That's the way they like it!

Band traditions

The more time you spend being part of a band, the closer you get. This closeness leads to some traditions that the band, almost always, religiously follows. Every tradition starts out as something spontaneous — while some have purpose, others are a result of utmost craziness.

Jonathan Reuban, guitarist of ‘Clown with a Frown’, says, “We have been playing for 5 years now and we are not particularly nervous. During the times we are nervous, we talk to members of the audience so that they familiarise with us and vice-versa.”

‘Clown with a Frown’ is a pop/ funk rock band, set to redefine and revolutionise the 70s disco era of music. They are a mix of jazz, R n B, soul, reggae, funk and fusion. Their simple upbeat rhymes backed by powerful and soulful vocals translate into a powerhouse and a high energy act. Jonathan adds, “We huddle up like a football team while the manager gives a little pep talk and briefing. With our hands in the middle, we shout 3,2,1 CLOWN!” This marks the beginning of their performance.

Siddharth Nair, vocalist of ‘Tangents’, explains, “We are not nervous before any performance. We have band practices and we are well-rehearsed. Incase we are too tired or if the gig is preponed, then we end up doing an acapella session where the guitarist sings his beats, I do my vocals and others sing their parts too.”

‘Tangents’ is a 5-piece progressive metal band started in May 2014. Their sound is a mix of minimalistic bass lines, odd time drumming, ghost notes and heavy guitar beats. Siddharth adds, “I’m absolutely myself on stage. I jump around or yawn when I get nervous. Once the gig is over, we talk about the overall performance and head directly for food. Of course, there is beer too.” As a band, they never huddle up and that’s how it has always been. ‘One Girl Shy’ was born as a collaboration of artistes from various streams to present alternative folk music.

Brought together by Ahkilesh Kumar, the band consists of 6 members, all hailing from different regions and music backgrounds. Akhilesh, the lead guitarist and vocalist, says, “We have had a range of traditions. We would usually have a group hug as our good luck charm since one of our girl members was shy of hugging. Now, once we do a quick warmup and sound check, we follow the tradition of raising a toast of the soft drinks or water that is in our hands; though we don’t drink before our performance.”

Having spent so much time together, a sense of understanding and belonging is developed within these bands. They do many things as a range of traditions so that they can stay young and crazy and call themselves one big happy family!