Shri To Perform With Indus Creed Today

Back when Mumbai rock band Indus Creed were breaking into the scene as Rock Machine, UK-based electronica artist Shrikant Sriram, better known as Shri, was one among many fans looking up to them. “When I was learning to play bass, they [Rock Machine] were the ones to look up to. In 1988 or 1989, I remember jumping up the walls of Rang Bhavan to see them play ”˜Tom Sawyer’ [a cover of the track written by Canadian progressive rock band Rush],” says Shri.

It’s a little known fact that Shri later stepped into the studio with Indus Creed and even gigged with the band in the Nineties. When Indus Creed recorded their eponymous self-titled album in Los Angelesin 1994, Shri joined them on the flute and tabla and also co-wrote “Sleep” and “Trapped”. He also played flute on “Fly” on the album. Frontman Uday Benegal says the band wanted to bring in Indian sounds into their hard rock-oriented tunes on Indus Creed that released in 1995, and it had nothing to do with reaching out to a wider audience in the West. Benegal says, “We wanted to develop it [the sound] further in an organic way like we had done with ”˜Pretty Child.’”

Tonight’s gig at Blue Frog is a look back at the old times for both Shri and Indus Creed, who will jam together at Blue Frog, with Mumbai pop rockers Spud in The Box opening for them.

Benegal is also excited about band’s performance being recorded as part of a documentary-style series called The Blue Frog Diaries, which will be available online. Incidentally, the last episode of the series, shot in June this year, captured Brit-Indian composer Nitin Sawhney, who Shri played with as a band member during the Asian Underground music movement in London in the late Nineties.

Spud In The Box and Indus Creed play on November 20th at Blue Frog, Mumbai from 9pm onwards. Entry Rs 350 after 9pm. Event details here.

Watch the music video for Indus Creed’s “Trapped” here