This rock band only has your interest at heart

WHAT's ON chatted with rock band Retro Legendary Act, who say that it's the opinion of the masses that matters, not the classes

WHAT's ON chatted with rock band Retro Legendary Act, who say that it's the opinion of the masses that matters, not the classes

City band Retro Legendary Act, which is playing at Hard Rock Cafe tonight, is popular for their covers for legendary rock acts. The band includes Vijay Joshi (vocalist), Ritesh (lead guitarist), Vijay Murthy (bass guitar), Hrishi (drums), Sourabh (keyboards) and Abhijit (percussion). We spoke to lead vocalist Vijay Joshi about their upcoming performance.

The Retro Legendary Act (Lto R top): Abhijit, Vijay Joshi, Ritesh Ohol, (L to R bottom) Vijay Murthy, Sourabh

Tell us more about your genre of music.
We started performing in 2006 but usually don't perform outside Pune, as two of our members are working professionals, while the rest are full-time musicians.
We believe in playing gigs that our listeners can relate to. We play for the masses, not the classes. Tonight, our gig will feature popular tracks from The Beatles, Deep Purple, Pearl Jam and
Pink Floyd.

Tell us about the changing music scene in the city.
We are the pioneers of rock music in Pune. We started off as a very popular band called "The Strangers" two decades ago. We disbanded in 2000 as everyone got busy with their work. I still remember a performance at the Loyala School, where more than 10,000 people had gathered to witness the show. Since we take our motto of entertaining the masses very seriously, we are sure of a great response.

By performing mostly at restaurants and lounges, aren't you restricting the crowds?
If I hire a huge ground and only 2,000 people turn up to watch the show, it would be such a waste of resources. It is always better to hire a small hall and have a jam-packed house, rather than a huge ground and less people.

With two of your members Vatayan and Sameer, no longer part of the band how easy or difficult is it working with new musicians?
It depends on how well you get along with them. If the music and the message is conveyed properly, there is no problem. It's been six months since Hrishi and Sourabh have joined us and by now, we gel really well.

At: Hard Rock Cafu00e9, Plot 81/82, East Main Road, Koregaon Park Extension, Landmark Pyramids, Solaris Complex. Call: 40158888/01.
From: 9 pm onwards.
No Entry fee