Hard Rock Rising Returns For Sixth Edition

Popular folk-rockers Swarathma qualified up to the regional level in 2011’s edition of Hard Rock Rising. Photo: Sumukh Bharadwaj

Annual global band competition Hard Rock Rising [which started out in 2009 as the Ambassadors of Rock Battle of the Bands] returns for its sixth edition this year, and is traveling to Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Delhi to offer the country’s best up-and-coming bands a chance to play at the Hard Rock Rising 2016 festival in Ibiza, Spain. Previous finalists of the worldwide band hunt include folk-rockers Swarathma, Delhi rock band The Circus and Chennai-based funk rock act Franks Got the Funk.

This year saw over 120 entries from bands across the country, which were shortlisted to 28 bands [including four wildcard winners], all of whom will battle it out over two elimination rounds on May 5th and May 12th. Winners from each round will then go on to compete in the final round on June 1st simultaneously with other competing acts in Hard Rock Cafes around the world. Competing acts include Mumbai thrash metal band Carnage Inc., Bengaluru prog rock band Redempsure and Pune experimental rock band The Gravy Philosophy.  Says co-founder and executive director of JSM Corporation Jay Singh, “It gives us immense pleasure to provide younger and promising Indian acts with the platform to take their music to the next level, and stand a chance to win a trip to Ibiza. We look forward to hosting some amazing bands.”

Check out the complete list of qualifiers below.

May 5th:

Hard Rock Cafe Andheri:

Across Seconds

Carnage Inc

Tripp Pilots

Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru:

The Yadnya Band

Ledge13

The Scratch Cards

Hard Rock Cafe Pune:

Sunil Bhatia

Halanth

After Acoustics

May 12th:

Hard Rock Cafe Andheri:

Disciples of the Old Monk

Joe peters & the Syntonic Comma

Dhaiwat the Band

Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru:

Redempsure

Crazy

Bright

Amba

Hard Rock Cafe Delhi:

The Divine Strings

Footwings

Joker’s Whoop

Hard Rock Cafe Pune:

Balalaika

RipTide

The Gravy Philosophy

Elemental One

Wildcard winners:

B.A.D. Save the World

Unholy Grudge

HayWired!

Aavishkaar