Blue Frog in Mumbai hosted a double bill of singer-songwriters on Tuesday, May 18. The lineup featured young singer-songwriter Ankit Dayal and his still-to-be-named backing band followed by local Hindi rock act, Ankur & The Ghalat Family.
Ankit Dayal is a graduate of Blue Frog’s The Early Set initiative – a pre-gig, 7.30pm slot designed to showcase fresh talent. Accompanied by a quartet of friends, the teenaged band played a set of pop/alt-rock covers with a smattering of unsurprisingly derivative-sounding originals. Although he’s got a long way to go, there was an earnest honesty in young Dayal’s voice that caught our attention. Given their age, it was also refreshing to see the general proficiency and level of comfort that the five-piece band displayed on stage. The set was well-received by the horde of tween/teen friends that had turned up to support the band.
Indiecision: C+
By the time Ankur & The Ghalat Family took the stage, the crowd had thinned out a bit – it was clearly well past curfew. The band played a short, dozen-song set, admittedly under-rehearsed after their previous outing at Dadar Chowpatty last month. The singer-songwriter previewed a handful of tracks off upcoming album Mohobbat Zindabad, slated for release later this year. The highlight of these was ‘Bhool (Disco Song)’, a harmonious melding of the soft rock sensibilities of Tewari and the abundance of funk brought by rhythm section Johan Pais and Sidd Coutto.
Tewari has really turned a corner in 2011, going from strength to strength since his set late last year during the Bacardi NH7 Weekender. The band also seems to have matured collectively; there’s a sense of ease with the material that wasn’t quite there say a year ago. That laid-back vibe filters through to the audience, and its a crucial element to enjoying Tewari’s particular brand of pop rock. The new songs are deftly written, and Sidd Coutto’s vocal harmonies add a beautiful depth that rounds out their sound nicely. If this gig was any indication, the album should be downright excellent.
Indiecision: B
For a full gallery of photos, check out the NH7 Facebook page.
Ankur & The Ghalat Family setlist
‘Dhoondh’
‘Chand Chahiye’
‘Jannat’
‘Bhool (Disco Song)’
‘Teri Yaad’
‘Zalim Alien’
‘Aaj Kyon’
‘Mohobbat Zindabad’
‘Sabse Peeche’
‘Manwaa Re’
‘Shukriya’
‘Ding Dong’
Photos by Kunal Kakodkar
Ankur Tewari of Ankur & The Ghalat Family @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Gaurav Gupta of Ankur & The Ghalat Family @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Sidd Coutto of Ankur & The Ghalat Family @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Ankur Tewari of Ankur & The Ghalat Family @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
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