Gig Review: Thermal and a Quarter - Windmills Craftworks, 100 Pipers VH1 Sound Nation (Pt.1 of 2)

As a part of the final evening of the 100 Pipers VH1 Sound Nation campaign, I was at Windmills Craftworks to listen to two fabulous bands – Bengaluru’s very own Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) and India’s oldest rock icons  - Indus Creed. Up first on stage was Thermal and a Quarter, who set the perfect mood for the rest of the evening with a tight set. The band covered material from their latest Three Wheels Nine Lives album including Meter-mele one and a half and Grab me which they played with Mahesh Tinaikar from Indus Creed. The band also called upon ex-band member Rudolph David to help them out on Holy Jose. This was followed by their version of the Nirvana classic In bloom

TAAQ
The audience got to hear  some newer material which included Going to Abroad – which chronicles the old Indian craze of travelling abroad. The song was clearly written on a flight during TAAQs extensive touring from last year and lacked the certain punch that one expects from their music. This however was not the case with new songs In the middle and MED – a song calling out to all the people who accept EDM as a form of music. I really enjoyed MED and so did most of the rock purists in the audience. Bruce Lee Mani made full use of a voice modulating pedal (not sure if that’s the right term) to give the song a very Daft Punk like vocal touch, which was pretty cool.
Bruce Lee Mani

Leslie Charles
Rudolph David on Holy Jose

Rajeev Rajagopal
Bruce Lee Mani was his usual animated self between songs keeping the audience engaged. Leslie seems to have settled well into his role as the bassist (and backing vocalist) for the band. Rajeev was tight as ever. The band closed the set with Who do we have sex with from the latest album. The entire set was what one expected from a band with the experience of TAAQ. Nothing more, nothing less. 

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