The ‘Raj Against the Machine Tour’ saw them perform to thousands at Germany’s Wacken Open Air last year
Bloodywood - (from left) Jayant Bhadhula, Roshan Roy, Vishesh Singh, Karan Katiyar (center, seated), Sarthak Pahwa and Raoul Kerr. Photo: Studio 63
The most choice expletives familiar to any New Delhi resident are replaced with duck quacks on metal band Bloodywood’s tour documentary Raj Against the Machine. While there’s plenty of shenanigans, leg-pulling and crisis-dealing, the 92-minute feature mostly shines a light on the creation of the band, the fans they’ve amassed along the way and the goosebumps-inducing moments that come with seeing a metal band from India play to full houses in Europe.
Guitarist-producer Karan Katiyar and vocalists Jayant Bhadula and Raoul Kerr are seen providing commentary over several moments throughout the tour, which started with warmup shows in New Delhi and Bengaluru before they headed out to 12 cities across Germany, U.K., France and Russia. Including sold out shows in major cities such as London, Bloodywood – completed by drummer Vishesh Singh, bassist Roshan Roy and percussionist Sarthak Pahwa – played what they call “one of the most important shows of our life” at Wacken Open Air in 2019. The docunentary closes with pro-shot footage from Wacken, one of the most well-known metal festivals in the world.
Facilitating on-stage fan proposals, sharing inspiring stories from attendees and wading through flooded streets somewhere in Russia to make their return to India, Bloodywood soundtrack it all not just through their own songs like “Machi Bhasad,” “Jee Veerey” and “Endurant” but also tunes by a host of Indian independent artists. There’s music by everyone from Mumbai metallers Scribe and Zygnema to Katiyar’s erstwhile band Jehovah, Bhadhula’s work with The Cosmic Truth, singer-songwriter Kalyaani, fusion band Raagleela (for whom Roy plays bass), plus New Delhi’s Undying Inc.
While Bloodywood were all set to return to Europe this year for their second tour, including performances at U.K.’s Bloodstock Festival, the coronavirus pandemic has put all touring plans on hold at the moment. The band has, however, been confirmed for the rescheduled August 2021 date for Bloodstock.
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