Bengaluru Guitar Greats Join Forces for New Festival
To mark International Guitar Month, the likes of Bruce Lee Mani from Thermal And A Quarter, Baiju Dharmajan from Motherjane, Suraz Sun from Grish and The Chronicles and more will perform at Fandom on Apr. 5, 2025
(From left to right) Baiju Dharmajan, Tony Das and Niveditha Ode Linda will perform at Let There Be Guitar Festival in Bengaluru. Photos: Courtesy of the artist
Bengaluru’s seasoned guitarist Tony Das grew up watching his heroes like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson perform as part of the tour series G3. So when the call came to be part of Bengaluru’s own guitar-centric festival Let There Be Guitar, the guitarist for rock bands like Thermal And A Quarter, Bhoomi and Peepal Tree was ready to dive in. “I think so many people have unique voices on the guitar. I thought it sounded like fun,” he says.
The inaugural edition of Let There Be Guitar takes place on Apr. 5, 2025 at Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined in Bengaluru and is put together by music platform Gigital India, artist and event manager Philip Thomas, along with city-based guitarist-composer Niveditha Ode Linda. She’s also part of the lineup alongside Indian guitar greats such as Baiju Dharmajan from prog band Motherjane, Bruce Lee Mani from Thermal And A Quarter, Suraz Sun from heavy metal/hard rock band Girish & The Chronicles, and Kolkata-origin percussive and fingerstyle guitarist Saheel.
With three hours of music—covers of inspirational bands and original songs as well—all artists on stage will be backed by a band comprising drummer Jaime Dudley, guitarist Joshua Ashis, bassist Osi Gomango, and keyboardist Anand Murali. The 11-year-old drummer Sanidhya Das will also join in at the festival. Let There Be Guitar might be focused on instrumental music, but they’ll bring in guest vocalists, including Girish Pradhan and Alan Thomas, for a few songs.
Linda says Gigital India founder Vishwas Karanth had first approached her about a “local guitar-related show” and when she spoke to co-organizer Philip Thomas, he suggested they do something bigger. “[The goal] is to put Bengaluru on the map as a vibrant center for guitar culture in India, inspiring a new generation of musicians and music fans alike,” a press release says.
Das recounts that a lot of the music he’ll play as part of his set will draw from songs that inspired him to pursue playing guitar growing up. His influences include everyone from Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt to former Megadeth axeman Marty Friedman. He’s keen to see everyone’s sets, from the covers to the originals. “There are people setting the stage for the next generation of guitarists who will be inspired by [original] music. It’s really a privilege to be a part of this,” he adds.
Linda, who released her debut guitar instrumental single “Nebula” just last year, says her set will include “all kinds of genres that will cater to a guitar-centric audience in terms of technique, musicianship and melody.” She adds, “Rock, metal, fusion, blues – you name it.”
The artist, who has shared the stage with the likes of rock veterans Indus Creed in the past, is confident about making Let There Be Guitar an annual outing, scoping out new talent each year to take the stage.
