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| BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender 2017 |
Steve Vai, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Textures, Swet Shop Boys, Marky Ramone, Indian Ocean, Vishal Bhardwaj, Madame Gandhi, Karsh Kale Collective, Blackstratblues All Stars, The Ram Sampath Experience amongst the headliners.
The Happiest Music Festival just announced its much-awaited artist lineup for this year's edition. The eighth edition of the festival is returning with some prominent global artists, including guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, punk rock icon Marky Ramone, metal legends Textures and The Dillinger Escape Plan (both of whom are playing their final tours, Textures is playing their final ever show in Pune), and hip-hop group Swet Shop Boys. The festival also features some of the best artists from India, including Indian Ocean, Vishal Bhardwaj (who will be performing live for the first time), Karsh Kale Collective, Ram Sampath, Dualist Inquiry, Thaikkudam Bridge, The Raghu Dixit Project, and specially curated sets by Blackstratblues and Rudy Wallang.
The festival is headed to the hills of Meghalaya – its third appearance in the state – on October 27-28, before it heads to its home city, Pune on December 8-10. Over the past 7 years, the festival has seen 468 artists perform 1042 sets over 21 editions. This includes 139 international acts from 23 countries and 329 acts from 17 Indian states.
Talking about the 2017 edition of the festival, Vijay Nair, CEO of Only Much Louder, the organizers of the festival, says, “The lineup is one of the most important aspects of the festival. Fans come to the festival for the experience and the artists they love, but leave the festival grounds having discovered new favorites at the festival. Over the last three years, 70% of the artists have played at the festival for the first time. That’s something we’re always on the lookout for – new talent, new music!”
Tickets for the festival have been on sale since August 1st, and all pre-sale tickets were sold out within a week. A limited number of Phase 1 tickets – Season and Under 21 – for Meghalaya and Pune, and Phase 2 Season tickets for Meghayala are now on sale on www.insider.in/nh7-weekender
Stay tuned to the BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender website for more information on the festivals, along with more details on the artists.
A quick glimpse into what’s in store this year.
INTERNATIONAL ACTS
STEVE VAI
Three-time Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Steve Vai is coming to Meghalaya. Starting his career transcribing music for the legendary Frank Zappa, Vai has learned guitar from the very best – Joe Satriani. He’s collaborated with David Lee Roth, Alcatrazz, Whitesnake, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, TosinAbasi, The Aristocrats, and been a part of the Satriani-headed G3 Live Guitar tour. He designed the first commercially produced seven-string guitar, a fixture with metal bands today, and is known for designing the extraordinary triple neck guitar. With over 15 million albums in sales, Steve Vai is considered one of the most gifted guitar players of our generation.
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
Take equal parts crushing riffs, complex time signatures, incredible delivery, brave experimentation and almost unparalleled live presence - and you have The Dillinger Escape Plan. Transcending musical terrain like few metal bands have, the band is playing some of their last shows and making a stop in Pune on the way. With six critically-acclaimed studio albums and 20 years together, DEP has been an influence and source of admiration for bands old and new.
TEXTURES
Metalheads in Meghalaya and Pune will be part of a historic tour of one of the metal's most innovative bands, TEXTURES – the iconic Dutch metal band who have inspired a generation of new rockers – are playing their Last Miles to The Moon tour, with their final show ever, in Pune. In close to 15 years, the band has garnered a massive fan following, since their 2003 'do-it-all-yourself' debut, Polars. The band returns to the festival, having played to an adoring audience in Pune and Kolkata in 2013. This will be historic, poignant and brutal, all at once.
MARKY RAMONE
Marc Steven Bell aka Marky Ramone is an American musician, best known for the being the drummer for the legendary punk band, The Ramones. Prior to joining the Ramones, Marky played with an array of influential musicians and bands, including Dust, Wayne County, and Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Soon after recruiting Marky, The Ramones recorded their cult first album, “Road to Ruin”, following which they filmed “Rock 'n' Roll High School”. His career with the band spanned 15 years, 1700 shows, and Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame induction. Marky shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to tour the world with his current band: Apart from Europe & America, he takes the Ramones legacy to new territory like Israel, Dubai, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines and now, India.
SWET SHOP BOYS
Swet Shop Boys is an Indian-American/British-Pakistani hip-hop group, consisting of rappers Heems and Riz MC, with producer Redinho. They released an EP, Swet Shop, in 2014 and the debut album (with Redinho), Cashmere, in 2016. With their music, they aim to spread a message of ‘representation’. Their lyrics drip with political commentary – with personal experiences, such as ‘random racial profiling’ making it into their music. The music features heavy beats along with sitars and tablas – a sound that’s sure to win over hip-hop fans.
