Deep Purple, Goo Goo Dolls, The War on Drugs and More Set for Bandland Festival in Bengaluru

U.K. rock veterans Deep Purple, American alt rock chart-toppers Goo Goo Dolls and indie rock act The War on Drugs will make their way to Bengaluru for the first edition of BookMyShow Live’s new festival, Bandland, taking place on December 16th and 17th at Embassy International Riding School, Bengaluru.

In a bid to “rekindle the legacy of the country’s original rock music capital,” Bandland will also host Australian punk act Amyl and The Sniffers, plus Indian rock veterans such as Parikrama and Thermal And A Quarter. The diverse rock lineup has a wider scope with the likes of Bengaluru-based Kashmiri rock band Parvaaz, Chennai indie rock act The F16s, Pune/Mumbai post-rock band Aswekeepsearching, Chennai rock trio Skrat, post-hardcore band Pacifist and rock act The Earth Below on the lineup for the two-day festival.

Deep Purple, which currently comprises founder and drummer Ian Paice, vocalist Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride, will bring their biggest, formative Seventies hits like “Highway Star” and “Smoke On The Water” to Bandland, played in India in 1995. Gillan said in a video interview with the channel Tales from the Road about their Mumbai show, “Instead of a crash barrier at the front, they had four policemen with a piece of string. That was unbroken throughout the whole show. They held the crowd by just being there. It was just a joy to behold.”

Goo Goo Dolls, best known for their ballad “Iris” that made them a global name since the late Nineties, also went on to release their version of Supertramp’s “Give A Little Bit,” solidifying their place in American rock history in the early 2000s. Most recently releasing their album Chaos In Bloom in 2022, Goo Goo Dolls will make their India debut at Bandland.

Among the newer acclaimed acts part of the festival lineup are The War on Drugs and Amyl and The Sniffers.

BookMyShow’s live entertainment chief of business Owen Roncon says in a statement, “Bandland will celebrate music that has stood the test of time with legendary bands that both Indian fans and music artists here, have looked up to over the years along with new-age bands that continue the rock legacy.” He adds that the goal is to make Bandland a recurring festival and promises that “it’s about to get loud.”

Tickets for Bandland are now on sale via BookMyShow.

Bandland takes place on December 16th and 17th at Embassy International Riding School, Bengaluru. Get details and tickets here.