Terrific jam

Friend of late George Harrison and rocker Mick Jones tells us why the upcoming multi-city Indian tour of his band, Foreigner, is a must attend. He'll be collaborating with sitarist Siladri Kumar

Bands are like shooting stars; they surface and vanish within a short span. Only few are 'timeless. British-American rock band Foreigner is one of those few acts that've remained popular for over three decades now. Its founding member Mick Jones shares the recipe of an ageless band. Read on.



Foreigner has sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. Very few bands can boast of such a tag. Does it give you a high that even 'ecstasy' can't promise?
I don't know about these new fangled designer drugs but
having your music appreciated worldwide is a natural high that is unmatched. There's nothing like it.

Your fans are still waiting for you to come up with something like Waiting for a girl like you. Do you care about such expectations?
I am not out to recreate the same magic in the future, I have already done that. I'm here to bring back that magical music and to present it in its most impressive form ever.

Do you all miss legendary vocalist Lou Gramm who was replaced by Kelly Hansen?
A lot of people think that it is necessary for Kelly to fill up Lou's shoes but he wears his own and does a fine job at that. The chemistry that we now have as a band is fantastic and everybody is working towards the same thing.

The list of members has changed too often in Foreigner. Is it done purposely to infuse freshness or is a result of some dispute?
Although Lou and I had tremendous respect for each other, we were opposites in many ways. We did have things in common, like our love of music and we had a similar taste in music. Plus, we took pride in what we had done. We had this magic formula and chemistry, but sometimes personal relationships outweigh that and unfortunately that's what started to destroy the partnership over the years which was regretful, but when we did work together we did come up with some incredible songs.

Now with myself, Kelly Hansen on vocals, Jeff Pilson our bass player and Tom Gimbel, our rhythm guitarist, saxophonist, the four of us have really formed a nucleus and together with the two newer arrivals, Michael Bluestein on keyboards and Jason Sutter on drums, I feel like we've been in a band together for years. The atmosphere and chemistry between us is tremendous. I feel very fortunate and really enjoy every minute of being in this band. And when people see us performing, they too feel the same. I couldn't ask for more.

Have you managed tou00a0 practise with Niladri?
No. it's unfortunate that we won't be able to get time to do so since we are landing on the morning of the first show.

Your compositions have always been youth centric? Are the concerns of current generation same as that of the 70s?
Everyone, through the ages, looks out for the same bunch of things in their youth ufffd women /men, good music and a good time.

As a band, do you face different challenges now than that you used to in 70s?
The music scene has changed drastically from the 70s. Back then, the record labels were in charge but the advent of the Internet has changed all that. The record companies used to work along with the publicists to push a profile and the album of the artist. Today the artists and bands have Internet and social networking sites to push themselves. The middleman, the record company, has been cut out. Thus to me today, it is much easier to reach out to fans directly and let the music do the talking.

How have the audience changed?
For Foreigner, what is wonderful is that our music has managed to span generations and has gone down well with every audience profile. Our audiences today are a mix of young adults and ardent fans of my generations. Not much has changed and we always have a fantastic time with the audience.

What are the insecurities of a 35-year-old band?
Whether a band is a year old or 35, the challenges faced are
similar. Will we make it our flights on time? Will we have a great soundcheck? Will we have a great audience and performance?

Fans are no more as loyal as they used to be? Agree?
I think I disagree. A fan is a person who really identifies with a band for its music. That
connection you make with the music is timeless.

When was the last time you feared the stage?
Never. The stage is like a lover, someone to pursue and conquer, not to be afraid of.

Can you share some weird fan experience?
Well the weirdest ones are possibly too explicit to be put in print!

What will be you line up in the five-city India tour?
It will be a mix of old and new creations.

What was your first reaction when you were asked to perform in India?
We love performing in countries where we haven't in the past. India is one of the few countries where Foreigner hasn't played before. But we've heard that there is a fan base for us here. Being a Britisher, I've naturally been exposed to Indian food and culture and my very dear friend, the late George Harrison, had introduced me to the magic of Ravi Shankar's music and his virtuosity with the sitar. I was quite excited about performing in India. My only regret is that we won't have enough time to see the Taj Mahal.

At: Talkatora Indoor Stadium
On: February 11
Timings: 7 pm
Entry: Rs 2,000 onwards
Visit: www.bookmyshow.com