Affable, unpretentious and totally comfortable in their own skin, the vibe that Bengaluru0based All The Fat Children give on stage and off is something that is rare to find among popular bands these days. “We had to decide on a name quickly for a competition. Since we were all chubby guys, we thought, why not name ourselves ‘All the Fat Children’. The name stuck. And we love it,” says Eben Johnson, the lead vocalist and guitarist.
Seven years ago, the trio Sachin Savio, drummer, Vickram Kiran, bassist and backing vocalist, and Eben met at Christ University. Bonded by their common taste in music, they got together and started playing in band competitions. “We like doing stuff that is extreme and in your face. Visually loud and scandalous. We enjoy the attention,” says Eben.
The theory worked. In fact they got all the attention and much more that they even started receiving death threats because of some of the scandalous things they said during their shows. “But I can’t help it, you know? I am a creative person and I’ve got to express myself when I have an opinion,” says the 27-year-old literature graduate.
The band plays mostly alternative rock, or what they call ‘Fat Rock’, whatever that means. Deriving inspiration from bands like Avial, Metallica, AC/DC, Boney M and solo artists like Michael Jackson, the trio has now become one of the most loved bands in India.
They have played all over the country with over 200 shows and about 30 original compositions to their credit. “We have recorded any albums so far though. It’s a lot of money. And we’re just too lazy to go through all that trouble,” Eben says.
A self-confessed ‘hopeless romantic’, Eben, who writes the songs says he is very sensitive and that shows in his songs, most of which are just about life in general – friends, betrayals, puppy love and just having fun. It’s not always the numbers that matter for this fun-loving band.
“We have played all kinds of shows, from just 20 people to hundreds and thousands. And it’s not always the big crowds that we enjoyed. We like it when we can connect with the audience,” says Eben, who adds “It also depends on our moody. We’re a very moody bunch. We PMS as a band.” How about that for a USP!