He is one of
the very well known faces of the Delhi-rock circuit, guitarist of one of the
most exciting bands in the country. His band’s first full length is all set for
an looming release. And on Saturday night he could be found in a loutish little
room in Delhi, talking about his whiny neighbors.
He is Arsh Sharma of The Circus, a patchy and luminous group from New Delhi
that is currently sopping in hyperbolic extol. Their debut E.P, "First
Cut" (G&S), has been instantaneously — and very perfectly — hailed as
a modern classic, even though it was only released as a special edition for The
Great Indian Rock Festival 2009. Producer/ Pentagram Frontman Vishal Dadlani
calls them his favorite new Indian Band. Revolutionaries Indecision.com labels
them one of their top finds from Channel V’s Launchpad-III.
But despite
this tumultuous, Mr. Sharma seemed unusually self-aware but not at all
concerned as he sat backstage at the Bajaj Pulsar MTV Rockathon before playing
yet another sold-out show in Delhi alongside biggies Parikrama and Them clones.
"My neighbors say, we've overdone it,' " he said, acknowledging the
huge fuss about the band-now barely three years old.”And I said, 'Not like I
care, but since you say so.' "
Fuss isn't really the right word to illustrate The Circus’ phenomenon, which
began with sold-out local gigs and scratch demos passed from old fans to new
ones. Record executives struggled to keep up; G&S eventually signed the
band and released an E.P, "First Cut," which has ever since been-
pretty much- talked about, throughout the country.
If only the
music weren't so breathtaking, there would probably be serious recoil afoot.
The Circus specialize in tidy but anthemic little alt/post-funk songs, impelled
by bursts of guitar chords and invariable crisscrosses. In
"F.O.P.S"(Full on Party Scene) the band hurtles through three diverse
riffs — all wholly contagious — in the 30 seconds before Mr.Bhatia (Vocalist in
Command) lets loose his halfway momentous voice and thick enunciation.
Then he does, and the song gets even better. Mr. Bhatia's lyrics are worth
waiting for and often worth memorizing, too. He delivers terse, unassuming
images of a semi-teenage world defined by contemplations and fantasies. And he
has an uncanny way of evoking present day Indian youth outlooks while neither
romanticizing it nor sniping at it.
Another song, "Japanese Rebellion” begins in the core of a go on sentence
that arrests a person’s enthrallments about a Samurai.
“Feelings inside
Outside, shut
Open my eyes,
And you'll know that it’s sleazy.
Damn you samurai.
Damn you samurai,
You didn’t know how to swim through.
Damn your samurai,
Now that i can’t swim with you”
As the song erects to a grand climax, the story liquefies, the way day-dreams
usually do. There's a very evident spark of random-ness in their music-as you
might have noticed- something that gives them a definitive edge- a standout
from the rest of the hedonistic nonsense omni-present in today’s scene.
With the large assortment of kids singing along, Mr. Bhatia's hesitant abstain
sounded like a generation's uniting blubber.
Maybe it is. Unlike practically all of the post-rock bands that have riveted
Delhi (or must I say, India) over the last few years, the Circus does not
obsess over rock 'n' roll history, and they aren't evocative for an earlier musical
era. They have rented from all those bands, but they have also done what
era-defining bands are supposed to do: they have made all their predecessors
seem — and sound — blissfully old. Part of that, of course, is the band's
actual youth.
Also, eerie Bass-grooves delivered with ridiculous precision — is one reason
why The Circus has managed to create waves all over the industry. (Yes, I do
acknowledge Abhinav Chaudhury’s basswork as the backbone of the band’s
ever-so-rapidly growing fame.)
"I just try to do my job" he said backstage at the MTV show. He
couldn't quite explain why he has struck a chord( or perhaps a note:P) among
the country's blemished (and, for that matter, no-longer-blemished) ample.
In India, the Circus's immediate future isn't in doubt: the band's debut CD
will sell; the sell-out concerts will keep coming; the media coverage will only
get more severe and more surreal. What is actually hard to predict though, is
how this band will turn out to be with its approaching age. For if the madness
continues- I for sure predict either a REVOLUTION or a RIOT.
Back at the Rockathon show, The Circus stormed through their exultant set, with
fans singing along not just to the lyrics but to the guitar lines, too. After
"Japanese Rebellion" was finished, the crowd kept shouting the words,
which stood testament to how influential they’re getting by the day.
Owing to my mother’s infernal paranoid behavior I had leave before their last
number, but as I taxied my way back home I couldn’t help but resist a listen to
their now-very-popular number ‘Cover band’ -
“Hey,
Come figure out my game.
You asshole.
Wait.
With this kind of pay,
Won’t get home.
But wearing his gloves,
And i have been.
Somebody’s friend now.
And i have seen,
Somebody’s trend how,
It fades away with the scene.
So you do ask my soul "where you come and play?"
And you ask myself "its time to play?"
To play, duplex.
Come! They come at my "self",
They come at my hide
They come at my "self",
Slum! the slum in myself.
The slum by my side,
The slum in my head.
this slum is mine”
It’s hard to hate a new band so disharmoniously disparate to today’s current
yield of could-bes and should-bes. What’s even more like-able about them is the
fact they shower their songs in a blissfully poppish sensuality- and mind you
their Poppish edge does NOT shit you with sissy lyrics and unentertaining sound
frames, it’s something that only adds to their loud demeanor as a band.
Circus’s template for success is one that every promising RHCP or Incubus could
do well to follow: work hard, practice your asses off, play tight, and write
good songs --- the res will all take care of itself. And it indeed does.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment