s stature in terms of integrity and respect.” IDJ

“A cut above.” – Mixmag

“Above & Beyond’s vault from innovative trance trio to globetrotting DJ superstars is now complete.” DJ Magazine

“The UK’s new dance superstars.” Pete Tong, Radio 1

“A blend of sleek electronic rhythms, lush filmic textures and old-fashioned songwriting, ‘Tri-State’ is the fulfilment of any dance act’s ultimate album aspiration: a padding-free, skilled, diverse long-player. In a word ‘brilliant’. 5/5” DJ Magazine

There are DJs who can rock a party, a club, a festival. And there are acts that can write songs that will bring out the goose bumps in you. But there’s only one group that can do both: Above & Beyond. Currently fourth in the DJ Magazine annual poll – the highest-placed Brits – in the last year alone, they have sound-tracked the unveiling of a new space-ship, performed an acoustic show in a hot air balloon, and entranced a crowd of 8,000 in Beirut with their first full live show. For the world’s most famous trance trio, there are no limits. “There’s so much going on,” says Tony McGuinness. “We’re trying to do so many things.”

From remixing Madonna (2001), to winning Essential Mix of the Year (2004) or playing to one million people on the beach in Rio de Janeiro (New Year’s Eve 2007), Above & Beyond’s career has been a constant upward curve since the trio formed in 2000. Because Above & Beyond make music, pure and simple. That music happens to be electronic. And it connects. “We’re a group,” says Tony. “And we’re trying to connect with people. When you see people singing along as passionately as they do, I guess you’re getting it right.” The key difference is this: Above & Beyond are DJs, producers – and musicians. “We like to think of ourselves as songwriters first,” says Paavo Siljamaki, who with Jono Grant makes up the trio. “The most challenging thing is to write a song that really touches the listener.”

Creatively and geographically, Above & Beyond don’t believe in borders. Hence 2009’s full live band show in Beirut, Lebanon. “What an undertaking,” says Tony. “We decided to do a really big, high production live show. It was an enormous undertaking and a risk.” It was the first time they had translated the Above & Beyond sound to a live line-up – drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, singers Zoe Johnston and Richard Bedford. “People were blown away and we felt blown away by it ourselves,” says Tony. And Beirut left its mark. “They rebuilt the town centre, it’s beautiful,” says Tony. “But we did a photo shoot in an old Chevrolet showroom and it had bullet holes, and the driver had fought on that very roof, and was picking up shell cases and explaining what happened.”

At the other end of the scale, the group played an acoustic show for two fans and BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong in a hot air balloon as it sailed serenely over the English countryside. At one point, the driver flew the balloon at little more than a metre over a field of wheat. “It’s like a dream sequence in a movie, because you’re not flying fast or up and down, you’re looking at something you would never see in nature,” says Tony.

And when Richard Branson needed a theme tune for the unveiling of his new Virgin Galactic spaceship in the Mojave Desert with California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, he turned to Above & Beyond. Jono DJed at the event. And ‘Buzz’, the track Above & Beyond provided, delighted the ‘ship’s designers with its sleek, rocket-fuelled, trance dynamics and crackly radio dialogue by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. “They thought it was perfect, thought it had the right resonance,” says Jono.

From small, East European club shows to major festival like America’s Coachella, Above & Beyond have a unique ability to captivate and engage audiences. Their music has grandeur and melody, but it’s edged with steel too. There are dark shadows among the sweet moments. Trance is too small a word for their cinematic, ambitious sound, it’s bigger than genres.

THE trio are experienced musicians who know their way around a studio. Tony McGuinness was marketing director for Warner Brothers Records – but for years previously was the guitarist/songwriter of cult indie band Sad Lovers & Giants. Asked to organize a remix of Chakra’s ‘Home’ in 2000, he joined together with Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamaki - and Above & Beyond was born. “By coincidence we ended up putting three individuals with complimentary and different talents into the mix,” says Tony.

