“We are playing live after two years,” says an excited Cyril John Thomas, who is the rhythm guitarist with city-based thrash metal band Sabotage India. The band has Thomas on rhythm guitar, Yash Pujari on lead guitar, Rahul Bhatt on bass, Malhar Bhanushali on drums and Anand Mulgund on vocals. “We are ready to go all guns blazing and release our new and old songs. It's been so long since I experienced this,” adds the 25-year-old, whose band has been working on its upcoming full-length album, which they hope to release later this year.

This weekend, many metalheads and live gig enthusiasts in the city will be travelling to Navi Mumbai to attend the live metal gig 'United We Groove'. While live gigs have started in several pockets in the city, one of this scale, say band members and attendees, is happening for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Due to the earlier restrictions, only intimate gatherings had been taking place. Interestingly, Adit Khanzode, organiser of the gig called 'United We Groove Volume 11', which is in its 11th edition, had hosted eight online shows in the last two years but says none of them were fun due to the logistical challenges that many musicians faced. Live gigs hold a different kind of effect on people due to sonic frequencies and the social factor, says the 29-year-old sound engineer.

Releasing a full-length album later this year, Sabotage India will play a mix of old and new songs at the upcoming gig. Photo: Cyril John Thomas 

The upcoming gig is also going to be different this time around, because it is not limited to metal fans anymore. “It is a mixed line up of musicians who play thrash metal, pop rock, rock ‘n’ roll and more. This is simply because I want to change the perception about the cliche that metalheads are people who only listen to metal music and they are very snobbish about their music. Our generation is way ahead of this. If you like something and it is good music, it shouldn’t matter how mainstream or hated it is.” Khanzode, whose heart lies in metal music, thinks that creating such a mixed line-up will give metal bands more traction in the city.