Concert of a lifetime - Lamb of God

The hungry-for-top-notch-concert heavy metal maniacs from India as well as in and around India were in for a treat when two months back Lamb of God announced on its official website that they will be touring Banglore or Bengaluru as the purists would like it on 15^th May 2010. Me and my friends for one were only waiting to gobble up such an opportunity and booked our flight tickets and concert tickets instantly.

For starters LAMB OF GOD or LOG is a heavy metal band from Richmond Virginia, USA and like their music to be called as ‘Pure American Metal’. A 5-piece band, LOG consists of Drummer – Chris Adler, Bassist – John Campbell, Guitarists – Mark Morton & Willie Adler & Vocals – Randy Blythe.

So, finally Deepak & I reached Bengaluru airport on 15^th morning for “Summer Storm Festival 2010” at 8:00AM and waited for ei’s arrival from delhi. After boarding ‘Vajra’ the AC bus service from the airport to Hotel Basil, in Malleswaram, which was booked by ei. Reaching the hotel was not on our mind as was eating some nice South Indian idli, dosa with sambar & chutney. And you thought and only LOG were dying to have South Indian cuisine. Anyways, checked in at 12:00Noon in the hotel room and rested a bit so that we can be ready for the long day ahead at Palace grounds. After having some light lunch we zoomed to Palace grounds wherein there were wedding preparations going on which made sure that the actual place of the concert was on the other end, misleading directions from the localities made matters worse. Finally at 4:30PM we made it to the entry gate as Boomerang had already started playing.

The Indian bands performed well with Bhoomi not present for reasons know best to them. Scribe for one takes the cake with Vishwesh not leaving any stone unturned to connect with the audience. At the start the band had its share of problems with the sound check but later tracks like ‘Pav Bhaji’ really got the sweating audience moving. Extinct Reflections in their last gig with one of the band member coming all the way down from LA put up a good show with Prasad Bhat on the vocals trying his level best to get the crowd going. But they just could not get them much interested as the gods themselves were waiting backstage and the crowd was getting impatient. At 6:30PM Extinct Reflections buzzed off from the stage. The announcer then told that LOG wont be coming befor 7:30PM. The thirsty crowd started wandering off for a bite or some beer.

Finally, after a wait of 50 to 60 minutes, Chris Adler came on the stage and the band kicked off the show with ‘The Passing’from their newest album “Wrath”.Then Randy Blythe cam on stage and gave the crowd ‘In your words’ & ’Set to fail’. The crowd really got violent with mosh pits going infront of the barricade. Not that I was complaining. Then cam ‘Ruin’, Walk with me in Hell’, ‘Now you got something to die for’ & ‘Blacken the cursed sun’.Chris Adler showed why he was voted the best drummer of 2009 and the crowd was not denying either. Mark Morton’s riffs created waves and John Campbell gave the perfect bass to each and every track. Willie Adler on the other side with his no nonsense guitars completed the circle. Those not present at the concert did miss a spectacle and let me be down right candid here. I know some might say that Iron maiden was the best when it came to LIVE @ Palace grounds but LOG was different from them for the simple reason that they came to India in their prime. The fact that 6000 people made it to the concert is an achievement in itself for rock fans like us and the rock community in the country on the whole. A total of 16 tracks were belted out by LOG in a span of 90 minutes. For the full setlist go to http://setlist.fm/setlist/lamb-of-god/2010/palace-grounds-bangalore-india-13d4d991.html.

Even after so many tracks the crowd yearned for more and why would not they. LOG made their mark on India and they have promised that they will be back soon. With the vibrant headbanging and moshing during the last track ‘Black Label’ the body was a bit stiff, the neck stiffer but who is complaining after watching Lamb of God in flesh.

ROAD TRIPPIN'

This is the first of the many parts of my Konkan Trip that started with 5 friends.

From 25th to 29th December 2009.

