A Weekend to Remember

On an impulse, I decided to drive down to Orange County (OC) with a friend from PFC for the weekend. Was looking forward to a great time at the PFC Headquarters (Oz’s house) meeting fellow movie fanatics and possibly shooting a short film. Reached there way past midnight and but still received one of the warmest welcomes ever. Sat chatting about movies, music and all other random things over a nice chilled beer.

On Saturday, the PFC-USA gang decided to convert the HQ (the bathroom to be precise!) into a studio to shoot the ad for PFC.

As we wrapped up, I left the PFC HQ to meet my oldest buddy and his family. Had a blast with his kids. His son, who is the elder one, totally impressed me with his ability to identify different makes and models of cars, SUVs and minivans. Just to put things in perspective, he is not even 5 years old! However, it was his younger kid, his daughter who completely bowled me over. She had me totally wrapped around her finger by her charming sweetness. These girls sure learn their tricks at a young age (she is 3-4 months shy of her 2nd birthday)!

Sunday afternoon, I was back at the PFC HQ and the gang had started working on shooting the short film that was scripted by our friend Striker. I played my part in the shoot by holding up a green background for a scene depicting a news telecast and by throwing around some random, completely useless ideas! Hey, I tried! I don’t know anything about movie-making…LOL. But just watching the gang in action helped me learn a lot of things about the entire shooting process.

If only had I not have to go to work on Monday, I would have loved to stay over for some more time and have more fun. Thanks to all the PFC guys from OC for the wonderful weekend.

P.S. though the weekend took an ugly turn about an hour and a half after we left OC, will write about that in another post.

Is it only about paying bills?

I was talking to a friend yesterday and reflecting on life and I realized that my life has become like my job. Yes, my life has become a program, just a couple of lines of code. Just like the code I write that does a couple of tasks over and over again, my life has become the same in the real world. I wake up, get ready, ride to work on the same route, sit in the same office, check mails, start writing some code and running tests to check it, go to the same crappy cafeteria and have the same crappy food, attend some meetings, write more code and run more tests, ride back home through the same traffic (believe me…at times I have seen the same cars at the same stop light!), workout, cook, watch some sitcom, sleep. And then the cycle repeats.

Is this what life is supposed to be? Live like a machine? A robot? A piece of code?

 And for what? So that you can pay your bills?

Whatever happened to your passions? What about the things that you loved to do? What about those activities that brought a smile to your face?

Our parents tricked us when they told us as kids that we could do whatever we want and enjoy life once we start earning. That’s so not true! We basically just end up doing what everyone else is doing. You get a job, your bank balance starts to look healthy. Soon enough you buy your own house, you get married, have kids and then tell them the same thing your parents told you. And that’s when it dawns on you that you never really enjoyed life and by then it’s too late. Life has slipped away and all you actually did in your life was pay bills!

I don’t want to let life pass me by while I was busy writing some code. No, I cannot just go all out to pursue my passions. I have to be practical, since paying bills is a harsh reality. But I’m not going to let that drive my life.

I am going to ride my sportsbike at every chance I get, even if it is only riding a few miles to and from work.

I am going to save up to go hit the tracks and improve my riding skills.

I am going to keep practicing and jamming to improve my drumming.

I am going to be more regular with my blog posts.

I am going to watch movies more often.

I am not going to work to pay my bills, but I am going to work to be able to pursue my passions!

When Virgil Donati made my evening…

It’s not everyday that you get a chance to see your idol performing live in front of you, so when such an opportunity shows up, you grab it with both hands. That’s exactly what I did when I attended a Jazz concert this Sunday evening. This was no ordinary jazz performance…it was one of the best line-ups you could imagine in modern jazz. So hold your breath as I present to you the line-up: Bunny Brunel (bass), Frank Gambale (guitars), Mitch Foreman (keyboards) and Virgil Donati (drums).

Virgil Donati is one of my drumming idols and I just could not take my eyes off whatever magic he was weaving behind that gleaming Pearl drumkit. This does not mean the other musicians were ordinary. Hell NO! Gambale is a guitarist par excellence and has some of the quickest fingers around. Foreman is nothing less than a man possessed once he is behind those keyboards and creates some unbelievable melodies. As for Brunel, well, he literally makes the bass guitar talk!

