Art, dance and music, all have a significant place in India when compared to other countries. Here, there is a real focus to what is happening around the world be it art, music or technology. Indians are extremely knowledgeable and connected with the rest of the world. If you come to India you must take your performance seriously. For instance, if you miss a beat, you will always find the audience signaling the artiste. My observation has led me to believe that Indians and their knowledge of music world over is unsurpassed," said Australian percussion sensation Ben Walsh who performed on June 23 at Hard Rock Cafe.
According to the artiste, convenience of technology has replaced artistry in the West today. However, he also feels that India can go beyond all this and offer the world a credible wealth of music, if artistes can seek inspiration in the foundations of folk and classical instruments. "I cannot bring anything new to India. The music here is unique and rich. Indians understand music, drumming and technology. This country has provided the perfect platform for me to showcase what I have to. I felt a real connection with the audience in Bangalore during my performance," said the musician.
Ben's performance was met with a lot of energy with the audience flocking towards the show, moving to his beats and cheering him on as his performance got louder. Guiding the audience with the story behind each of his performance piece, Ben revealed that he had none to dedicate his performance to except the kids whom he met in the slums of Mumbai. He mentioned that he was inspired by the kids' passion for drumming with whatever they could find and explained how these kids changed the way he saw life and living with passion. The audience was stunned by Ben's agile and spirited drumming and as the performance went on one could see the entire arena filled with people all bringing out their best moves.
Ben performed with many instruments of his own creation with technological innovations designed by Machina aka Kim O’Sullivan who also accompanied Ben on this tour. His performance titled LOOP ZERO gave the audiences an ultimate sensory experience exploring technology and reality with great ease. Using primal bass-driven beats among a rich tapestry of visual colours and images that were triggered seamlessly, the show delivered the ultimate audio-visual show. The musician's performance can best described as an abstract snapshot of the way we interact as humans and live with machines. LOOP ZERO also explored how we shape and are shaped by technology in our world.
“Whenever I premiere a new piece of work, there is a burst of energy I experience that is hard to replicate in any seasoned performance. The audience will be watching me at a very new stage of exploration. There is a certain amount of tension and excitement that drives me to give a phenomenal performance,” said Ben.