The Indies ’09: Best Gig Indian

The Indiecision ‘09 is a recap of the year gone by in Indian indie and a recognition of the work of its artists and those involved with the creation and promotion of the music.
The Best Gig Indian was the best concert by an Indian artist attended by the Indiecision staff. The nominees for the Best Gig Indian are

For all the other performances at the Bandra Festival gigs at the Carter Road Amphitheatre this year, rows of plastic chairs were arranged as seating for all the aunties and uncles strolling in from their evening walk to check out the proceedings. For Pentagram’s concert, however, no such conveniences were provided. No one was going to be sitting down at this gig, and Mumbai’s most electrifying live act made sure that no one stood still either. A performance so forceful, it led the teenaged slum kids in the front row to invade the stage, albeit not without some implicit encouragement from frontman Vishal Dadlani.

Mumbai metal act Bhayanak Maut launched their second studio album at Hard Rock Cafe and played to one of the largest audiences we’ve seen at the venue. BM threw down some impressive hardcore powered by the dual vocal attack of Vinay Venkatesh and Sunneith Revankar. Had this gig been at one of Mumbai’s old guard venues like Razzberry Rhinocerous, half a dozen kids would’ve suffered minor to major moshpit related injuries. Hard Rock Cafe was left battered and shocked.

Weekday gigs at the Blue Frog are usually quiet affairs. This is because more often than not, very few people show up. And while the lack of audience member does discourage some acts from giving 100% on stage, the quiet in the Frog made for a remarkably intimate TAAQ gig. Put simply, this was a masterclass by the Bangalore (now) quartet. With picks of material spanning their catalogue, Thermal & A Quarter showed us just why they’re one of the best live acts in the country today.

A reunion gig by a bunch of schoolmates who hadn’t played together in years – and a cover band at that! The Jets’ appearance on this list may seem surprising to some but even those under 45 could see that the former Campionites still had what it takes to get the crowd growing. Sure, there were no Blackstrat-esque chops on display, but there was plenty of good energy flowing around. We have yet to see the pit transform into a dance floor as quickly as it that night.

For those of us sick of the same old scenes – rock, metal, trance, hip hop, whatever – it’s wonderful to be exposed to a spectacle independent of categories and cliques, existing entirely in a realm of passion, creativity and joyous tribute to music, art and freedom. The Royal Mirage at the Surya Crowne Plaza Hotel played host to the newly upgraded Medicine Show; a setting that had enough kitsch décor to resemble a ghetto Moulin Rouge; enough gaudiness to make the most undistinguished of gentlemen blush. Delhi has never been quite so kooky, so fruity, and so fun.

And the Best Gig Indian ‘09 was

Thermal & A Quarter at the Blue Frog.

Head to the Indiecision ‘09 homepage for all the action.

(note: we have excluded from consideration any gigs that Indiecision was associated with in 2009)