Jono Grant first discovered dance music when he borrowed his brother James’s cassette of Paul Oakenfold’s classic Goa mix – and fell in love with its sweeping melodrama. Already training as a classical pianist and guitarist, he was inspired him to build his own studio, taking on part time jobs to fund his equipment. “I managed to save up enough money from mowing the lawn to buy a drum machine,” he laughs. When he arrived at London’s University of Westminster, he had a small, yet compact studio. His first production was a remix of Strike’s Top Five hit ‘U Sure Do’.

Paavo had arrived at the same university from his native Finland. Also classically trained on cello and piano, he was studying music business. The two met one beery night and Jono proceeded to play his latest productions. “Let’s write a track together,” Paavo told Jono. They pooled their studio resources in one mad taxi dash, and Anjunabeats was born. It is now one of the most famous labels on the world stage.

In 2001, Above & Beyond remixed Madonna’s ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’ after Tony talked his way into her manager’s office – and into a remix. “We were pitching for the stars at that point,” smiles Paavo. Madonna used their mix for her controversial hot rod rampage video, directed by her husband Guy Ritchie. Other remixes have included Dido’s ‘Sand In My Shoes’ and Britney Spears’s ‘Everytime’. Their first single proper, 2002’s ‘Far From In Love’ with Kate Cameron, became a dance anthem. Their 2006 album ‘Tri-State’ was greeted with rave reviews. “Brilliant,” said DJ Magazine. “The ultimate fulfilment of any dance act’s ambition.” It was the song-writing that shone through - sweeping from euphoric melodies to atmospheric down-tempo moments. “We felt the perfect album wouldn’t be 12 club tracks but a collection of songs that take you on a journey,” says Paavo. “There were moments where we weren’t really sure. But in the end we feel we made something we could be proud of.”

One of the album’s many standouts is ‘Alone Tonight’ whose otherworldly melodies and heartfelt vocal performance from Richard Bedford resonate with audiences all over the world. “A lot of people who go to clubs are single, and that song is about being in a relationship but feeling alone,” says Jono. “So it resonates.” Under their Oceanlab alias with singer/songwriter Justine Suissa, they also produced the unforgettable ‘Satellite’. Another lyric with universal appeal – which Tony wrote about Paavo and his Japanese wife, when both were on opposite sides of the world – coupled with melodies to make you shiver and a vocal drenched in emotion. It too has become a vocal trance classic and live favourite.

Yet Above & Beyond aren’t just consummate musicians and songwriters, they are also world class DJs. Their Trance Around The World radio show airs on over 15 FM, Internet and Satellite stations worldwide and has just celebrated its 300th show – in Russia. They began their DJing career in front of 8,000 people in Tokyo in 2002. In 2004 they won BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the Year. They are Number Four in DJ magazine’s prestigious poll. “To be among such great DJs is a real honour,” says Paavo. “There are people above and below that I really, truly respect.”

Their ‘Anjunabeats 100’ – a collection of the very best tracks from their universally respected label - included a DVD documentary of the shows the group played over the Christmas holidays in 2007 in Goa, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they celebrated New Year with a million people. A peak in a career that has been full of them. “It was life-changing,” says Tony. “Amazing to look out and see that many people. In some ways it was too big to comprehend!”

WHAT audiences around the world also respond to is the professionalism and enthusiasm that Above & Beyond bring to their art. There is a warmth about the trio that people love. Tony is the one who gives it all on stage. “Tony is really the rock n’ roll star of the whole crew,” says Paavo. Tony sums up his band members with equal enthusiasm. “Jono is ambivalent about the incredible talent he has. He has a lot of energy, he is fearless when he’s DJing and is always in a good mood.” If Jono’s contribution is an effortless musicality, says Tony, Paavo adds heart and soul. “What he brings is a sense is how to bring out the emotion in a track.”

