Make way for the Weekender

The heavy metal introduction aside, the third installment of the Bacardi NH7 Weekender festival promises to be bigger than any of its predecessors. A lineup that comprises more than 200 artistes across six different stages should suffice in staking that claim. The fact that all of this is spread across three cities - Noida, Pune and Bangalore - ensures that any arguments to the contrary will be well and truly buried. To preview the first of the trio, Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Noida, we spoke to some of the returning artistes and here is what they had to say.

Raghu Dixit performs on the Dewarists Stage during the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in 2011

"For us, Bacardi NH7 Weekender is the best festival in this entire country. The vibe is so happy, the atmosphere so positive, it's just brilliant. We were part of the first festival in Pune, and now we are a part of the first one in Delhi, too. To top it all we have Megadeth. Now that's what every weekend should be like. From Parikrama, you can expect another super rocking show, I bet, and a few new original compositions as well," says Subir Malik, Parikrama. The band will play at the Bacardi Black Rock Arena, Delhi in October.u00a0Wait! Did the man just say Megadeth? Well as it turns out, the Metal Gods of LA are indeed bringing their chain mail artillery to the ancestral home of Dronacharya - the guru of legendary warriors.

"Playing in India back in 2008 was an amazing and certainly unique experience, to say the least. It's not everyday that I arrive to play a show and there are dancers and elephants waiting to greet you! The fans in India are so amazing as well, so it will be a thrill for Megadeth to return to India to perform for them once again," says Shawn Drover, Megadeth.

The six different stages during the festival will pander to completely diverse music styles. EDM will be the mainstay of the Eristoff Wolves Den. The Dewarists Stage features folk and fusion music. Bacardi Black Rock Arena is the hub for rock and metal. Dub Station will reverberate with dubstep, drum and bass and reggae, and The Other Stage will feature some exciting indie singer-songwriters. While ‘The Fully Fantastic Stage' features new bands to lock onto your radar for the coming year.

So with a lineup that comprises headliners such as Indian Ocean, Anoushka Shanker, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Bhayanak Maut and Pentagram, how do you decide on the acts which deserve the most attention? Since we couldn't wrap our heads around this conundrum we asked Vijay Nair, the CEO of Only Much Louder, the company organising the event to do it for us. These are his picks:

Hexstatic presents Holotronica at the Eristoff Wolves Den: this is going to be a visual treat for people. It's a live 3D show put together by two of the most credible British artistes today.
Delhi Metal Project at Bacardi Black Rock Arena: the best of Delhi's metal bands are coming together to curate with a set specially for the festival.

Karsh Kale Collective at The Dewarists Stage: Karsh's way of putting together a curated set is incredible.

Peter Cat Recording Co at the Fully Fantastic Stage: One of the band's that got the most buzz in the indie scene in the last year or so.

"This year the festival has also become more accommodative than ever before," adds Nair. "Apart from larger spaces, so people have more space to themselves and a great concert experience, this year, there's an area for kids. The festival is disabled-friendly and we've also made the festival dog-friendly."

For more details, log on to https://nh7.in/weekender/
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Bangalore - December 15, 16u00a0