[neil.jericho]

Uptown Funk has been without a doubt the biggest hit of the year and the man behind it, Mark Ronson kept the crowd grooving to different tracks until he got to Uptown Funk by which time the crowds volume was probably the loudest it was in 2 days. Even I managed to break into a little jiggy despite having two left feet. What a glorious few minutes it was for everyone who was dancing along wildly and singing their hearts out! That’s what makes a concert experience fantastic. The performance tapered off a little after that even though he threw in some Indian flavours but for those few minutes everything was right in this world again.

Concert Experience Rating : 3.5 stars.

Recommended Listening : It’s the most watched video of 2015 so duh!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0

[neil.jericho]

We hopped across to catch the second half of The Raghu Dixit Project’s set and they were great as always. They have a very Dave Mathews Band vibe, Im not sure if Im the only one who feels that way. There was a funny moment when he asked a lady to put down her mobile phone and get into the performance instead which had the crowd cracking up. Another solid performance from a great band.

Concert Experience Rating : 4.5 stars.

Recommended Listening : They are one act that sound better live than on your television or laptop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYzENrdZasg

[neil.jericho]

The last act that I caught was another one that pleasantly surprised me by how good it was. Bombay born Canadian musician Rehan Dalal and his band had the small crowd swaying to his soul music and it is unfortunate that more people didn’t get to watch their set. While their originals were catchy and brought a smile to most faces, to me the highlight was their very interesting cover of the Beatles all time classic Elanor Rigby. The perfect music to unwind to after a tiring day and a nice way to end NH7.

Concert Experience Rating : 4 stars for a very slick performance.

Recommended Listening : Moving On Without You and That Old Fashioned Feeling are a couple of very enjoyable songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm8DtAsOcw8

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Nice, thanks for a nice writeup with some great pics! Not really a fan of too many genres of music so I usually don't go to these concerts. I would have just stuck around only for the rock bands

Thanks naveenroy. There were quite a few rock bands that played so you missed out on some good live music. Since they have 5 stages, you have parallel performances and so can pick and choose the bands you want to see live.

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

I went to the Pune edition of NH7 last weekend. I didnt enjoy it much for a couple of reasons.

1. We had 2 kids (my nieces) and had to constantly watch them with all their running around.
2. We had a Sr. Citizen (my uncle) who we couldn't leave home alone and it was not the best experience for him.

Overall it was ok. I enjoyed Niladri Kumar, the Sitar Maestro, the best.

Totally disappointed with AR Rahman's line up of songs. Didnt feel that the wait was worth that much hoopla.

The crowd was decent however i saw just too many people wasted and lying around.

Will i go back next year? Maybe with friends but definitely not with family.

The people you go with makes all the difference to a concert experience. Except for a couple of instances, the crowd in Bangalore was good and they were supportive of the indie bands. There were a few drunk folks but that's something you can expect at a music festival. They didnt create any issues though.


There was one couple with a small kid that was front and centre of most performances. This little guy came with earplugs and was happily watching all the bands, so kudos to his parents for letting him enjoy this at such an early stage. Here he is right in the front row of the Pierce Brothers performance.

Originally Posted by ReluctantRebel

I see "Thaikkudam Bridge" in the list. Were you around when they played? If yes, then how do you rate them?

My wife was very keen on watching them but somehow we missed their performance. Next time maybe.

Originally Posted by Rubbertramps

I enjoyed reading your thread. With all the band names, i can listen to new talent now and then. Thanks for that !

I love the song "lay it on me" by Swarathma and wanton bishops. Its kinda personal to me since i learned guitar religiously with Varun Murali(Swarathma's lead guitarist). Good to see him go places !

Thanks Rubbertramps. At the end of NH7, I remember telling my wife that the smoothest sounding guitar player we saw was the one from Swarathma. Its not something that I can explain but its something I feel as an amateur guitar player. Please do share my appreciation if you are in touch with him.

[bassman]

As someone who has been attending NH7 since the first edition in 2009 in Pune, its honestly just repetitive. They have the same set of 30-35 artists who play each year. Hardly any new talent gets am opportunity to play (maybe 3-4 new artists each year),and a new headlining act (rehman this year).

From the most awaited festival, the Woodstock of India, this has become nothing more than the annual display of the Syndicate's artist line up (the artist management firm behind NH7). It is a super drunk party though. The EDM section is usually a blast.

PS: nice write up.