A self-organised BYOB metal night to bring in the festivities will feature four city bands, each offering their own take on the genre
Fed up of trying to figure out how to get a gig, Mumbai-based metal band Letter - which also indulges in instrumental progressive, a bit of an odd niche within metal - decided to organise a gig featuring similar indie artistes in the heavy music genre. And so, Jingle Balls, an evening of performances by metal rap rock/ nu-metal band Anthracite, Hindi rhythm and poetry outfit Chabuk, progressive rock band Protocol and the headliner Letters, originated, promising a lot of headbanging.
(From left) Devanshu Sampat, Roop Thomas Philip, Tanmay and Michael Lee, members of Chabuk
"Metal used to be really big in Mumbai, but it's slowly dying out in terms of the new crop of musicians coming in. There are still hardcore bands which have their cult following. The main issue is that there are no venues for us. AntiSocial was one such space, but it has shut for now," says organiser Tejas Narayan, who is also the guitarist of Letters, adding that this has led to a rise in the number of musicians self-organising metal fests and hiring out venues such as Habitat, like the band has. "That's the only way one can still get good metal music and the crowd, given that the kind of music we play is even more niche than metal," Narayan adds.
Chabuk, which only plays originals, will introduce a unique sound to the audience - Hindi rap with heavy rock, influenced by bands like Rage Against the Machines and RHCP. "The lyrics are based on personal life experiences, which are relatable," says Devanshu Sampat, the band's drummer.
ON: December 14, 8 pm onwards
AT The Habitat, Road No 3, Khar West.
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COST: Rs 350
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