One of India’s first rock and roll bands, Parikrama, turned 22 on 17th June, 2013. These guys have seen the rock scene in India develop, and have been pioneers of the genre. We caught up with them during their Parikrama @ 22 Tour, for a quick chat. Read on!
Eight Octaves: Congratulations on completing 22 years as a band! It’s been a long journey; what’s your secret, staying together for so long?
Parikrama: Buddy, there are no secrets! If we had any, we’d be the first to share, out of all the other bands, so that bands didn’t break up! Yes, we did have a few things that we decided way back; I guess it’s that discipline that each one still follows. Like not drinking before a gig, we have a poster in the practice room, which says “Keep Your Shoes And Egos Out”, we sort out issues regularly. Each member still has that hunger to go out there and perform. Other things that bind us are beer, Classic rock and hand cricket!
Eight Octaves: What makes Parikrama sound so awesome? How much effort goes in to (not just the band) “Team Parikrama”.
Parikrama: Parikrama has always been and will always be a team. Yes, effort is required, but now it seems smooth. We’ve been together for a long time. Regarding sounding awesome, what more can we say but “Thank you very much!”
Eight Octaves: Tell us a little about your song-writing process, inspiration and influences.
Parikrama: Mainly Nitin and Sonam come up with the initial thought. Nowadays, with technology, anyone can send an email to the other members with their ideas. Everyone contributes their thoughts. But you cannot finish a song only over the internet, so once we are happy with the structure (let’s say 25% of the song), we then decide on 2-3 songs to work with. Then start non-stop rehearsals. For example, for the Parikrama @ 22 Tour, we are practically doing 4 new OC’S; two songs are absolutely new, ‘Xerox’ after 20 years, and ‘Don’t Cut Me Down’ after 1998. So we had more than 15 rehearsals. Our inspirations and influences are all mainly classic rock.
Eight Octaves: You’ve done international gigs in USA, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, and England; where would you like to have your next international gig? Tell us a little about your experience. What would be your ideal venue to play a gig?
Parikrama: Yes, and many other places like Dubai, Muscat, Bhutan, Nepal, Canada etc. Wembley or O2 Arena would be brilliant; or back to the Download Festival. But frankly, if we can ever get the old Rang Bhavan (Mumbai) back, it would be ideal.
Eight Octaves: College fests versus playing at a festival. What would you prefer and why?
Parikrama: Both have their own feel. But festivals have largely started just a few years ago. We have grown up primarily playing in campuses, so I guess campuses would have a special edge for us. But frankly, we love to play anywhere, and every gig is special.
Eight Octaves: You were featured on the musical TV series ‘The Dewarists’. How was it, working with Agnee and Shilpa Rao to create ‘I Believe’?
Parikrama: They are the coolest people around! Mohan and Shilpa came to the Parikrama @ 22 Tour in Mumbai, and Koco came to Pune. Such is our closeness and support for each other. Koco and I anyway go a long way back, when he was with Agnee, so we are more like family.
Eight Octaves: But you guys are no strangers when it comes to collaboration. You’ve performed and jammed with Iron Maiden, Saif Ali Khan, Usha Uthup, Raghu Dixit, to name a few. Any new collaboration in the pipeline?
Parikrama: We love to collaborate! In our “Parikrama And Friends” series (late 2012 – 2013), we collaborated with over 60 musicians. The latest collaboration is a very interesting one, for Fox Traveller. We are travelling to Kalimpong and jamming with 60 kids from Dr Graham’s Vocal Choir, and about 20-30 kids from Gandhi Ashram Western Music Orchestra. We may also try experimenting with some Tibetan instruments. Looking forward to it.
Eight Octaves: You’ve had several gigs for a good cause, from supporting the girl child, to fundraising for CRY, and a host of different charities. We don’t see many bands doing this. Does music really have the power to change the world? How does it feel to know that your performing at the venue is helping so many unfortunate people?
Parikrama: It’s better to try than not to try at all. We also do not really blow our own trumpets as about what other charity work we do. We believe that if we do charity to gain publicity, there is absolutely no meaning or soul left in that deed. We are, after all, not Rakhi Sawant!
Eight Octaves: Music Piracy – the age old debate; where do you stand when it comes to people illegally downloading your musical creations?
Parikrama: We were probably one of the first bands in the world to give out our music for free, starting from 28th December, 1995. I guess the whole world is doing today, what Parikrama started almost 2 decades ago. We have absolutely no problem with piracy of our own music, but for other artists, it’s their call. We firmly believe in “Live and let live”. Anyone can download our music for free from – WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PARIKRAMA .
Eight Octaves: What’s next on the cards for Parikrama? Full-length album, maybe?
Parikrama: Yes, loads of people have been asking for the album; we are thinking of the same. But we have enough material for 5-6 albums today! Just that we have to get used to life inside the studio for a bit. Hopefully soon, else please download and make your own Parikrama album, the way you like it.
Eight Octaves: The Indian Music Scene has been booming with plenty of new bands coming out with original music. Are there any new and upcoming Indian bands that have caught your attention?
Parikrama: We always say, this is the best time to be in India, and to be part of a band. It makes up so happy to see so many great and young bands coming up and sounding so brilliant. And there are hundreds of them, in every street and corner, and not only in the metros, in all Indian cities. All the best to each and every band; carry on, rock and roll!
Eight Octaves: Lastly, any words of wisdom for your fans and all the aspiring musicians?Parikrama: Of course, remember one thing; work hard, very hard. It will always pay off in life, in some form or the other. Make rules in the band and follow them. Avoid alcohol before a gig (and after the gig, if someone doesn’t drink, murder them!), be humble and keep your feet on the ground, no matter how high you reach. Be fair and ethical, get a good management, and stay off drugs! You will kill yourself and others around you. Every time you go on stage, enjoy! Remember, there are millions out there who crave that chance to be on stage, so grab your moments. All the very best, cheers!
