Sky Rabbit To Perform In Mumbai Tonight

Photo: Aneesh Bhasin

A decade ago, if you happened to attend a gig at the now-defunct Mumbai venue Razzberry Rhinoceros, chances are you’d land yourself in the moshpit of a metal band called Medusa. The band was then an EP old. Titled Survival Off The Fittest, the EP contained their loud original “Who’s Your Daddy?” and Joy Division covers including “Ceremony.” In 2008, Medusa made a slow yet effortless switch to electronica.

Earlier this year, Medusa changed their name to Sky Rabbit and released a game-changing, self-titled album that mirrors their evolution from metal to electronica. Though the band had already started experimenting with electronica with songs like “Anti-Coke Ganpati,” while they were still Medusa, it wasn’t until in February this year, when they dropped their reincarnate album that gave audiences a sense of how the band has evolved.

Independent label ennui.BOMB’s director Rishu Singh, who has managed the band in the past, will tell you how the initial transition from metal to electro-rock came as a “shock,” but in due course audiences realized how easily the band made its shift. “All the guys went back to their drawing boards and worked on improving their sound. Also the fact that they individually are exploring more avenues with floating solo-projects only enhances their confidence and it works for them. I am a fan,” says Singh of the band that is made up of Raxit Tewari on vocals, Siddharth Shah on bass, Radhul Nadkarni on guitars and Harsh Karangale on drums. Nadkarni has an electronica side project called SnowShoe and Tewari’s solo pop act is called Your Chin.

The leap in sound, according to TVN Sridhar, senior strategic marketing manager, EMI, is what made the label sign on the band to distribute their album. “If you are a rock band singing in English in India, your rivals should be a Radiohead and a Kings of Leon or a Muse. Sky Rabbit is a band that is worthy of the competition.”  Sridhar adds that the band has managed to sell around 900 CDs until date and is optimistic that they will sell more in the coming years. “They are performing more than they have ever done before and that is only going to help increase their popularity,” says Sridhar.

Guitarist Nadkarni says that his band will perform a new song at tonight’s gig. “We have a new song called ”˜Sun Me Out’ that we haven’t played in the city before that we are very excited about. Also watch out for some crazy visuals on the screen that we have been working on,” says Nadkarni.

ROLLING STONE Live presents Sky Rabbit at Blue Frog, Mumbai on September 4th, 2012, 10 pm onwards. Entry Rs 300 post 9

Sky Rabbit will also perform at the upcoming Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh on September 16th, 2012. 8 pm.