The Newest Stage At Bacardi NH7 Weekender Is A Tour Bus

Swarathma. Photo: Neville Sukhia/Red Bull Content Pool

If you think traveling in a bus and performing on it is just another day on the road for bands, Mumbai hardcore band Scribe’s frontman Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy will tell you it’s a myth. The vocalist, who will perform with his band as part of The Red Bull Bus Tour that launches in Mumbai this week, says, “We’ve been on any kind of transportation that’s beat up and can handle eight people. This [Red Bull Tour Bus] is the only legit tour bus experience any Indian band will have.” The Red Bull Tour Bus stage is also the latest addition to the Bacardi NH7 Weekender festival and a series of gigs kick off ahead of the Pune edition of the fest this month. Adds Krishnamoorthy, “A road tour is more of a litmus test for the musicians.” 

Other bands going up on the bus-turned-stage for the launch tour include Bengaluru folk rock band Swarathma, electronica collective the Dualist Inquiry Band [comprising Sahej Bakshi, future garage artist Sandunes and drummer Jivraj Singh], Kolkata alt rock band The Supersonics, singer/songwriter Nischay Parekh also from Kolkata, electronica artist Your Chin and alt pop/rock band Spud In The Box both from Mumbai.

Swarathma, who toured the country extensively when they released their self-titled debut album in 2009 and their second album, Topiwalleh in 2012, have several stories from being on the road. The band’s bassist Jishnu Dasgupta feels it’s about time they found a comfortable alternative to the tempo traveller vans. The bassist says about the experience of living in a tour bus, “It’s filled with the collective aroma of every band member in there, but all we used to do was play, get in the van and get to another place. With tours like that, your act becomes tighter, you have the fight in you to play a lot of gigs and you learn more about each other.” At the launch gig, Swarathma might rope in past collaborators like Krishnamoorthy and Dualist Inquiry aka Sahej Bakshi, but will otherwise stick to making it a “celebratory, high energy gig,” adds Dasgupta.

While Swarathma hop on the Red Bull Tour Bus in December for a tour of North India ”“ including stopovers [read performances] in Delhi, Mohali and Chandigarh ”“ Scribe hit the road in January, as part of a North East India tour. Says Krishnamoorthy, “It’s part of our Hail Mogambo tour, where we’ll unfold the album live and through physical copies.” Scribe will perform four or five songs off their upcoming third album, Hail Mogambo, as well as set staples like “Street Archana vs. Vice Varsha” and “1234 Dracula.” With the elevation that the Red Bull Tour Bus stage is at, Scribe’s regular stagediving and crowdsurfing antics may be a little dangerous. Says Krishnamoorthy, “It depends on the audience. With Scribe, you just say Geronimo and jump.”

Swarathma, Scribe, The Supersonics, Dualist Inquiry Band, Nischay Parekh, Your Chin and Spud In The Box play at Red Bull Tour Bus Launch on October 5th, 5:30 pm onward at Wilson Gymkhana Ground, Mumbai. Register here to get free entry to the gig.