Gotye to Perform in Delhi Next Month

Australian singer/songwriter Gotye will perform in Delhi as part of Oz Fest, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever held in India. The “Somebody I Used to Know” hitmaker will perform his maiden Indian concert at Blue Frog, New Delhi on February 6.

The singer received three Grammy nominations recently, two for his album “Making Mirrors” (Best Alternative Music Album and the prestigious Record of the Year) and one for his signature song “Somebody That I Used To Know” (Best Pop Duo/Group). Gotye also won six awards at the 2012 ARIAs (Australian Recording Industry Association), more than any other artist last year, including Best Male Artist and Album of the Year.

Great news for Indian music lovers, I think, for this is one of those rare occasions when a musician will perform here while still at the top of his game. One of the major downsides of the live music scene in India at the moment is that most artists that FINALLY make it here are a decade or two too late.

Remember, Blue Frog is a limited-capacity venue, so grab your tickets asap:

http://in.bookmyshow.com/booktickets/?cid=BFRD&eid=ET00012911&sid=72&ety=EV

Wouter “Wally” De Backer AKA Gotye

Poets Of The Fall Announce India Tour

Poest Of The Fall

UPDATE: LINKS TO BUY TICKETS ADDED

Finnish rockers Poets of the Fall will soon grace Indian shores in support of their latest album “Temple of Thought.” The band will play five Indian cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad & Kolkata this August, soon after the August 3rd  release of their new album here in India. This tour marks the band’s third visit to the country following their headlining appearances at Synchronicity, IIT Kanpur in 2007 and the Great Indian Octoberfest, Bengaluru in 2011.

Their latest album, the band’s fifth, was released in March 2012 in Europe and entered the Finnish charts at #3. The band have two platinum and two gold certified albums to their credit in their native Finland and have sold more than 100,000 albums worldwide. Their first four albums debuted atop Finnish charts, an astounding feat for a rock band.

This is the second time EMI Music India is bringing an international alternative rock band for a multi-city tour in support of a new release. 2010 witnessed the American rockers Saving Abel perform in support of their self-titled debut.

Tour Dates:

August 22, 2012 – Hard Rock Cafe, Benguluru
Buy tickets at: http://www.indianstage.in/EventDetails.do?eventId=3226

August 24, 2012 – Hard Rock Cafe, New Delhi

Buy tickets at: http://www.indianstage.in/EventDetails.do?eventId=3227

August 25,  2012 – Hard Rock Cafe, Pune

Buy tickets at: http://www.indianstage.in/EventDetails.do?eventId=3228

August 26, 2012 – Leonia Resort, Hyderabad

Buy tickets at: http://www.indianstage.in/EventDetails.do?eventId=3218

August 28,  2012 – Nazrul Munch, Kolkata

Buy tickets at: http://www.indianstage.in/pre_book.htm

More details to be announced soon, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Indian fans may grab their brand new album “Temple of Thought” in 320 Kbps MP3 for a meagre 79 bucks from Flipkart’s Flyte Digital Store!
http://www.flipkart.com/temple-of-thought/p/itmdb9fxe74ewjtc?pid=DGADB9YGG8FGP8KT&ref=f2849193-a8a2-4aef-b4d8-3b5e38f52a8c

For old-school fans like myself, there’s always the good-old CD:
http://www.flipkart.com/temple-thought-music/p/itmdaa4dt7nhf4ke?pid=AVMDAA4BXPZE4KZJ&ref=a11292a1-6bd9-4cca-a96d-a0c0754c95ef

NILE ANNOUNCE FIRST EVER INDIA TOUR

American techinical death metallers NILE have just announced their first ever Asian tour that includes performances at Delhi and Bangalore. The band issued the following statement via their facebook account:

 

While details regarding the band’s performance in Bangalore are yet to surface, they will co-headline the Summer Blaze Metal Festival in New Delhi along with another international metal act. While many names have been flying around regarding the identity of this other headliner, sources close to Polyrhythms Magazine have confirmed that Arch Enemy will headline the Summer Blaze Metal Festival, to be held at Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. There are also talks of Arch Enemy performing in Bangalore along with Delhi.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Official Confirmation: Metallica to Play in Delhi and Bangalore this October!

For an event that promises to be the biggest since Iron Maiden first set foot on Indian soil back in 2007, Metallica.com has confirmed that the Gods will finally descend upon India this October. Here is a screenshot of the announcement made on their official website:

Metallica in India!

Need I say more?

Now, all of us had some idea about F1 Rocks for awhile now. Just as I had speculated in my post dated April 27, “this incredible concert” that Mr. Trujillo referred to in his interview with the Inland Empire Weekly for their cover story has actually turned out to be F1 Rocks, to be held alongside the inaugural Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix (scheduled for October 28-30, 2011) at Greater Noida. F1 Rocks will be held in Leisure Valley, Sector 29, Gurgaon on October 28, 2011.

But it is the night of October 30, 2011 that promises something special. Sonisphere Festival in Bangalore? Are you kidding me? A momentous occasion. Period.

Stay away from me, Creeping Death, for I have to stay alive until the night of October 30, 2011. \nn/

A Brief History of Metallica’s Concert(s) in India

The first time I got word that Metallica would grace our shores was soon after the release of St. Anger back in 2003. Turned out to be a rumor, exactly like the ones that would surface almost religiously every year since then. So, by the time I heard about Metallica FINALLY playing in India in 2011, my immunity to “Metallica rumors” had developed to an extent that I didn’t even give it a second thought.

But soon, I read in The Times of India that the organizers of F1 Rocks (part of the opening ceremony for the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix) were in talks with the band to perform here (although they mentioned others like Beyonce & Black Eyed Peas too). Now, this was something different. Reading about a Metallica gig in print, that too in a reputed Indian newspaper. It was time to start the celebrations, right? Well, knowing all too well how severely the Indian media has been infected with the “jumping the gun” virus, the article merely got me a ‘little’ interested. But interested enough, nevertheless, to force me to get in touch with the organizers. And yup, they were in talks with the band and had me assured that something special was indeed on the cards. Boy!

April 1 came and went, and along with it came several “confirmations,” some even claiming that Metallica would be supported by Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. Yup, the Big 4. Blah blah blah.

But now, we’ve got word from Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo man! Speaking to the Inland Empire Weekly for their cover story, this is what he had to say:

“We are going to play India in October. That should be interesting, playing a place we never thought in our wildest dreams we’d [go] to play. It’s an honor for all of us that we get to be a part of that whole music scene as a metal band sharing our music with fans in India at this incredible concert!”

Now, it is highly likely that “this incredible concert” that Mr. Trujillo refers to is our good old “F1 Rocks,” to be held alongside the inaugural Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix scheduled for October 28-30, 2011, at Greater Noida.

But wait a second, in regards to the venue ain’t I jumping the gun too? Well, who cares? I’m from Delhi for one. And most importantly, since I’m writing for a magazine now, it’s safe to say that I’m part of the “Indian media” too. Alternative or not.

Let’s wait and watch.

ps. International readers – Greater Noida is “almost Delhi.” So, chill, it won’t be too “off the radar.”