JOIN USBut Rajeev and Bruce Lee Mani from the TAAQ were quick to point out that it was a printing mistake.
“We officially launched our album at the Java Jazz festival in Jakarta earlier this year and now we are in the phase of promoting the album,” said Rajeev, minutes before the performance. What was really interesting was the theme of the evening, Drunk and Be Driven. Designated drivers received irresistible incentives like redeemable drink coupons and autographed CDs for staying sober, even cabs were arranged to ensure that groups without drivers are dropped home safely.
“The authorities must realise that the problem of drunk driving won’t go away if they shut down pubs and bars,” said Bruce. “If people had an option not to drive after drinking, they wouldn’t.”
Nevertheless, the band was more than ready for their first performance at a supper theatre. “This is a first for us, we are used to people standing in front and jamming with us but it will be a little strange having people sit through out the concert,” said Bruce.
With numbers like How Can I Get Your Groove, Holy Jose and Jazz Yuppies the band gave the audience a glimpse of their fourth album, This Is It. This was the first time the rocker boys of TAAQ ventured into the romantic pastures of their lives.
For a band that usually sings about politics and social issues, they decided that it was high time they wrote about things that were taking place in their lives.
“Each one of us is in a relationship with a significant other and we ourselves have been together for more than 13 years, so there is bound to be so many things happening among us and between us, that we had to pen them down,” says Bruce while adding, “The concept came to us when we were recording for our third album, Plan B. Since we recorded 20 songs back then, we have selected ten out of them which would fit under this one.”
Recorded and mixed over ten days at A R Rahman’s A M Studios and mastered at Gastwirt Mastering Studio, they said that one thing the album does not lack is quality.
With a few numbers being extremely romantic and intimate, the band felt that it would not be apt for the evening’s performance.
Instead they tried out a few new songs like Mighty Strange, The Song and Starring For This which were received very well by the audience.