8 Things that you should’ve seen
Bangalore and The Venue:
Yes, Bangalore, where rain (read: nature) or reign (read: government) tries to ruin every concert. The maddening traffic, though, suggested that the denizens of Bangalore had collectively decided to Stop the Code and Hit the road, to move from the karnatic to the the Kinetic. I was sure that I would be brutally maimed in the confusion and melee, especially when it involves hormone driven teens in rainbow tops and large flashing plastic eyewear. And I was right, except for the “brutally maimed in the confusion and melee” bit. Everything was beautifully managed, including the parking, the facility, the security and the puberty (refer teens with large flashing plastic eyewear). After being frisked with hands that were trained to detect anatomical defects, I was led into……….
The crowd:
What really surprised me was, there was more to the crowd than the young “Facebookers” & “Youtubers”, who grow up on a regular dose of Tomorrowland after-movies. I spoke with a few House “Purists”, in their 40s (waist and age), and they seemed quite excited about SunBurn and the line-up. One of them, went on to explain the underlying theory and mathematics that defines EDM/House, but I was quite distracted by the……..
The Crowd 2:
A lovely assortment of colours, creatures and caricatures, the EDM/House crowd made the excellent venue a wonderland, and certainly looked to make love and not war. I definitely spotted a girl with little wings (a wasp maybe?), and I think I also spotted a giant green cucumber. But it could have been………………
The Alcohol
Yes, there was alcohol. I got some, and this time, I was certainly brutally maimed. Getting alcohol involved 3 basic steps (i) Solving counter/coupon puzzles in record time (ii) Proving worth with blood (iii) Selling soul and freedom. I failed miserably, and tried everything else a proud Indian could. I flashed my “Media Badge”, used persuasive language skills involving female members of the family, threatened to call rather rough quarrelsome friends with friends in influential political circles etc. Nothing worked. But I did get some, and saw my mind bend and ribs crack with the……………………..
Visuals and Music
The visual set-up was insane, and I would have enjoyed it even without the sound, or maybe with a Morgan Freeman narration explaining the Space-Time continuum. Surprisingly though, and something a lot of attendees agreed with, the best effect that punctuated the entire show was brought about by…………………………………
The Rain:
Weird, yes. But, believe me, the rain was in perfect synchronization with the sound. Every “hook” hit you that bit harder with the pure atmospheric water, making the experience all the more natural and beautiful. A few wept, and as the popular Facebook status update goes, not many could see their tears. The gods had a grand scheme……………
Fedde le Grand:
And what a “grand” start to his set! His change of style was quite evident, as his music has now evolved from his signature commercial style to a more experimental and excitingly unpredictable sound! His mixes had cleverly incorporated “rock” elements, and his rendition of a “Red Hot Chilli Peppers” number certainly resonated well. Speaking of Live Mixes…………
Paul Van Dyk:
“Live Mixes Always!”, and he stayed true to that. His cult tracks, especially “Like an Angel” during a certain transition, pleased the purists, but what really endeared him to the crowd was the way he interacted with it. Unlike the more “popular” DJs of the contemporary era, whose only physical activity on the stage involves pressing a couple of switches and raising their hands, this guy was all over the place, off the console and into the crowd, leading it into crazy dancing and jumping. The crowd moved with him, up and down, and the earth seemed to be very alive, breathing………….
