CHENNAI: A 16-member brigade that likes a mix of rock, Sufi, jazz, reggae, Hindustani classical music and Bollywood — that explains Thaikkudam Bridge, the indie band, in a nutshell. As the band is prepping to perform at the Red bull tour bus ‘#AskfortheBus’ at SRM University, City Express caught up with the founder, Govind Menon.
So, what is #Askforabus? The band will be performing and playing on top of a bus and this is a one-of-a-kind gig. “It’s very special for us, as this is our first time to be playing atop a bus,” says Govind. The band started their album tour last year in October, but this is going to be their first college performance as a part of the tour.
Starting the band in 2013 along with his cousin Siddharth Menon and jamming by the Thaikkudam Bridge in Kerala, Govind says it started off as a fun venture. “It was all fun initially and we just went with the flow. Then we realised this has become an integral and inseparable part of our lives,” he narrates.
They convinced 14 of their friends from different professional backgrounds and started a unique band. “We are all full-time musicians. Most of us work in the film industry and some of us have been friends from the industry or since college days,” he smiles.
The band recently performed at a function as a tribute to the music maestro Ilayaraja and received a standing ovation! “It was an honour to play for Ilayaraja sir and receive a standing ovation. We even got a chance to touch his feet!” he beams. So, will we be witnessing the medley during the tour? “Maybe, you may just be able to witness it in SRM,” he winks.
The band will be playing a mix of their original songs along with a few of their covers. “Since the crowd in Chennai really understands good music irrespective of the languages, we have decided to mix it up,” he adds.
With a total of 170 shows in 2015 and about 17 shows a month, they spend more time with each other than with their families. So, what happens off stage? “It’s a lot of fooling around, playing and then sometimes we practice seriously,” he says. The most fascinating part is that Govind’s father is a member of the band too! “Yes…that’s how supportive our families are!” he shares.
The band released an international video song, ARAACHAR — a political satire recently. “We planned an English version first but later we thought why not sing about our own problems in our own language. So we chose Malayalam,” he says. But, isn’t it a sensitive topic to deal with? “Yes, but that’s the appeal!”
“Our goal is to go international and represent our country.” The band will perform at SRM University on March 3. For show details, visit www.redbull.in