MADAME GANDHI
Kiran, known by her stage name Madame Gandhi, is an artist and activist based in Los Angeles. Having gained recognition as the former drummer for M.I.A. and as the iconic free-bleeding runner combatting menstrual stigma at the 2015 London Marathon, Madame Gandhi now writes her own electronic music that elevates and celebrates the female voice. Kiran holds an MBA from Harvard and a Bachelor's degree in mathematics, political science and women's studies from Georgetown University. Her recent solo EP Voices received critical acclaim when her song "The Future is Female" climbed to #8 on the Spotify Top 50 US Viral Charts in the weeks following the Women's March on January 21st, 2017.
PAUL DEMPSEY
Paul Dempsey is an Australian singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist known to most as the frontman of revered Australian band, Something for Kate. In 2016, Paul released his second solo album, ‘Strange Loop’, playing all instruments on the album. The album debuted at No. 5 on the ARIA chart. The album is a combination of dry wit, magic hour melodies, striking instrumentation, and tenderly charged vocals, celebrating the pleasure of being alive. His debut album, 2009’s ‘Everything Is True’, also peaked at #5 on the ARIA charts, and it was nominated for three ARIA awards that year, and named iTunes Australia’s Album Of The Year. He’s played at London, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and, of course, India during the last edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender.
COLT SILVERS
Colt Silvers is a French indie band made of vocalist Tristan Lepagney, bass player Nicolas Lietaert and guitarist AgnanBanholzer. The three-piece act is inspired by pop culture goodness and their sound has a strong cinematographic vibe to it. They’ve performed over a hundred shows in Europe, in the US, and in Asia, and released their album Red Panda in 2013, strongly inspired by Asian music. This year, they are coming out with a new album SWORDS, co-produced and mixed by the genius Fab Dupont.
YOUNGBLOOD
Hailing from Vancouver, the fast-rising Youngblood started as the creative release of singer Alexis Young. Their music is dreamy but insistent, lush sound anchored by electronic grooves. Heavily inspired by the French electronic retro-futurist duo Air, Young has described her music as “what the ’60s thought the future would sound like”. She sings songs of obsession, self-destruction, and romantic catastrophe. Her 2016 debut EP, Feel Alright, racked up half a million plays on Spotify, with the self-titled single reaching the No. 6 spot on the Spotify Viral Chart. In a live setting, the material takes on a powerful new dynamic and has been seen at the Canadian Music Week, BreakOut West and Australian Music Week 2016 as well as FOCUS Wales and The Great Escape 2017.
INDIAN ACTS
INDIAN OCEAN
One of the legends of the Indian independent music scene, folk-fusion band Indian Ocean is a band that set the tone for many future artists. Formed in 1990, the band’s music blends experimental grooves with Indian ragas, creating a sound that is instantly identifiable. The band’s lyrics often borrows from many local dialects and folk melodies, best exemplified by live favourite ‘Kandisa’. They also have composed music for movies like Black Friday (2007), Peepli Live (2010), and Masaan (2015). They remain one of the few Indian acts to have a documentary made on them, the touching ‘Leaving Home’ in 2008. The band features Rahul Ram (bass, vocals), Amit Kilam (drums, percussion), Nikhil Rao (guitars), Tuheen Chakraborty (tabla) and Himanshu Joshi (vocals).
FARIDKOT
Formed in 2008, Delhi band Faridkot is made of IP Singh and RajarshiSanyal, and is one of the biggest acts to come out of the capital city. Their mix of sufi music with R&B, soul and some acid jazz makes for an engaging sound, one that captivates the audience with its smooth flow. While the band describes its music as Confused Pop, they have played shows across the board in the last seven years, and have shared the stage with artists like composer and vocalist Vishal Dadlani, folk-fusion band Indian Ocean, playback singer KK and Shaan, and many more. The band released their debut album Ek in 2011.
KARSH KALE COLLECTIVE
Described by Billboard Magazine as a "visionary composer and producer", he has produced and released five solo albums- Realize, Liberation, Broken English, Cinema, Up, along with a project in collaboration with sitar player Anoushka Shankar, called Breathing Under Water. He has also collaborated with renowned artists like Zakir Hussain, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Anoushka Shankar, Lenny Kravitz, Norah Jones and Alicia Keys. A treat for those who can’t get enough of live music, one can always expect big things out of his set. His live band, The Collective has featured stalwarts including Warren Mendonsa and Jai Row Kavi.