Its been a while since I blogged but am sure I will make it worth the wait. The reason being that on 25th Dec. 2009 at 3:00PM I and my 4 friends from WeSchool embarked upon a trip that had so many twists and turns and am not talking about the roads here, that we were all mesmerized as much as from the beauty of Konkan as we were with what was ahead of us at all times during the trip.

To begin with the preparations for the trip began a good 45 days before 25th of Dec. 2009. The locations that we planned to trip upon (pun intended) were Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri & Tarkarli, Malvan. The bookings for Ganpatipule were full as the weekend that we were planning had two holidays (Christmas 25th Friday & Moharram 28th Monday) and a Sunday, so all in all one Saturday off made it a 4-dayer vacation. We were not getting accommodation at ganpatipule so I tried my luck and got the rooms booked at Ganpatipule for 5 of us (Me, Gautam, Vinayak Rahul & Rameshwar). Happy that I did the same, I earned the bragging rights (atleast for the time being) that, what no one else could do I did. Days later I received the receipt confirming the booking I just gazed through it and text messaged my friends that the booking is confirmed. Fast forward to 25th December 2009. After a rather early waking up at around 8:00AM I helped mom with some errands as she was leaving for Malvan, hadpiwadi on the same day but by train.

So, at 11:30 AM on 25th December I left home but to stop over at my good friend’s place for the Christmas lunch. We were 4 of us for that lunch. Old friends from my graduation years. The lunch was really yummy with non-vegetarian food galore. The good time at this friends place got over as 2:30PM was nearing. The time we planned to leave Thane for Ganpatipule. As I called up Gautam, in-charge of the car to see if they had left, they were unfortunately late by about 30 mins or so. I had to wait in the sun though the cool breeze made the wait bearable to say the least. So at 2:55 PM after the TATA Indigo came I sat in it and left to pick up Rameshwar at Airoli Bridge the last of the 5 as Rahul had already come to Thane. So, our Journey started and we headed towards Navi Mumbai for NH-17. Slowly and surely we were able to leave the city behind us and it felt really good with every passing kilometer. At around 5:30 I got behind the wheels with the idea for the trip being that Gautam and I driving for 90 minutes each. This was the second time I was driving this car but the first time in the ghats. Being an entirely new experience I tried not to be too conscious but somehow I was not that easy on the gears with Gautam giving me instructions at every corner of the road. At 6:30PM Gautam took over, as the speed of my driving was not that favourable for the trip. Reaching Ratnagiri was our main motive as Ganpatipule was just a half hour drive from there. After reaching the so called left for Ganpatipule we drove a few feet away and thought of enquiring a shop that was open at 11:30 in the night. He directed us towards the road that was just a few paces behind us, which eventually took us to Ganpatipule. Reaching there our search for MTDC resort, which we had booked a month earlier, got over in 15 minutes, thankfully. Once inside the premises I searched for the receipt that was in the bag kept at the back of the car. Royally we 5 of us walked inside as we were seeing people around us searching for accommodation and believe me all the resorts/ hotels were full with not a single room available. But, we were carefree, as I had the room booking receipt in my hand. I kept that receipt on the counter and the two men standing across the counter glanced at me rather surprisingly, as if to say ‘What am I doing here at this hour of the night?’. Between it was past 12 that time and they were getting ready for there good nights sleep. They saw the receipt and at once pointed out the date to me. There it was the booking was done for 25th Nov. to 27th Nov. and here we were standing at MTDC resort Ratnagiri on 25th Dec. 09 expecting that we would be welcomed. That moment was such a low blow for me that the others in my group were controlling their laughter and I had a look on my face that was a ‘Kodak moment’ to say the least. The resort guys tried their level best to see if we could get an accommodation but there wasn’t a single room that was empty. That was it. We all decided that now we would drive down to Hadpiwadi (my house) 23Kms before Malvan. But that was another 4 hours drive for us and it was already 1A.M. It was decided that Gautam and me would drive and hour each. But I felt sleepy on my way to Hadpiwadi and Gautam did the needful. We reached 25 Kms before Malvan and went on going straight and it was 4:30AM now. We took a wrong right turn and went on going through a Jungle were there was so much of darkness that minus the headlights it would had been next to impossible to see outside. After much running around in circles we found that we had reached 12 Kms before Malvan and that meant we were on the wrong track. Suddenly at a turn after going through small lanes we cam out on a road were people were out walking taking their morning stroll. We were all wondering that for the past 4 hours we did not find a single person and all of sudden 12-15 people were spotted out of nowhere. One of the guy told us the way to Hadpiwadi and we followed that road religiously and at 5:45 we were at ‘Yeshwat’ my place, my house in the belly of mesmerizing Konkan.

