Battle of the Bands at HRC

So I went to the HRC Battle of the Bands on Thursday, Feb 24 with friend ZP. I have to say that the sound system at HRC is far inferior to the one at Blue Frog, and that coupled with the fact that the entry at HRC is usually Rs.150 as opposed to Blue frog's 'free before 9.00 P.M', makes Blue Frog my preferred venue for live music events. But I hadn't seen the 5 acts due to perform that night at HRC, and was eager to do so, so went anyway.

The Indiecision review can be viewed here.

Personally, I liked Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family the best. Their simple arrangement and focus on strong vocals helped the Hindi pop rock act make the most of the average music system. I liked Summerpint Junkie too. Their second number wasn't as good as their first, and they have some way to go, but they have potential, and I hope they go far. Alex Rintu & Friends was average, and Tough on Tobacco seemed to be trying too hard.

The most interesting/entertaining act of the night had to be Bombay Bassment, this new rap/hip-hop act who eventually won. Apache Indian, a friend of one of the performers, was present at the venue for moral support, prompting a lot of the other performers to indulge in photo ops with him.

Now I've attended and read up on a lot of rock shows, and 2 things do strike me, that I must point out. The first is obvious - there has got to be at least 1 Goan/Catholic guy in every rock group in Mumbai.

Second - what's with the same guys playing for multiple groups? Take the following for example:

Prashant Shah plays for both Scribe and Exhumation.

Sid Coutto plays for Tough on Tobacco, Airport, Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family & Zero.

Johan Pais plays for Tough on Tobacco & Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat family.

Pozy Dhar plays for Tough on Tobacco & Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat family.

Randolph Correia plays for Pentagram and Shaa'ir + Func.

Thoughts?

Battle of the Bands at HRC

English Lessons - Continual, Continuous

People tend to use the word 'continuous' to describe all sorts of ongoing processes. Some are not even aware that they need to use the word 'continual', while others are not sure when to use what.

You use continual when referring to a process of duration that is frequently interrupted.

Example - In Mumbai, it rains continually from June to October during the monsoon.

You use continuous when referring to an uninterrupted process of duration.

Example - It rained continuously from morning to lunchtime today.

'Continuous' indicates something happening non-stop, while 'continual' indicates something repetitive but interrupted. Don't confuse the two.

You can view my full article on Indianisms, on CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344

English Lessons - Continual, Continuous

English Lessons - Indianisms: Do the Needful

Try to avoid using the phrase 'do the needful'. It went out of style a 100 years ago. Using it today indicates you are a dinosaur, a dinosaur with bad grammar.


However, you may use the phrase humourously, to poke fun at such archaic speech, or other dinosaurs.

You can view my complete article on Indianisms at CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344

English Lessons - Indianisms: Do the Needful

English Lessons - Indianisms: Do one thing

When someone approaches you with a query, and your reply begins with the phrase 'do one thing', you're doing it wrong.

'Do one thing' is a phrase that does not make sense. It is an Indianism. It is only understood in India. It is not proper English. It is irritating to listen to. And there are better ways to begin a reply.

You can view my complete article on Indianisms at CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344
 

English Lessons - Indianisms: Do one thing

English Lessons - Indianisms: Give, Take

You don't give an exam, you take an exam.

You don't give a driving test, you take a driving test.

Replacing 'take' with 'give' is a common grammatical mistake.

You can view my full article on Indianisms, on CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344

English Lessons - Indianisms: Give, Take

English Lessons - Indianisms: For, Since

One of the most common grammatically incorrect Indianisms is the misuse of 'for' and 'since' when describing timescales. These are the rules for how you should use them, without exception:

You use 'for' when describing a length of time. 

Example - "I have been waiting here for 2 hours".

You use 'since' when referring to a specific point of time in the past. 

Example - "I have been waiting here since 4.00 PM".

Many people confuse the usage of the 2 words, and use 'since' to describe a length of time. This is incorrect under any circumstance. It is a mistake so frequent, even teachers, journalists & editors commit it every day. Let me recap:

Correct - I have owned this car for 5 years.

Correct - I have owned this car since 2005.

Wrong - I have owned this car since 5 years.

You can view my full article on Indianisms, on CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344

English Lessons - Indianisms: For, Since

English Lessons - Indianisms: Order, Order for

When you 'order' something, you 'order' it, you do not 'order for' it.

For example, you should say "we ordered ice cream", not "we ordered for ice cream". Or "we will order 100 balloons", not "we will order for 100 balloons".

The phrase 'order for', when 'order' is used as a verb, is an Indianism. It's grammatically incorrect. This applies to all tenses.

However, you can and should use 'for' after 'order' when 'order' is used as a noun. For example, "We cancelled the order for 2 cakes".

You can view my complete article on Indianisms at CNNGo: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/10-indianisms-652344

English Lessons - Indianisms: Order, Order for

Photography Lessons: Composition

The first step to taking good photos is composition. These are some of the things you should do to compose your photo well.

1. Get as close as possible to your subject. Zoom in. Fill your camera frame with your subject so that all people see is your subject and context.

2. Rule of thirds. Move the subject away from the centre, unless it's a reflection.

3. Look for shapes to frame your photo into - lines, diagonals, etc.

4. Create impact by photographing your subject from unexpected angles.

5. Use side lighting as much as possible.

Photography Lessons: Composition

Indus Creed Live at Blue Frog

Went to see Indus Creed on Thursday, Jan 27 at the Blue Frog. A full house. Mix of young and old. The old guys reliving the past I guess. The band was formed in 1984 and really hit their peak in the early 90s, before splitting up, and then reuniting again in the 00s. Here are some of their old videos.

















Derivative yes, but even today they know how to get a crowd going. And then there's the nostalgia factor. Just ask the 30 somethings at Blue Frog that night. 


Oh and while I'm on the subject, check out this 1989 NY times article on rock music in India. Makes for fun reading. Has there really been that much of a change?

Indus Creed Live at Blue Frog