SKYHARBOR
A studio project that evolved into a powerhouse collaboration, one that instantly became one of the most heard metal albums in India, Skyharbor is a progressive rock/metal act featuring Eric Emery on vocals, Keshav Dhar and DeveshDayal on guitars, Krishna Jhaveri on the bass and Aditya Ashok on the drums. Thanks to their distinct sound, the band has had praises coming in from current and former members of Lamb Of God and Megadeth. In 2014, Skyharbor was nominated in the Global Metal category at the prestigious Golden Gods Metal Awards and has performed at eminent festivals like Euroblast Festival (Germany), UK Tech Fest, Download Festival(UK), Dissonance Festival (Italy) and Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium), and recently supported Detones on their recent tour.
VISHAL BHARDWAJ
Bollywood music fans, get ready - Vishal Bharadwaj’s first live performance will happen at The Happiest Music Festival! The director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer is a seven-time National Film Award winner. Music-wise, he’s most famous for his work in Maachis, Satya, Ishqiya, Kaminey and Haider. He is a critically acclaimed director, embarking on themes such as a caper thrilled (Kaminey), black comedy (7 Khoon Maaf), and an ambitious retelling of three Shakespeare tragedies: Maqbool (based on Macbeth), Omkara (based on Othello), and Haider (based on Hamlet).
TM KRISHNA
Winner of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, TM Krishna is a Carnatic vocalist based out of Chennai. The voice behind the viral “Chennai PorombokePaadal” song, a composition pleading to save the Ennore Creek, T.M. Krishna studied at the Krishnamurti Foundation’s The School in Chennai. A school of thought clearly reflected in his music, Krishna’s musical skills were honed under the tutelage of VidvansSeetharamaSarma, ChingleputRanganathan and the legendary SemmangudiSrinivasier. His compositions and lyrics shed light on issues affecting the human condition and aim to benefit others through music. His most recent book, A Southern Music, published by Harper Collins in December 2013, is a first-of-its-kind work on the Carnatic tradition.
THE RAM SAMPATH EXPERIENCE
Ram Sampath is an Indian composer, music producer and musician. He means different things to different audiences. Fans of Bollywood know him as an edgy music director, providing tunes for Delhi Belly (and it’s cult track “Bhaag DK Bose”) Talaash, Peepli Live and Fukrey. Indipop fans know him as the composer behind albums such as Shaan’sTanhaDil and SonaMohapatra’sSona. Indie music fans still revere his cult before-its-time psychedelic rock album, Colorblind. He has collaborated with INXS and is also a prolific ad jingle composer. This special live performance will be a mashup of his greatest hits and favourite songs: Expect to be taken on an eclectic mix of Bhaag DK Bose, Green Day covers, and Colorblind.
THAIKKUDAM BRIDGE
The cult Kerala band, Thaikkudam Bridge, shot to fame with their renditions of old Malayalam film songs, in a medley titled ‘Nostalgia’, on the Music Mojo show on Kappa TV on YouTube. Following this, they showed their versatility with an unimagined cover of Metallica’s 1992 hit, “Nothing Else Matters”, as well as covers of Hindi film songs. To show they were not just ‘cover wonders’, the band released originals, along with the infectious ‘Fish Rock’ which remains a concert favourite. The band’s music seamlessly blends rock, reggae, Hindustani and Carnatic music, producing some profound, grounded melodies that seem even bigger when they perform live. With larger-than-life arrangements, their finely crafted sets employ powerful vocals, violin and guitar parts that make you watch in awe, even though a they often perform in a language most of the audience doesn’t understand - Malayalam.
DUALIST INQUIRY
Always charting his own path with his music, one of the most recognizable electronic musicians of India, Dualist Inquiry is Delhi-based guitarist and producer SahejBakshi’s live-electronica project. With colourful sounds and catchy grooves, his tracks features live guitar riffs and left-of-center-synthesized patches take listeners on a rich soundscape journey. Known for his flawless live sets, the musician honed his skills at the prestigious Thornton School of Music, LA, and has released critically acclaimed records like the Doppelganger LP (2013), Natural Disasters EP (2014) and Dreamcatcher (2016), three records that cemented his place as an extraordinary producer.
THE RUDY WALLANG GUITAR JAMBOREE
The Rudy Wallang Guitar Jamboree is a unique curated set by arguably the country’s finest blues guitarist, Rudy Wallang of the pioneering Shillong band Soulmate. In this set, Rudy will be collaborating with other top guitarists from India’s North-East. As a guitarist, Rudy has been playing for over 35 years - composing, recording and touring. His band, Soulmate, is the torchbearer for the blues and blues-rock genres in the country. With multiple ‘best guitarist’ awards under his belt, he has shared the stage with guitar-playing legends like Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy and John Mayall. In 2015, he became an endorsee for Fender guitars in India. The Jamboree will feature Rudy sharing the stage with ArenlongLongkumer (Nagaland), Ztpa (Mizoram), GytarthaPhukan (Assam), Uttam Sharma (Manipur), Cornelius Kharsyntiew (Shillong), SonamLachungpa (Sikkim) and TakarNabam (Arunachal Pradesh).
BLACKSTRATBLUES ALL STARS
Often hailed as an Indian guitar god, Warren Mendonsa’s music combines the essentials of blues, rock and 70s psychedelia with strong melodies. Initially a part of Zero (often considered India’s best rock band), he now performs under the moniker Blackstratblues. He is backed by equally adept Jai Row Kavi (drums), Adi Mistry (bass) and Beven Fonseca (keys). Warren can easily be called a Bacardi NH7 Weekender veteran, having played at editions 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Up till now, he has released three albums: 2007's Nights In Shining Karma, 2009's The New Album and The Universe has a Strange Sense of Humour in 2015. Expect songs from his latest album, The Last Analog Generation at this set. This is a special curated set featuring guest artists.
BHAYANAK MAUT
Winners of titles like Best Band at Rolling Stone Metals Awards 2011, Best Vocalist at Rolling Stone Metals Awards 2013 and many more, Mumbai band BhayanakMaut is one of the frontrunners of the Indian metal scene. Since its inception in 2003, the band has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals in the country. In 2011, they were invited to perform at one of the biggest metal festivals in the world, the Inferno Music Festival in Norway. If that wasn’t enough, BhayanakMaut have previously shared stages with metal and rock biggies like Textures, Lamb of God, Meshuggah and Amon Amarth.
THE RAGHU DIXIT PROJECT
Putting modern day Indian fusion music on the global map, Raghu Dixit’s unique brand of infectious, happy music transcends age, genre, and even language.
His tunes are strongly rooted in Indian culture, and tell stories that resonate everywhere he performs. From performing for 1,00,000+ people in his home state, to taking the stage in Glastonbury, at BBC, at the show Later ... with Jools Holland, and even playing for the Queen of England and the entire Royal Family, Raghu Dixit’s music has travelled the world, winning fans wherever he goes. Today, a decade after his self-titled debut album, Raghu Dixit is unquestionably one of the leading live acts in the country and is a favourite at Bacardi NH7 Weekender’s folk stage.
COMPLETE CITY-WISE LINEUP
MEGHALAYA (OCT 27-28)
Aqua Dominatrix
aswekeepsearching
Avora Records
BaijuDharmajan Syndicate
BhayanakMaut
Blackstratblues All Stars
Dewdrops
Divine
Dualist Inquiry
Faridkot
Feyago
Goddess Gagged
HridayGattani
Indian Ocean
Kamakshi Khanna Collective
Karsh Kale Collective
Khasi Bloodz
Lateral
Mosko
Parvaaz
Paul Dempsey
Polar Lights
Rhythm Shaw
Ritviz
Skyharbor
Steve Vai
TaliAngh
Textures
Thaikkudam Bridge
The Ganesh Talkies
The Local Train
The Rudy Wallang Guitar Jamboree
TriauTrackx
When Chai Met Toast
Yesterdrive
Zygnema
PUNE (DEC 08-10)
Aadar Malik
Aditi Ramesh
Ali Saffudin
Alluri
Ankur&TheGhalat Family
aswekeepsearching
Bad Pop
BhriguSahni
Blackstratblues All Stars
Blue Temptation
Bombay Bassment
Colt Silvers
Divine
Easy Wanderlings
Indian Ocean
Indigo Children
Kamakshi Khanna Collective
Kraken
Kumail
Madame Gandhi
Mame Khan
Marky Ramone
May Island
NH7 Hip-Hop Collective
Oceantied
Parvaaz
PrateekKuhad
Short Round
Sid Vashi
Skrat
Swet Shop Boys
Textures
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Local Train
The Raghu Dixit Project
The Ram Sampath Experience
The SkaVengers
TM Krishna
VirDas' Alien Chutney
Vishal Bhardwaj
Youngblood
Zokova
Zygnema
Edited by - Debjani Hazarika