Independence Rock XVIII

“Rock in Bombay or should I say India has been the bastion of the society branded mavericks.
Digression:But I would beg to differ on this viewpoint. Check “”Rock is Dead””.

18 years back in time, Independence Rock (I-Rock) was started with a few oganizers coming together. And it has now snowballed into an event that people swear by. Farhad Wadia, one of the main organizers was a part of the band that played at the first I-Rock and from then on he took up the reins of the event.

Touted as India’s Woodstock it has lived up to the name. It rocks the city every year on 14th and 15th of August. (this year it was 15th and 16th).

To me its an annual pilgrimage that I cannot miss. Rang Bhavan has now been the mecca to the rockers. For 18 strong years, it has stood the Heavy Riffs, the Pounding Bass and Cymbals and the frenzied souls. Come 15th and you can see the rockers gather from all around bombay. Theres an unidentified feeling of amity and brotherhood among the rockers. Rockers move out of their homes strutting in their black T-Shirts, rebellious long hair and innovative beards.

The traditional queue outside Rang Bhavan to gain the entry has become more of a meeting place than the ritual it once used to be. And once you enter, then is when the rocking feeling grips you. The (relatively) huge amplifiers and the stage all set to unleash the power of the chosen few. This year was the biggest I-Rock in its history with the number of rockers crossing the 5000 mark. If not a landmark, its atleast a beginning. The bands come and belt out some originals and the omnipresent covers ranging from Black Sabbath to Metallica to Iron Maiden and the usual.

And after the bands have come and gone, we rockers start to leave the place only with a resolve to come next year and get rocked all the more……..

Late at night all systems go
You have come to see the show
We do our best You’re the rest
You make it real you know
There is a feeling deep inside
That drives you fuckin’ mad
A feeling of a hammerhead
You need it oh so bad

Adrenaline starts to flow
You’re thrashing all around
Acting like a maniac
Whiplash

The show is through the metal is gone
It is time to hit the road
Another town Another gig
Again we will explode
Hotel rooms and motorways
Life out here is raw
But we will never stop.

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