One of the biggest challenges, not surprisingly, was to find an apt replacement for Desmond Powell.
Noted drummer Christopher Powell had hardly spent a day in his life without playing his drums but when his brother Desmond, the lead guitarist for Bandish, passed away this summer, Chris allowed cobwebs to settle on his drum kit probably for the first time. A part of him and his music was gone with his brother.
“I had not only lost a bandmate but my brother. He was my wingman on the stage. When he went away, I told everyone that I will bury Bandish with Desmond. I couldn’t imagine myself on stage without him,” said Christopher who formed the Hindi rock band in 2006.
Christopher Powell almost did it. He dreaded even picking up the sticks and wanted to quit music altogether. It seemed like the 12-year old band, that had produced hits like “Goonj” which held the No 3 spot for 10 weeks on the MTV World Chart Express in 2006, was going to see the end of the day until Chris reunited with Subir Malik, one of country’s finest artiste managers
Malik, the keyboardist and manager of rock band Parikrama, felt the best way to honour Desmond would be to re-launch the band. Thus came in new faces, and a new band name – Bandish Unchained. Malik has also taken the onus of marketing and re-launching the band upon himself. The band is all set to unveil itself at the Horn Ok Please Fest at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday.
“I had known Desmond for years and when I met Chris, I convinced him to do this for him. Bandish is huge and there’s a good market for Hindi rock music. It wouldn’t be wise to compare Hindi rock with Bollywood music but they have their own audience,” said Malik.
One of the biggest challenges, not surprisingly, was to find an apt replacement for Desmond Powell. In his hunt to find a new lead guitarist for the band, Chris came across a lot of talented and technically gifted players but it wasn’t enough to earn a place in the band.
“I needed someone that suited Desmond’s profile not just as a fast and smooth guitar player but as a person as well. Humble enough, down to earth and in sync with our vision, and Saurabh was a perfect choice. I told Subir that I will start the project only if I get Saurabh Chaudhry and he said okay,” said Chris.
With Chaudhry in, half of Chris’s burden was lifted. It didn’t take much time for Chris, who has played the drums for leading Hindi band Euphoria for over a decade, to find the right fit for his pet project. Timson Thomas (lead vocals), Ulrich Gomes (keys), Roshan Roy (bass), Rohit KR (Indian percussions) and Chris himself comprise the band now.
Bandish’s popularity was at its peak between 2006 and 2013 as they played year-round in college fests and major music festivals. The band would play as many as 60 shows a year, the kind of numbers very few rock bands witness. Chris believes their second coming would be bigger though.
“I could have launched them at any pub or bar but they are Bandish Unchained. Since the music season is almost over now, the real business will start next year. Keep watching,” Subir Malik said.