The ongoing Above & Beyond world tour continues. They just hosted a stage at the Future Music Festival, Australia’s biggest live event, covering five cities. In the studio, they moved towards a fusion of house and trance with their gorgeously anthemic remix of Dirty Vegas’s ‘Tonight’ – recorded in just 24 hours as part of the Ibiza Winter Music Conference. It’s a direction the group are also following with their Anjundadeep label which hit Number One on the US itunes album chart. “It felt to us like the road between house and trance used to be fairly empty,” notes Tony. “Now that has turned into an eight lane highway.” The album included a daring, soaring remix of Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner’. “We always wanted to work with a Thom Yorke vocal, they’re one of the most distinctive groups in the world,” says Tony. Meanwhile their remix album of Oceanlab’s ‘Sirens Of The Sea’ also reached Number One in the itunes Dance Album chart with pumped up versions of hits like ‘On A Good Day’.

The next major project is the new Above & Beyond studio album – currently scheduled for Autumn 2010, their first since ‘Tri-State’ and in its finishing stages. Above & Beyond are a team of perfectionists, constantly striving to get better. “You get more out of life by collaborating,” notes Tony. “We’re always trying to grow.” And what they do is make music with melody, movement – and meaning. Music, in short, that matters to people across the globe. “You can do stuff that is popular without selling out,” says Jono. “If you do something with quality, people respond to that.” Which is why even when they are half a world away, audiences always make Above & Beyond feel at home.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

The Galeej Gurus Live at Hard Rock Bengaluru On Thursday, 23rd September

The Galeej Gurus are a band that believes in exploring music and also to have as much fun as possible doing it.

They have been on the circuit since 2000 & played over 500 gigs within & outside the country.

After over nine years of touring and performing, the Galeej Gurus are working towards the release of their debut album in 2010.

The Galeej Gurus, in 2008, won SHAMAL - Dubai’s very own International Battle of the Bands and performed at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival (Asia’s Largest Music Festival) alongside Velvet Revolver, Muse, Korn, Machinehead, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying & Slapshock.

In India, the Galeej Gurus have also opened for legendary rockers such as MR. BIG & Deep Purple.

THE MUSIC
The band believes that their music genre can’t be classified; however critics have classified the band’s music as Indie, along with a host of other genres such as Alternative, Funk, and Blues-Rock. In the music of The Galeej Gurus, one can see such diverse influences as Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eric Clapton, Steve Vai and Deep Purple.
Originals: The band’s acclaimed originals include such popular numbers as Full Meals by the Wayside, Believe in Tomorrow, High Above, Better When Blown, Make Some Noise, Physiological Breakdown and several others.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
- In March 2010, the Rolling Stone magazine featured the Galeej Gurus as one of ‘India’s Hottest Bands’.
- The Galeej Gurus opened for the legendary rock band ‘MR. BIG’ on October 10, 2009 in Bangalore.
- Galeej Gurus were recently placed amongst the Top 12 bands, out of 100’s of bands that competed for Spin Earth’s ‘Free The Noise’ Competition 2009, which was an International search for the next big Rock band.
- The Galeej Gurus opened for both days of the Dubai Desert Rock Festival (DDRF) held on March 7 & 8, 2008, alongside Velvet Revolver, Muse, Korn, Machinehead, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying & Slapshock.
- In March 2008, The Galeej Gurus participated & won Shamal – Dubai’s very own International Battle of the Bands. Amidst stiff competition with bands from Egypt, Syria, Iran, Nigeria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia to name a few, the Gurus emerged victorious and earned themselves the opening slot at the prestigious DDRF.
- The Galeej Gurus also performed at the Eastwind Music Festival at Delhi in February 2008 with the best Indian bands from across the country.
- In 2006 The Galeej Gurus opened for Classic rock legends - Deep Purple in Bangalore for a crowd of 15,000.
- The Galeej Gurus were the headlining act for – The Campus Rock Idols, South Zone – in 2006 & 2007, the most popular national talent search competition in India .
- They also played alongside The Rasmus in 2005.
- The Galeej Gurus were a part of the warm up concerts leading up to the Bryan Adams concert in 2004.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS:
GIBSON: Gibson strongly believes in the band’s talent and growth & in 2008 signed the Galeej Gurus to an Exclusive Artist deal. The band will now have access to Gibson instruments for all live shows and performances.
AKG: In July 2009, AKG (A Harman International Company) also tied up with the Galeej Gurus. The band will now endorse AKG products exclusively, specifically microphones, headphones, in-ear monitor systems and wireless microphone systems.

