Listen to Nipun Nair's tunes...

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it".

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

LISTEN

Chennai's Public Issue!

Inspired by Mr. Big, Public Issue, a Chennai based Rock Band, are on a high after winning the South Zone Finals of the Campus Rock Idol 2006-2007 and qualifying for the Finals at Pune on February, 11 2007.

Public Issue are Christopher- Vocals and Rhythm guitars, Nipun Nair – Guitars, Vinodh aka Tibu - Bass, Vinay – Drums. Three out of the four are students of visual communication at Loyola College, Chennai and Christopher, the vocalist is undergoing his B.com degree at Madras Christian College, Chennai. Like any other student with alternative talent or prodigy that does not confirm to parental or professorial standards, these youngsters are sacrificing a lot to make it to the big league.

Aged less then 20, this bunch of talented Madrasies are ready to take the Indian Rock scene by storm. They hate new age rock and are fans of pure rock of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Their inspiration being Mr. Bigg, Dave Mathews Band and Eric Johnson among a host of other legends, these rookies are well on the way to emulating the success of their icons after their triumph here in Manipal.

At the South Zone Finals, they keyed up the crowd with Mr. Big’s ‘Green-Tinted Sixties Minds’ and three other self composed songs which were equally well received with applause from the crowd. It was a no nonsense focused performance which didn’t include any sort of riposte unlike other few who went an extra mile with their efforts to gee up the crowd.

With impressive performances in Chennai and Bangalore under their belt, this band unlike any other that started out practicing in garages to the disapproval of their neighbours have come a long way and are here to stay. “The future is bright, there are loads of opportunities for bands like ours” says Vinodh aka Tibu who seems optimistic about the future of Rock and Rock Bands in India.

In the words of Nipun Nair, the Guitarist, “We are a progressive funk band and we love to have fun on stage. Hope it rubs off on the crowed too!” This young band, only a few months old is currently working on their original sound. Seems we are going to hear a lot about them in the years to come.

Rock-Stock and two smokin' Bands

Forty thousand watts of pulsating rhythm that was how Manipal played host to the third edition of Campus Rock Idol 2006-2007 at the Shanthala Football grounds on Saturday, January 28^th, 2007.

Manipal, chosen to host the South Zone finals by DNA Networks, Bangalore, proved yet again that no other place can host a rock concert better as the rockers as well as the organisers were thrilled with the overwhelming response.

Cristopher, Vocalist of Public Issue who walked away as winners of the south zone finals, said, “They know their music, man! Manipal literally Rocks!” Public Issue, a Chennai based band, will be joined by runners up Haven from Bangalore in the all India Finals in Pune on 11 February, 2007 where they will compete with four other bands from across the country. The winners will be hailed as the best amateur rock band in the country and this would create a platform for these college students to turn professional rockers in the near future according to Ashwin Ramaswami, Event coordinator, DNA Networks.

It also rumoured that the winners of Campus Rock Idol 2006-2007 will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform an opening act for Iron Maiden during their tour of India this year. Ashwin said, “It depends on the management of Iron Maiden, it’s their call”, declining to comment further on the rumour.

Manipal is also likely to host the remaining three editions of Campus Rock Idol before the new cluster begins. Citing proximity and location as reasons, Ramaswami added that Manipal which boast of two dozen odd bands is an ideal place for such an event and could one day host the finals as well.

Kaushik of Slingshot from NITK, Calicut, winners of the Manipal Zone Finals said, “This is my second visit and it keeps getting better every time. I played here during the National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA) meet earlier this year and I find their the thirst for rocked is second to none”.

“They booed us off the stage at Bangalore, and here we won. This crowd is amazing”, cried Vinodh aka Tibbu of Public Issue who plays the bass commenting on the inspiring crowd involvement especially when they sang their self composed song ‘Delay’. This got the crowd on their feet and pulsating to rhythm of rock.

However, the highlight of the event was Sand Monkeys who despite losing out to Public Issue managed to generate louder cheers for they were the local MIT boys who qualified to compete with the other five bands. “We are the best rock band in Manipal”, said an elated Siddhartha Rao after qualifying for the South zone finals. The Hendrix – Dave Mathews Band song ‘All along the watch towers’ a clever choice got the crowd cheering for the home boys in an instant.

The runners up of the South Zone finals Haven, also treated the crowd to classics like Pearl Jam’s ‘Alive’ and other self composed songs like ‘This moment’ and ‘Thunderbolt’.

The event also saw stellar performances from two Bangalore based professional bands, Galeej Gurus and Synaps who were the headline acts for the evening. From heavy metal Korn and ACDC to the old school Red Hot Chilly Peppers and Rage against the Machine, both the bands showed the amateurs why they were where they were by taking the volumes to Richter-scale levels that saw the sound system jarring with disapproval. Forty thousand watts proved mere breakfast for these hoodlums of Rock.

Jerome Coelho who also judged the event gave away trophies to the deserving bands to conclude the proceedings of an extraordinary evening that saw progressive experimental rock of Public Issue overshadow the heavy metal rock of Haven to be acclaimed as the best amateur band of South India.