But Donati is simply irresistible. The way his hands moved around the entire kit, the evenness in the sounds from each tom, the perfect accents that added an unrealistic dynamic to the sound, it was all so mesmerizing. And what can I say about the double-bass drumming. He created some unimaginable patterns where his feet not only played the double-bass, but also kept switching between the bass drum and the two hi-hats (yes, he had hi-hats on either side of the kit!) without missing a single beat at speeds that would make a sprinter jealous! The amazing use of paradiddles and other basic rudiments speaks volumes of this master’s creativity and sense of rhythm.

After Donati finished his first drum solo of the evening, Brunel made a statement that summed up the mastery of this amazing drummer. He said something like this – “If there are any drummers in the house, now you know what you need to practice when you go home. You either practice harder or you just quit!” – and this had the crowd in raptures. But it was a very powerful and true statement made in praise of Donati. Seeing him perform live will inspire the true drummers to continue in their pursuit of excellence, while it would surely demotivate those who have taken up drumming because its cool.

I am still under the spell cast on me by Donati’s drumming wizardry. It was a once in a lifetime experience and will be one of the most memorable evenings of my life.

Passion for Cinema

Do you get into the nitty-gritty of cinema such as story writing, screenplay, songs and music, acting, direction, special effects, editing…? Do movies mean more to you than just a weekend entertainment? Are you passionate about cinema?

Then get ready to be treated to some amazing insights from other folks who share a similar passion for movies. My friend Oz of Desitrain fame has launched a portal for all of you called Passion for Cinema. And among its contributors is none other than the genius film-maker Anurag Kashyap himself.

Rock is Noise Pollution

So often we come across “music aficionados” (I’ll refer to them as MA through this article) who always know anything and everything about music. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, these conversations are quite intriguing and enlightening. I had one such conversation with a MA.

Dinner was done, people were sitting and enjoying dessert and our MA was charged up. He starts off quoting some great singers, giving details of their songs, the music, the ragas used, lot of trivia about the song, singer and music director, etc. Folks were mesmerized by the abundance of information that this MA’s head could hold and recall at the press of a button. There was an occasional input from someone or the other, but mostly the response was just of tacit approval and appreciation.

I barely had any response because the MA was talking only about Hindi and Marathi music. Yes, I listen to a lot of Hindi music and occasionally some Marathi stuff too, and I know who Lata Mangeshkar or Kishore Kumar is, but that’s about it. MA was Buddha delivering his sermons under the Bodhi tree while I was a starry-eyed disciple.

Things were going good until MA decided to enter the touchy territory of Pop and Rock music. At this point, MA started to take liberties in defining music itself. It was time for starry-eyed, long-haired, black-tee-clad disciple (i.e. me) to shine and teach the master some lessons. Here is what followed…

MA: …and this pop and rock is crap. It can’t be called music. That Jackson fellow just keeps shouting “oww” and grabs his crotch as if he has ants in his pants. And those rock guys make so much noise and just scream out loud.

me: Jackson is a multi-platinum artist! And what you call noise is distortion. It’s an effect to go with the intensity of the song.

MA: Why do you need intensity in music? Listen to how melodious Lata sounds even at this age. (He always refers to these great singers by their first names as if he was their langotiya yaar (underwear friend i.e. childhood friend))

me: She sounds like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in Veer Zaara! (Ha ha! Got you there didn’t I buster? Do you call a rocker bad now or good? Coz you are definitely not going call Lata bad! me:1 MA:0)

MA: (neglecting my previous statement) They just jump and run around on the stage screaming and making noise.

me: You expect a rock band to sit cross-legged and perform? How do you think “Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh” would sound if Lata didi jumped around the stage? Wouldn’t look good right? So you have to give a performance that matches the genre of music.

MA: Are you trying to say Lata is not good?
me: Hell no! I respect her and she is hands down an amazing singer. But that doesn’t mean that other singers are not good.

MA: Rock and pop stars are not singers…it is not music!

me: What IS music?

MA:  ummmm….errrr….songs that have melodies and rhythm.

me: The black metal band Children of Bodom uses keyboard melodies and rhythm! (me:2 MA:0)

MA: (after a long pause) I mean…uhhh…well…they don’t use ragas and don’t have control over their voices like Lata, Asha, Kishore, Rafi…

me: You are kidding me right?? Heard about chords, keys, modes?

MA: (oozing sarcasm) Right! Rock bands use notes and stuff to create noise.

me: Man! Do you even know how hard it is to actually co-ordinate the lead, rhythm and bass guitars with the drums? It f——-riggin (checking myself as parents are around) takes years of practice!