Band Members
Nathan Lee Harris - Singer / Song Writing / Lyricist.
Matthew Harris - Bass Guitar.
Ananth Menon - Guitars / Vocals.
Naveen Thomas Joseph - Guitars.
Kishan Balaji – Drums.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!

Dewar's Rerock – A Tribute to Nirvana Live at Hard Rock Hyderabad on Thursday, 23rd September

All-Star Tribute Concert Nights at Hard Rock Cafes across India
In association with Rolling Stone magazine

Introduction
There are cover bands in every corner of India but it takes more than any random cover band do justice to the original artist they’re covering. Accomplished musicians help bring a fresh perspective and innovative twist to a legendary artist’s music that has been created years ago.

Concept
The Legends of Rock is Rolling Stone’s endeavor to bring all star musicians from some of the biggest bands in India to collaborate on tribute concerts to some of the biggest legends of rock.

• Artist lineups to be put together by Rolling Stone.
• Rolling Stone expertise in pulling off tribute concerts with fantastic turnouts and superb music content.
• Each concert to feature an all start lineup of musicians traveling to various cities with HRC presence. Collaborations with accomplished local artists to be arranged by Rolling Stone.

The First Legends of Rock Tour was a Tribute to Dire Straits featuring a stellar Line – up of Bruce Lee Mani (Thermal and a Quarter) on guitars and vocals, Naveen Thomas (Galeej Gurus, Parousia) on guitars, Jason Zacharaiah (Thermal and a Quarter, Allegro Fudge) on keyboards, Prakash (Amit Heri Group, L Subramanium) on bass and Rajeev Rajagopal (Thermal and a Quarter) on drums. These musicians were accompanied by guest musicians in each city. Following the success of this tour Hard Rock Café and Rolling Stone plan to launch another tour under the same property to pay Tribute to Nirvana with Luke Kenny and his band.

Facebook Event Page


Pin It Now!

Bandish Live at Hard Rock Delhi on Thursday, 23rd September

Bandish was formed in the year 2005 by one of India’s most respected drummer and percussionist- Chris Powell, who was earlear, associated with the band “Euphoria” for several years.

Bandish released their debut album titled “Kaise Kahoon” in June 2006. The album was composed, arranged and produced by Chris Powell, released and marketed by Times Music, with 3 Music videos – Goonj Tum Hi Tum. & Kaise Kahoon .

Their song “Goonj” was loved & appreciated by the youth nationwide. Goonj held the top position for 10 weeks on the MTV World Chart Express in 2006, No. 2 on B4U Music Charts and No.7 on Channel V- Top20.

Bandish was nominated for THE BEST BAND OF THE YEAR at the JACK DANIEL’S Rock Awards-2007. The band has earned enormous popularity through powerhouse live performances and Musical display, not just in educational institutions but also withen the corporate industry.

Bandish is currently released their new self titled album Bandish with Universal Music.. The album boasts of featuring artists such as, world renowned UK based percussionist Pete Lockett, Most popular Bollywood playback singer KK and Bollywood playback singer Krishna. Bandish is also ready with a rocking music video of the title track featuring Pete Lockett. The video was filmed and directed by Circus Motion Pictures Mumbai and awaits release with a reputed music label.

Facebook Event Page

Pin It Now!