This was just the start of our Journey. More yet to come.

LEARNINGS OF LIFE

A few days back I had a nice discussion with a colleague at my workplace. It started with me asking madam about her work and personal life balance and the way she looked at it. At present she is 35 years old married happily with two cute kids.

To begin with she is at the Asst. Vice President level and has been working in the bank since 1996. She was the youngest AVP in India in 1998. 9 Years down the line she is still at the same grade. My question was directed as to what she thought if she had to sit and take stock of what went on in her life since 1998 that prevented from her going up the corporate ladder. On the other hand let me tell you that this lady is very smart, very energetic towards her work and has worked at the Branchhead level for quite a few years. So you can say she's a bit of a been there done that kind of a person.

So after I popped up this rather weird question to her that many might want not to, but its only coz I do share a good rapport with madam, she replied as below. Though not verbatim this is what she said.

‘As we grow up as kids we do have the obvious support of our parents, which is often the case with many of us. The fact that our parents have done good (or bad) in their age as grown-ups has its impact on us in some way or other. All that we do comes back to us in a way that either they get affected (in a good or bad way) or their family members (spouse, kids). Now, that you grow up and have the sense to take care of yourself i.e. post the age of 21 years or so, what takes us ahead from here is our karma and not the good or bad deeds of our parents but simply what we do in our everyday life. So, stop blaming your parents that they didn’t groom you well and that they failed as parents to bring you up. Always remember that as grown ups you might face a lot of distractions which are actually very attractive on the face of it, say to defraud someone, extra martial affairs et all. But to practice self-control in such times and concentrate on the actual work at hand is the right thing to do. The reason as told earlier as grown ups whatever good or bad you do comes back to you. What goes around simply comes around. The very fact that I was not selfish enough back in 1998 to climb up the corporate rung and have kids was the correct decision as far as I am concerned otherwise today I might have been at the President level but I might had not found the time to be a mom as I would had been busy making presentations and waiting for the next promotion. In doing this my husband and I would had been alone today with absolutely nothing to be enthusiastic about after returning back home from work. Today once we reach home my little ones make me forget the days fatigue and tensions at work and I can be my own self with them. So it’s important to do the right things so that you and your family can flower and be happy like no one else. Now, as parents I have the responsibility to be honest to myself and my partner in everything I do so that our kids don’t get affected because of our incorrect deeds’.

The above thing really was a sort of eye opener for me, for my future, as well as in general in the sense that I for one used to think that my parents could had groomed me better and I could had been much better academically. But in hindsight keeping the above piece of advice from Madam I think ‘It wasn’t that bad either’. I mean what if my grades at schools were great what difference would that had made to me as an individual. I would had anyways landed where I was destined to. And I am absolutely satisfied about it today.

Thanks Ma’am.

ITS GETTING COLD

Well its getting cold and the urge to feel hot. With the season setting in slowly but surely it sometimes becomes really tough for couples ;-) to get up early in the morning. Newly weds and the newly deads too get frozen and the romantic atmosphere is there for everyone to see.

The Winter season other than the above has various facets to it. With chapped heels and chapped lips being in the forefront, the skin also becomes dry in moderate cold conditions. Food also is a frontrunner with some having a special liking for ice-creams in desserts. Those with less immunity (like me) can try something hot like hot pakodas or parathas with aachar :-). The hotter the better.

