Thiruvananthapuram’s Veteran Rockers Regroup for New Gig Series
A total of 11 bands comprising 50 musicians take to the stage for the aptly titled Revive Vol. 1
Bands such as Darshan Shankar Ensemble, Lazie J and Nandu Leo will be part of Trivandrum Rockers Group's first edition of the Revive gig series in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
It’s a blast from the past for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala rockers of years past this weekend, with a new event series called Revive Vol. 1 which aims to pick back up on gigs in the city. A group of musicians who formed an association called Trivandrum Rockers is putting together the inaugural show on November 16th at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan amphitheater.
The lineup brings together rock bands who have been largely dormant, but were popular since the Eighties and Nineties. In addition to the currently active rock band Lazie J, there’s singer-guitarist Nandu Leo and singer Cindy Nandakumar, alongside rock acts like The Gypsies, IX Hours, Darshan Shankar Ensemble, Jyothi Crishna, Rockknot, Souljam, TheBFlat, Velvet Clouds and The 12th Bar. Darshan Shankar, one of the organizers from the Trivandrum Rockers Group and previously part of veteran Kerala rockers 13AD, says the aim is to revive “live western music in the city.” Shankar adds in a press statement, “This initiative will hopefully energize old and new musicians and fans of rock music to come together and reignite that excitement of yore.”
Also part of the organizing group are Lazie J’s singer-guitarist Jay Pillai and drummer Manoj Pillai, keyboardist/synth player Juby Thomas (currently part of prog band Coma Rossi in Bengaluru) and more. The collective aim is described as a “purely non-profit pursuit” but also encouraging new artists. Also on the agenda are workshops, meet-ups and training sessions for the current and next generation of musicians hoping to become full-time artists.
Revive Vol. 1 takes place on November 16th at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan amphitheater, Trivandrum. Event details here.
