My First Impromptu Concert Trip

It all started with a facebook post. I don’t remember who posted it, all I could see was Anathema was coming to India. I jumped out of the seat, muttering to myself “How the hell am I going to get to Chennai this Saturday?” This was last Tuesday. I had no money, a project that just started and most of all no company. But I had to do this, I had to see Anathema. It became the Holy Grail that was almost discernible at that moment.

I told the analyst that I would get back to the job in some time and then got to “work”. I started calling everyone I know in Chennai and all could get “Sorry. No can do, never heard of the band”. I was the least bit perturbed. I would go there even if it meant I would be the alone standing next to the mosh-pit. There are few things in my life that I get excited about and this was one of them.

The band sort of symbolizes my life in Chennai. Every time I listen to lost control, I get transported to those unruly roads of Tambaram that I used to walk on with my iPod on full volume. It reminds me of those days way back in 2008 where I shut myself in my room for almost three months. It was those 90 days of solitude with their music, my only companion. Even now, whenever I listened to “A natural disaster” it felt like that she was talking to me.

And here I was in Mumbai almost four years later, in a somewhat better state of mind but I could never forget those days. And that was enough for me. I planned this trip within half hour. I booked my flight-tickets without even knowing where I would crash. If nothing worked out, I was ready to dish out and stay in a hotel. But they did work out eventually; KK was ready to join me even though she never heard the band before.

By Tuesday evening I had everything in place. PP and K thought I lost it and they swore this was not about the band but I was scheming about something. But I dint care. I dint give them an explanation. I told my manager that I had a personal emergency and had to leave for the weekend. I had the reason all planned out, if they ask I am going to meet a prospective groom (now, no one can say no to that!).

Saturday morning I landed in Chennai airport at 8 AM with my backpack in tow waiting for KK to pick me up. Chennai surprises me every time. It’s like watching your favorite movie for the nth time and savoring it. It creeps up on you like a kind of harmony that settles your mind. 

I go to KK’s place where she lives with her parents. It felt like I was back home with the newspapers, inane gult news channels running in the background. Her mom couldn't stop feeding me. She saw me once and decided I had become thin (!) and started serving me extras. I had the best home cooked gult lunch after a long time.

We took off after lunch on her bike, two chicks with the worst directional sense and a Google maps app. We did get stopped by the cops at which point we got all the bike related paraphernalia and shoved into their hands. I even gave them the pollution check receipts for the last two years. They took one look us then and let us go with a smirk on his face.

We reached IITM around 3 and got to GCC after taking to customary bus from the entrance. The campus never changes but all of sudden I felt so old. It felt like an old maid at a frat party. I couldn't get out of there faster. We got our tickets and started our Chennai Darshan. I had to do a customary visit to all my favorite haunts in the city before getting back to the concert. We started off with Adyar, Besant Nagar Beach, Pondy Bazaar and ended up at Bikes. At least Bikes was just like I remembered, they still had the same bartenders and they still made awful cocktails but I was home.  Here’s where I did my best work when I was in Chennai, some of those tidbits included being hit on by some stranger in front of the loo, crying like a banshee in front of a wedding party and getting thrown out by the bouncer to name a few.



Quintessential Chennai(Check out the masks :D)

Empty Carousal at Besant Nagar

 

After paying homage to my old life, we started back to IITM only to get stuck in quintessential Chennai traffic. It was already 6 30 PM and the band was supposed to start at 7. We rushed to the campus only to hear the distant sounds of guitar. I was heartbroken. This could only happen to me, who would do such a stupid thing like getting drunk and forgetting about the sad state of Chennai roads when you have an important appointment. But I did not give up, we ran from the parking lot to the bus stop and got into a running bus, rushed out of it as soon as it stopped and started our marathon running to the VIP gate which for some insane reason is at some hidden corner. We finally reach the gate and I could almost see the band, they sounded a little different but then I thought they were playing their newer albums. I was ready to jump the guards and get in.

But, as usual things only got worse. We forgot about IITM’s crazy rules during concerts. Handbags were not allowed. So, there I was 20 ft. from the stage and yet so far. I tried my best ditzy blonde impression but it dint help even a bit, damn you IIT nerds. I had to get rid of my handbag. One of them suggested that we use the students’ lockers on the other side of campus. So, we took off again running only to be led to the freaking parking lot.

So there I was listening to the drums in the parking lot clutching my exclusive fan pass. But as luck had it (or may not as you would soon find out) we found another bunch of chicks, who were also trying to dump their belonging but they had a car. So, I begged them to stash our stuff, exchanged phone number and then took off again back to the stage.

By the time I reached the OAT I was breathless, my legs were killing me and I was coughing like a 20 year old chain smoker. I couldn't even stand, but I went through and found my place in front of the stage only to see an Indian kid playing the guitar. It took me almost a minute to realize that the guy performing were the cover band. I couldn’t believe it! I took all this trouble to find out that the actual band has not even started playing. I understood then why the bag-chicks were sauntering along the road while we were running like regular Milka Singhs.

The freaking cover band wouldn't stop singing and I was getting rather testy. I don’t want to listen to some random Indian band. I dint come all the way to freaking IIT to listen to some garage band trying to growl their way to their 5^th number. So, I thought I would freshen up in the meanwhile. I found the water cooler right outside the stage. I gulped down three glasses of water when I noticed some Firang guy standing next to me. I couldn’t see him properly so I thought it was some exchange student. I turned around I found myself at Vincent Cavanagh!! I couldn't speak. I was dumb stuck. I stood there squeaking like a duck trying to get my voice to work. And then he walked off. So, there I was with a chance of actually talking to THE guy and all I did was gape. But that was enough for me, all the running, the aching legs the parched throat, who cares. I actually stood next to him (!)

After making the crowd wait for almost an hour the band finally started playing and there I was standing right in front of the stage. I couldn't believe that I was actually looking at the band because I never had a chance to actually stand near the railings. I could actually see their expressions. I could hear them speak to each other (without the mikes!). This was soon becoming my favorite concert. I stood there with my mind blank, listening to the lyrics and without my volition I started crying (silent tears). It was so overwhelmingly real. I stood there for the next two hours, singing along and just dazed for the next two hours. At one point, the kids next to me said “Akka ki patalu vachu ra”(gult translation, sister knows all the songs da, it was so funny!) It ended so abruptly that it took me a while to get back to normalcy. I was high on music and I dint want to think of practical things like going home. I just wanted to stand there for a while soak it all in.

That's my hair BTW

Sadly, reality beckoned and I had to go back to KK’s place before 12 which was the time of her curfew. So, we set out to find out bag-chicks who had conveniently put their phone on silent.  We called them for almost 15 minutes before they picked up only to tell us that they were grabbing dinner and would be back in some time. So, there we were slowing getting back to reality where we might not be able to find our bags which had all the money, bike keys, cards which mean we dint have anything on us other than our soon be battery-drained phones.  We waited there for almost an hour before they turned up, which only made KK lose it. She drove back home like a crazy bike driver that my hands wouldn't unclench even after I got back to her place.

In the end it would be one of those memories that I would cherish, this would be the day that I almost spoke to Vincent Cavanagh.