Earworms and Crazy Fans of the Artistes at NH7 Weekender

This year too, NH 7 Weekender was a big draw. Even though it was staged a long distance from the city, at Embassy International Riding School, young people thronged the venue. Akhila Damodaran spoke to some of the more popular acts

Raghu Dixit

A song that you are listening to now and can’t get out of your head

Aayat from Bajirao Mastani. I think it is an incredible song. It is the first song of Arijit Singh that I like. I know he has had bigger hits but this defines him as a phenomenal singer. I think this song will be very huge soon.

An all time favourite song

Dream on by Aerosmith. It defines my journey as a musician. It’s always been about dreaming to do something. That has been my anthem. I listen to it when I need inspiration.  

An all-time favourite band

Dave Matthews band. The philosophy behind the band, how they work together... Incredible. Among Indian bands, we have lot of great bands but Indian Ocean and Pentagram top the list.

Any crazy fan moment

There has never been really any crazy moments. I know all my fans by names and faces. They become my friends. I meet them personally over coffee, lunch or dinner if they are buying it for me. But never had a weird fan stalking. Even if I get such hints, I put a stop by being nice to them.

Favourite moment on stage

There are two. When I perform for Ganesh Utsav in Basavangudi every year, I think it is the most spiritual experience. This year especially, 30,000 people turned up for the event. Everybody sang and shut me up. I had to stop singing and play just the guitar. They all sang gudugudiya sedi nodo.

There is another moment. I was playing at the Larmer Tree Festival in UK. They have a concept called folk in a box where I went inside a dark box and sat on a chair and an anonymous fan would be sitting next to me in the darkness. I sang Amber for that particular lady and she started crying half the way through. I didn’t know whether to continue the song or stop right there. It was a blissful moment. I think that is the best concert I have ever given.

The largest crowd we played to was two lakh people at Dharwad.

Dhruv Ghanekar of Dhruv Voyage

Dhruv Voyage began their performance with their song Baare Baare

A song that you are listening to now and can’t get out of your head

I can’t feel my face by The Weekend

An all time favourite song Hello - Lionel Richie

An all time favourite band Toto

Which is the song you wish you had written/performed?

Daughters - John Mayer

Nikhil D’Souza

Nikhil D’Souza opened his performance with his song Amelie that he wrote last year

A song that you are listening to now and can’t get out of your head 

I forget where we were by Ben Howard

An all time favourite song

Lover you should have come over by Jeff Buckley

An all time favourite band Radiohead

Which is the song you wish you had written/performed?

Mama you’ve been on my mind by Bob Dylan

Clinton Cerejo of  Ananthaal

Clinton Cerejo opened the performance with a song from his Coke Studio session, before he invited his Ananthaal band mates on stage to perform.

A song that you are listening to now and can’t get out of your head

It’s a new song I’ve composed for my latest film release Jugni due next month.

An all-time favourite song

Prayer for the Dying by Seal.

An all-time favourite band

That would definitely be U2 and watching them live at Wembley with 90 thousand fans was a surreal experience.

Which is the song you wish you had written/performed?

There are many like that but one I’ve always just loved is the song Visions by Stevie Wonder.

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