New Gig Night To Kick Off In Kolkata

Kolkata band Jeepers Creepers

 There has never been a better time for Indian alternative music what with a series of events launching in every part of the country including Mumbai to push upcoming bands. This month, Kick Up The Jams, a new monthly music series started by event management company Smoke Inc, will act as a shot in the arm for the live music scene in Kolkata. Acoustic duo Freshword, alt rockers Jeepers Creepers, acoustic rockers Ifs and Buts as well as the newly formed instrumental dance music act, Write In Stereo, are all on the bill at the multi-genre gig at Princeton Club on April 26th. “The Kolkata music scene is not very big. With this gig, we are trying to go mainstream and find a new audience for gigs apart from our regular fans. We will record promos from our college jams and post them online,” says Shourya Sinha aka Rob, one half of acoustic duo Freshword. At the gig, Freshword will debut two untitled songs, apart from playing gig staples like “Smack On The Face” and “Confession Meadow.” “The new songs are completely different. They have a more bossa nova and jazz feel to them,” adds Sinha.

The Princeton Club has previously hosted independent gigs regularly as part of Smoke Inc’s Jam Steady nights, but the city’s underground scene witnessed a lull once sponsors backed out. The Jam Steady series then adopted the DIY approach of asking music fans to support the artists by paying what they liked at a donation drop box placed at the venue’s entrance. When that didn’t yield promising results, the organizers turned to a fixed entry ( Rs 100), which will now give fans access to Kick Up The Jams this month.  “The idea is to feature four new acts every month,” says Debo Singha of dance pop act, Write In Stereo. Comprising members of now-defunct ambient rock band Turfe, Write In Stereo is a quartet that was formed when their vocalist Romit Sen left the band. “Currently, our songs don’t have written lyrics, they are just a bunch of catchy tunes,” says Singha about his instrumental band. 

The gig marks the debut of local band Write In Stereo and will also witness the launch of Ifs And Buts’ music video for “Tourist.” When Ifs And Buts guitarist Subhodip Banerjee, who also plays with pop rock band Neel And The Lightbulbs, mentions their upcoming video, we recalled his outing with the cops during a video shoot with his other project. However, there were no cops on the scene this time around. “Nicholas (Rixon) and I played through the night. We shot the video from 8pm to 3am in the morning,” says Banerjee. At the gig, the band will showcase songs from their upcoming debut album, You’re A Story, slated to release this July.

Jeepers Creepers, who call themselves a post punk band, but prefer lyrics loaded with limericks (sample “Odds And Favour”) for their songs, are currently recording their second EP, titled The Rubik’s Cube. “We will be playing songs from our debut EP and the upcoming one,” says guitarist and vocalist, Ananda Mitra aka Andy. The EP, which comprises four songs, mostly about relationships, is slated to release later this year. It will be recorded at Dream Digital and produced by The Supersonics’ Ananda Sen. The band’s music has previously featured on compilations such as Stupiditties 6 and Disenfranchised In India, which will release this month.

Kick Up The Jams will feature performances by Freshword, Ifs and Buts, Jeepers Creepers and Write in Stereo at Princeton Club, Kolkata on April 26th. Entry Rs 100. For details, click here