MA: But…

(I am in high gear and cut him off and continue)

me: Do you know how much stamina it takes to play a 2-3 hour show shredding your guitar, plucking those bass strings and pounding the drums at speeds reaching 200+ bpm (beats per min) at times? Do you know how difficult it is for the singer to keep jumping around and still having enough breath to sing in tune? I’m sure Lata didi can’t do that and most importantly, I wouldn’t want her doing that either. She is a great singer…possibly the greatest, but she is not a rockstar. Period! That doesn’t mean she is not good. She is good at what she does and rockstars are good at what they do. You definitely wouldn’t want to hear Alanis Morissette singing “Didi Tera Dewar Deewana”, do you??

MA: …ummmm….

(Cut!!)

me: Learn to appreciate all forms of music. You love the Hindi oldies…more power to you. But that doesn’t give you any liberty to criticize other music forms and musicians. I played drums and bass in a rock band and I know how many hours of practice I put in to go and give my best on stage. You won’t find me sitting and listening to Hindi songs, but you won’t find me criticizing them either. Because I love music! And to truly love, appreciate and enjoy music, you need to open up your mind and free it from your biases. It’s only then that you can truly call yourself a music aficionado. I’m done!

An eerie silence was followed by an approving nod from MA and smiles and murmurs from the other folks present out there. I winked at my brother as the topic shifted to cricket and I took a backseat.

ROCK ON!!!

Independence Rock 2006: Indian Rock becomes legal

It was that time of the year again for the rock and metal fans to celebrate Indian Independence in their own special way. A baby known as Independence Rock (better known as I-Rock) was born in 1986 for the rockers of Mumbai to come together and treat themselves to some good old rock n’ roll. Over the years, rock music has undergone a lot of changes and the Indian rock scene has adapted and matured over the years.

Till about a decade ago, the rock scene in India comprised of only a handful of musicians and bands – Gary Lawyer, Indus Creed, Parikrama, Brahma, Agni and Pentagram. However, the introduction of a contest at Independence Rock along with the boom in music channels and globalization of the Indian market has seen a sudden rise in the number of rock bands. Bands are appearing not only from the big cities like Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore but also from far off places like Guwahati and conservative cities like Pune.

The current breed of rock bands in India span the entire spectrum of rock from pure rock n’ roll to alternative to melodic metal to hardcore death metal. The musical influences are as varied as the genres and include Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Children of Bodom, Slayer, Slipknot, Rage Against The Machine and many more.

However the most impressive fact is that the focus of these bands has changed from just performing cover versions of songs to performing their original numbers. This change in focus has put the Indian rock scene in high gear allowing the bands to actually express themselves and be creative. The biggest indication that the rock scene has matured in India is the fact that the crowd now sings along with the originals compositions of the local bands and prefers the bands performing their originals rather than playing covers.

Some of the current bands that have impressed me are: Sceptre, Zero, Pin Drop Violence, Human Abstract, Demonic Resurrection (Mumbai), Brute Force (Pune), Them Clones, Orange Street (Delhi), Clockwork Orange (Bangalore), Evergreen (Cochin), Faith (Guwahati)

This year too, I made it a point to attend I-Rock. Day 1 featured a contest between 6 bands:

1. Nemesis kicked off the show with an awesome rendition of Iron Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark” followed by their originals whose names I didn’t quite catch. They finished their set with a cover of Megadeth’s “Hangar 18”.
2. Next up was Evergreen who performed a set of 3 originals. The lead singer had a great voice and their basslines rocked. Their performance was quiet tight but seemed to lack a certain punch.
3. Brute Force from Pune took the stage next. This hardcore metal band performed like a well-oiled machine – heavily distorted guitars, some amazing shredding, a growling bass and brilliant double-bass drumming. Their originals kicked some serious ass. Their rendition of Testament’s “Return To Serenity” (a favorite of mine) was brilliant. They finished their set with Megadeth’s “Holy Wars” (another favorite of mine).
4. Next up were Split from Mumbai. They performed a long 5 or 6 song set that included two covers – one by Marilyn Manson and one by RATM. This band has some of the best musicians in Mumbai, but they didn’t seem to have that chemistry that would set the band apart. The joke of the evening was that the fifth band – IIIrd Sovereign – had mistaken the contest day as the next day and hence was unable to make it.
5. The final band to take the stage was Faith from Guwahati. They started off with an original and it was a welcome change to hear some 70s style rock in an evening dominated by hard-hitting, bone-crunching metal and alternative performances. They then performed Deep Purple’s “Burn” and completely blew the crowd away. Another brilliant original was followed by a marvelous rendition of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”. They already had the crowd begging for more and they obliged by performing Van Halen’s “Jump”. This band was the most impressive in terms of talent and stage presence. The lead singer hit the high notes with ease, at times reaching frequencies only audible to dogs! The two guitarists were brilliant and the bassist played some killer slap bass on their originals. The drummer was excellent on both the ultra-fast as well as the groovy tracks. The star of course was the keyboard player who rocked on the solo pieces of Highway Star and Jump.