Different states have different ways to celebrate winter. In the north many a festivals are in this season viz. Dussehra, Diwali,Baisakhi & Holi to name a few. Mumbai to be quite modest has lost its charm of winter season of the yesteryears. The ever increasing pollution has only risen the temperatures considerably.

With Global Warming coming in faster than ever hope our next generation does not have the ill-luck to see just 3 seasons but it being moderate summer, summer & High summer.

Mesmerising Tarkarli beach

Just a couple of days back I came back from my native place. It was an eventful 3 dayer with my whole family as my sis-in-laws parents had come as well. My sis-in-laws mum had been to my native place for the first time. Its really a blessing to have such a place called "My Native place" where I can be sure of pure "everything", right from water to air to the things we eat.

We saw some astounding places like the Dhamapur lake, Malvan seashore, Angnewadi Temple but the one place that stood out and really really mesmerised me to the fullest was Tarkarli. Just a few minutes drive from the Malvan seashore, this place is an extended part but a huge part of the Malvan seaside and the sands are white and shimmering. The water is clear and the fauna and flora in the seabed makes the seawater green in colour. I can say this with authority that the beach is a virgin as it is 'The most cleanest' beach I have seen in the past 27 years of my life. The marine life is very healthy. Tarkarli offers snorkelling as well. Could not go snorkelling this time but will definitely experience it the next time I go there which will be this year itself :-)....

Those of you who want to experience a pleasurable and life-lasting sight need to visit Tarkarli at the earliest.

ELECTIONS - A BIG FAT JOKE

The state assembly elections though had a good enough turnout of 60% in the state of Maharshtra the city had a pathetically low turnout of 42%. The worst part was that south mumbai which was at the helm when the 26/11 attacks happened voted only 35%. This was the right opportunity for us all to actually give our verdict and stamp our authority on the whole process. But once again we have let the opportunity go by. Most of us grabbed the opportunity by taking monday as a holiday and escaping to some place for vacation.

The fact of the matter remains though that majority of us have lost faith in the democratic machinery. Thanks to the ever-increasing corruption in the state. But then the other side of the coin is that only we the people can change it. The ruling government unless given a run for their money wont learn that the people who bring them to power can make them taste dust as well.

The above might seems childish but not as childish as what some so called grown ups in this country of millions are doing. These people who have not voted have absolutely no right whatsoever to question the politicians about their under par performance. In today’s HT Rajdeep Sardesai has rightfully taken a swipe at such mumbaikar’s who did not vote on 13th Oct.

The same old story will continue in the next elections as well. The Resident Non-Indians who do not vote will continue to comment on the way the infra of the city is bad, the pollution controls being not of the highest level and then again won’t care to cast their vote in the next elections.

Adios Abhi

A lot of people come an go in our life. Some people are forgotten quite quickly once meetings and greetings stop. Some people are not forgotten coz of their nature, their behaviour amongst peers, their simplicity. Abhi falls in the later category. I have not come across a more practical and so correct individual in my life. At his age he seems much more mature. Has a lot of confidence in his abilities, which very important in today's professional life. Has great ability to execute any task given to him. He proved that in WE School.

Now, that he has decided to pack his bags and leave tis city that gave him so many friends and so many moments that will defintely last for a lifetime.Right Abhi? do correct me if am wrong.

Yesterday's farewell in more than many ways summed up the ties that we all friends have.Feels heavy inside sometimes as I still can't believe that Abhi is leaving.
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/lh/sredir?uname=write2Abhishek.S&target=ALBUM&id=5391207544120477137&authkey=Gv1sRgCKLx5s3Qvu_rIg&feat=email

The right thing in the end for all of us though is to not forget each other and be in touch as far as possible. I know this blog is too emotional but thats how I am.

Lala mere maa ke kangan toh tu bech ke khaya. Lekin hum saab ki dosti ko kabhi mat bhulna.