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Rock till you drop

`Stand Up and Rock' was a show by the locals, for the locals

AN EVENING OF ENTHUSIASTS One of the bands performing

The air wrapped itself around us like a damp towel. But the crowd didn't seem to care. After all, the evening was all about a revival. And a staunchly supported one at that.

`Stand Up And Rock,' featured city-born music, in front of an enthusiastic Chennai audience, supported by the local community at the Gatsby Village in Neelankarai — all in a bid to give talented local rockers a shot in the arm. For, although the city has always had a number of enthusiastic bands, somehow rock here tends to lose its zest once it leaves college campuses, the last refuge of head-bangers. While the energy at the Gatsby Village was certainly different from pulsating, dust-draped campus affairs, it did manage to encapsulate that essential rock concert feel — with enveloping sound, cheerfully maniac lighting and chairs only for the elderly. (Psst: at a rock concert of this sort, you are over the hill before you know it.) Once one of the bright-eyed young organisers directed me to the old-people's seating, so I could rest my quarter of a century (gasp) old bones, it was time for everyone to Stand Up And Rock.

The evening began with Hunger, the youngest of the participating bands. With their distinctive brash, and fresh new sound, Hunger belted out songs from their self-titled debut album. They got the audience warmed up, but it was the next band on stage — Little Babooshka's Grind — that really had everyone on their feet and gently head-banging, thanks to their individual style, which is strong on melody. A nice feature of their performance was the fact that they even did a couple of covers, in a very distinctive way. (A Babooshka, by the way, according to a reliable source, is apparently a Russian grandmother! Though with LBG's oomph and attitude, it's difficult to imagine a team of energetic old babooshkas in their place.) No Idea, the winners of the 2005 Great Indian Rock competition, ended the evening. With band merchandise and albums on sale at the venue, and complementary burgers and juices from Galloping Gooseberry handed out to everyone with a pass, the performance eventually took on the feel of a small rock festival. The smoke machine generously clouded the air, as the audience stretched out on the grass to enjoy the music. Through it all the bands pumped it up on stage. After all it isn't very often that they get to do their own thing, in their own city, with friends cheering them on.

SHONALI MUTHALALY

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