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The Glastonbury blast
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Pentagram, the Mumbai rock band, is the first from India to perform at the Glastonbury Festival
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A ROCKING CROWD Pentagram was exposed to a really wild audience at the fest Photo: AP
This years' Glastonbury Festival made headlines even before the performances began. Torrential rains turned fields at Somerset into one big bog but that did not deter the organisers and fans that went ahead with the concerts. This year was special for Indian music fans as rockers from Mumbai, Pentagram shared stage with the likes of Garbage, Coldplay and Fatboyslim. This performance is definitely historic, as it has never happened before and sets the stage for many more bands to follow suit. Pentagram was flown to Glastonbury by the music and lifestyle channel, Vh1. The band, which was formed back in 1993, consists of Vishal (vocals), Shiraz (drums), Papal (bass) and Randolph (guitars).
Now back in Mumbai, Vishal couldn't help but gush, "It was an honour," when MetroPlus spoke to him in an exclusive interview over the telephone. Excerpts:
How would you describe your experience?
It was the first performance by an Indian band at Glastonbury. You don't realise the scale of it till you get there. 1.4 million people attended the concerts. The organisation was just fantastic.
What did you perform and how did the crowd react?
We mostly played originals with very few covers. We played tracks like "Ten", "Drive" and "Don't Come Disconnected". The one cover we played was "Desire" by U2. It was Pentagram version with samples from Prodigy and Tom Corello. We started our performance right after Coldplay and that didn't matter at all. The people there are awesome. For them music is fun and they just jump.
You have performed in Estonia before. How would you compare the two festivals?
Estonia was large you had 3,20,000 people but this was something else. Look at the acts that came Coldplay, Fatboyslim... The level of performance was too good and it was just 24 hour partying.
The concerts began in knee-deep slush but that did not deter the fans. Tell us something about the spirit of the fans and the organisers?
The first morning it rained like crazy. There was a foot of slush but we were told to be prepared. The mats and the tent areas were just flooded but the organisation was solid. There was not even a frown from anybody. The people were just so friendly and receptive to new music.
Who were the best acts?
I would go for Garbage, Basement Jaxx, The Whalers and Fatboyslim. White Stripes were okay. The new pop act called Gem was very good.
Are Indian bands at that level yet?
We and a few other bands such as Zero and Pin Drop Violence are definitely at that level. It is very important for bands to go and see what's out there. It tells you where you stand and where you need to push. I think we just lack the marketing.
When compared to concerts in India how different is it abroad?
The whole concert structure is different. All the work is done even before you even get there. Also you are free of the police and the bandobast. But all said and done these guys have experience we don't have. Glastonbury is 25 years old.
So, how was the experience partying after the performance?
Sorry, it's unprintable! (Laughter)
Pentagram has been invited to perform again in 2007.
Tracing the beginning
The festival aims to encourage youth culture from around the world in all its creative forms. An area in the festival is set aside for alternative medicine, displays of environmentally friendly technologies, various forms of religious expression and debating issues. From the profit they make, the organisers not only make improvements to the site, but also distribute money to Greenpeace, Oxfam, Water Aid and other humanitarian groups. The festival began in September 19, 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died. It is held every year during the last weekend of June. The concert area is steeped in symbolism. It's where King Arthur is said to be buried, where Joseph of Arimathea walked and where Ley Lines converge.
ANAND SANKAR
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