Wednesday, January 18 saw the launch of Sidd Coutto‘s new project, Punk Ass Orifus. This was followed by a set from Tough On Tobacco, and preceded by an opening set by ex-REM guitarist, Ken Stringfellow. The set ended with a jam session between Stringfellow and Coutto’s merry men on a couple of impromptu songs.
Punk Ass Orifus
Sidd Coutto recently told us why we should attend the Punk Ass Orifus gig at the Lower Parel venue. We had hoped that, as promised by the moniker of the band, the music put out by yet another permutation of Coutto, Gaurav Gupta, Johan Pais and, first-timer Zorran Mendonsa (on drums), would have been more punk. Louder, and definitely noisier than any of the other bands (ToT, Helga’s Fun Castle, Ankur & The Ghalat Family, Blackstratblues) they play for, PAO brought an interesting, yet not incredibly imaginative, set to the Blue Frog last week.
Gaurav Gupta of Punk Ass Orifus @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Dressed in suits, Pais and Gupta seemed at ease and more energetic and lively on stage than in any other avatar we’ve seen them in before. Zorran Mendonsa (brother of axe-wielding scene star Warren Mendonsa) took up drum duties and though he isn’t part of any of Coutto’s other projects, seemed confident and self-assured behind the kit. Senior Mendonsa joined the band on stage for the last song, alongwith Bobby Talwar (of Zero) on the djembe, who also joined the band on ‘Matter’.
Bobby Talwar joining Punk Ass Orifus on stage @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Warren Mendonsa joining Punk Ass Orifus on stage @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Coutto (on vocals and guitar) was his usual entertaining self, with his uncanny ability to draw in an audience with his goofy antics, quirky facial expressions and off course his penchant for creating addictive hooks and singable choruses. He also mentioned that an eponymous album, by PAO, is in the offing.
Zorran Mendonsa of Punk Ass Orifus @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Setlist
‘Can’t Do It On My Own’
‘Don’t Want This Life
‘Homely’
‘World Will Carry On’
‘I Got A Feeling’
‘Matter’
‘Who Could It Be?’
‘People, People, People’
‘King Of My Castle’
‘On Your Own’
‘Mayans Know’
Johan Pais of Punk Ass Orifus @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Tough On Tobacco
After a short break, more or less the same band, with Jai Row Kavi (replacing Mendonsa) on drums, took the stage. The band opened with ‘Happy’, which isn’t their usual set opener (the band has, in the recent past, opened with ‘Come On Down’), off their debut album, The Happy Goat, and quickly moved to ‘Do What You Gotta Do’. The band also played a borderline grunge version of ‘Wonder’ before going into the lighter stuff, and the crowd singalong favourite ‘Taxi Song’.
Sidd Coutto of Tough On Tobacco @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
With Pozy Dhar back in action, the band also debuted a new song, ‘Rock n’ Roll Party’; a dance-rock track, tracing its roots in the bylanes of catholic Bandra. Though Coutto’s vocals weren’t top notch in the former avatar, he peaked with Helga’s Fun Castle’s track ‘Alone’, bringing out his signature stage energy and laying down some spine-tingling vocals into an extended outro.
Pozy Dhar of Tough On Tobacco @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
Their set fixture of improv songs included one about yellow hi-tops and Nirma washing powder, followed by a song Coutto christened ‘Demonstealer Crack Whore’. The band dropped all sorts of references to the frontman of Demonic Resurrection, as Stringfellow who had now joined the band on stage insisted it be a “beautiful song” since it was about a crack whore, against the previous improv rendition which was fairly angst-ridden.
Ken Stringfellow with Tough On Tobacco @ Blue Frog, Mumbai
The band closed with ‘Smoke Some Ganja’. We also got an answer to our questions about the band’s promised sophomore release, Big Big Joke. For those of you who want to know when it releases, check back in the year 2038.
Setlist
‘Happy’
‘Do What You Gotta Do’
‘Come On Down’
‘Wonder’
‘Yahweh’
‘Taxi Song’
‘Rock n’ Roll Party’
‘Alone’ (Helga’s Fun Castle)
‘Love, Love, Love’
- (with Ken Stringfellow)
Improv Song # 1 – ‘Washed My Yellow Hi-Top in Nirma And It Turned Pink’
Improv Song # 2 – ‘Demonstealer Crack Whore’
‘Smoke Some Ganja’ (Helga’s Fun Castle)
Photos by Naman Saraiya
Twitter
Facebook