The contest was jointly won by Faith and Brute Force. The statement of the evening was made by Farhad Wadia, one of the main organizers of the show. He said, “I-Rock turns 21 today and can legally get drunk”. I don’t know about the others, but I was definitely on a high that night, thanks to the wonderful live performances by some of the best musicians from around the country.

Long live Indian Rock!

Why I call myself FenderBender?

Many friends and readers on my blog asked me one or all of these questions – “What does FenderBender mean?” or “Why do you call yourself FenderBender?” or “Have you had any accident that you always remember?”

Let me answer the third question first. Well, according to Merriam-Webster, here is the definition of Fender Bender: A minor automobile accident

But my answer is no, I have not had any accident and has got nothing to do with me using this screen-name. However, I am crazy about cars and driving, so in some weird manner, yes, it does relate to my personality.

The real reason though has got something to do with my other passion – music. When we say guitars, the first name that comes to our mind is Fender – the guitar manufacturer who gave the world the first solid body electric guitar. What’s that got to do with me? I am one lucky bastard who happens to own and play a Fender bass guitar. There’s half the mystery solved.

Now let’s move to the second part. Bending is a technique used in guitar playing where you either push the string up or down to change the pitch of the note. It’s a fun thing to do and can make your guitar/bass scream. And I like to bend. Put together Fender and me i.e. the bender, and voila! You got FenderBender!

Syd Barrett passes away

Syd Barrett, a founding member of the legendary rock band Pink Floyd died a few days ago at the age of 60. Read about it here and here.

He was a wonderful vocalist and an innovative guitarist who explored a variety of possibilities using the echo machine, feedback, distortion and dissonance. He was one of the pioneers of psychedelic music who rendered that unearthly, haunting sound that is the trademark of Pink Floyd songs.

The Pink Floyd song “Wish You Were Here” is a fitting tribute to the brilliant but eccentric musician.

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air to a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange
A walk on part in the war,
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here
We’re just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground
Have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here

May your soul Rest In Peace.

The Low End

This is a post from my old blog but I wanted to give recognition to the masters of the low end and some of my idols when it comes to playing the bass guitar. The following is my list of the best rock bassists. The bands they play for are mentioned in the brackets.

1. Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / Steve Vai) – this guy can work wonders with the bass. Extremely technical and the master of tapping. Creates a unique sound with one-of-a-kind stereo setup on his bass.
2. John Myung (Dream Theater) – if you thought 4 strings were a handful, think again! Give this guy a 6-string bass and you won’t need a guitarist! As if matching John Petrucci’s notes was not a difficult enough task, he has Mike Portnoy’s oddest timing on drums to contend with.
3. Les Claypool (Primus) – I rate him as the best bass line creator. Creates some of the coolest sounds with his amazing slap-pop technique. Listen to the song “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver”
4. Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) – the heart of the band. He leads the pack when it comes to playing funk. Probably has the largest number of memorable basslines and can make even the simplest bassline sound real cool.
5. Stuart Hamm (Joe Satriani) – what can I say. Its not easy to handle the low end for a guitar virtuoso like Satriani and match him note for note.
6. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) – bassist and lyricist for the monsters of metal. His galloping bass sets the tempo for all the Maiden songs.
7. Late Cliff Burton (Metallica) – the story goes that Hetfield and Ulrich entered a bar and heard someone playing a mean guitar. They started looking around to locate the guitarist, but all they could see was a guy on bass. They couldn’t believe their eyes that this bassist was playing the bass like a lead guitar. The rest is history. Listen to the song “Orion” by Metallica to know what I mean.
8. Geddy Lee (Rush) – he writes songs, he sings and he plays a mean bass. And to keep up with a master drummer like Neil Peart is no easy task.
9. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) – get your hands on the songs “N.I.B” and “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. They will do the talking.
10. Justin Chancellor (Tool) – once again, if you can keep up with the beats of a drummer like Danny Carey, you have to be listed here.

That’s all from me for today. Hoping that someday my name might feature in somebody’s list of top 10 bassists! Yeah ok…you don’t need to laugh! One can always dream right??