Hard Rock Cafe’s Battle Of The Bands Winner Profile: 83 mph (Bengaluru)

83 MPH (Photo: Ghinthaka Arambewala)

 Chennai’s hard rock band 83 mph won the Bengaluru finale for the Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Bands. The barely one-year old band is made up of Kenny Shaiza (vocals), Peter Francis Joshua (drums), Aldrin Dominic Alexander (keyboards), Rishikant Ekka (guitar), Harshit (bass) and Raemus Castelino (guitar).

Besides winning 2012’s Channel V Indiafest, the six piece band was also runners up at Strawberry Fields 2011. Citing Aerosmith, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Coldplay and Grits as their influences, Alexander says, “We really wanted to win this battle of the bands, since it’s such a huge opportunity. We had our fingers crossed all the way. We knew we were going to be playing on the same stage as De’Sat and Public Issue. We were definitely aware about the degree of competition. But we just went on stage and had fun.”

Hard Rock Cafe’s Battle Of The Bands now has five winners. These five winning bands from India ”“ Zedde (Mumbai), 83 mph (Bengaluru), Franks Got The Funk (Hyderabad), The Urban early Men (Delhi) and Point Blanc (Pune) ”“ now compete (via fan voting) with other winning bands from across the world. The eventual winner of the Battle of The Bands contest will perform at the Hard Rock Rising 2012 festival in London’s Hyde Park, headlined by Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band. 

To vote for your favourite band, go to the Hard Rock Cafe’s Facebook pages for each city ”“ Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi.

Voting is open from April 9 to 24.

(Interviewed by Vyoma Shah)