'We've become a family'

It’s not easy for a band to make meaningful music, support families and constantly be on the lookout for new ideas. But the members of Dubai-based hard rock band ‘Point Of View’ tell Metrolife that is the commitment they have chosen to live by.

Speaking about the band’s chemistry, guitarist Royden J Mascarenhas recalls, “When we started out, there were a lot of clashes between us. And that’s actually a healthy sign. But how we approach it now is that we do what’s best for the song and put the band first. We’ve had lots of ups and downs and almost killed each other. But we’ve always resolved it by communicating.” 

He laughs and adds, “We’ve become a family. Besides our existing families, we spend time with each other over the weekend. On tour, we’re technically ‘sleeping with each other’ and clogging each other’s bathrooms and things.”

The highlight for the band was when Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, the lead guitarist of ‘Guns N’ Roses’ came forward to endorse and perform with them. After watching the legendary rock band perform in Abu Dhabi, ‘Point Of View’ frontman Nikhil Uzgare e-mailed Ron and before they knew it, they had a living legend on board! “For the launch of ‘Revolutionize the Revolutionary’, our debut album, we asked Ron if he wanted to fly down on all-expense-paid trip and just hang out with us. He replied that he wasn’t just going to hang out but also play with us, which was phenomenal!” shares Nikhil. 

Royden elaborates, “Under normal circumstances, we would be nervous around him. But Ron is somebody who you almost immediately feel comfortable with. He’s a legendary guitar player but he behaves like you and me. What’s nice about him is that not only is his heart in the right place but also his head. He’s not doing this for the fame and money but for the music. And he’s seen that same side in us as well.”

What’s keeping the band busy of late? “Since the album launch, we’ve just been practising and playing shows in parking lots, restrooms, people’s homes and different venues to get the band out there. We don’t do music full time and it’s difficult to manage our time since we’ve all got day jobs, families and kids. We’re just trying to get our act together so that when we come out of our comfort zone, we can put on a good show,” informs drummer Chiradeep Lahiri.

On what he feels about Bangalore, Royden adds, “Nobody really cares about a rock band from Dubai that’s come to play in Bangalore. There are already really fantastic bands, wonderful talent and cool guys here. But it’s always been a city that embraces its music. Personally, I hold it even closer to my heart because I spent a couple of years here and went to Christ College.”