22 May,2011 08:46 AM IST | | Yolande D'Mello
Dirty Vegas played a two-hour set only to discover that Mumbai is still stuck on the Days Gone By and prefers to sing along rather than dance
Steve Smith, Ben Harris and Paul Harris look a bit like The Blues Brothers, as they lean against a brightly-coloured wall of Hard Rock Cafe, sunglasses perched on their sweaty noses as the Mumbai sun beats a mean tune of its own. An interview with the band begins, like all awkward conversations, with a discussion about the weather. How do they like the city? "Well, so far I've felt the heat and seen the traffic. We have travelled from the airport to the hotel and tomorrow we leave for Delhi, so I can't say I've actually seen Mumbai. Next time I want to come down for a few more days and try out some more food," replies vocalist Smith.
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Burn, the energy-drink by Coca-Cola, has sponsored Dirty Vegas' first trip to India and the Electronic Pop band from UK performed in the city on Friday, breaking their six-year silence with their new album Electric Love.
The classic rock head-banger fans at Hard Rock Cafe, however, took a while to get excited about the electronic percussion beats.
"We worked on this album from across the world, really. Steve was in Los Angeles so we'd email each other scores. All our songs come from personal experiences and we try to talk about a feeling that everyone will connect with," explains Paul. While the band officially formed in 2001, the musicians grew up around the block from each other. "When we tour and travel, it helps that we've known each other for 20 odd years because a band is very much like a marriage," adds Ben. On-stage, Smith is a riot of energy while Harris and Harris (no relation) take a more sober stance behind the DJ console.
On Friday, by 11 pm, the tempo was rising, the bartender was grooving and the drinks were flowing freely. Dirty Vegas pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a slow acoustic version of Days Go By and within moments, the dance floor was crowded with everyone singing along. Tipsy toes and bobbing heads took their time to get there, but the British band finally found their audience with familiar tracks like Walk Into the Sun, Tonight, Changes and Simple Things.
