- By 'Just a Layman'
The afternoon was hot, but the mood was cool. I could hear the music play behind closed doors on Taboot Street. They were still at it - practicing. So I took a stroll down MG road and memory lane, browsed around and and chatted with some old friends.
Finally done, the drums were packed into the car and off we went to Baner, searching for Sadanand. I always thought the hotel looked old and dilapidated from the highway. But we entered the lobby and it was quite nice. The hall was exactly what was needed for the show - nice large stage, tables, food and plenty of space to move around.
The trippers started work, setting up their instruments, while I hogged on some chicken mayo sandwiches, playing around with the recorder and chatting with some ex-IITians.
The band had Ouch, Rohan, Shahshank and Naveen from IIT and Hoshnar and Ashdin. The crowd was primarily family and friends of the band.
They started the show with a Blues run up. Wow! I thought... this was better than I have heard them play before. After a short burst of songs, they took a break and then went in for the long haul. Music played from 8 till 11:20 that night. Was a chilled event and the only critics were the trippers themselves.
Song after song, Ouch sang and the band played.... Coming into LA, Cocaine, Smoke on the Water, Born to be Wild.... all the old favorites were belted out in quick succession. The band had practiced hard and they were on fire!
The rest of us mingled, had starters and sang or hummed to the songs they played - California Dreaming, Another Brick in the Wall, Oye Como Va, Proud Mary, Locomotive Breath, Play in Time....
We were taken to a stress-free place and life was all about good music and good food...
Ramesh jumped in for Child In Time and did his own take on it.
Rohan finally came on stage and we got to hear White Room - Cream, Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan (complete with Ro on the Harmonica too), Sultans of Swing and Down to the Waterline - Dire Straits. The guys were flowing easy now.....
Wish Ash had sung I Shot The Sheriff (he really nails that song - I got to hear this one through closed doors too), but Ouch did a good job of it too!
The finale was The Way You Look Tonight - soft and beautiful.... But then the crowd wanted another and so the band obliged and played Lazy... wasn't the best they had played that night, but the mood was light and all was good.
With everyone happy, the food all gone.... everything was packed up and we said good bye and left in high spirits into the night.
