Back to normal

Ahead of its gig in SoBo, a Bengaluru band says that recent law-enforcement measures haven't really affected live music there

There was a fair bit of hullabaloo in June about the Karnataka government's strict implementation of Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005. It resulted in nearly 30 venues pulling the plug on live music. But those jitters were temporary, assures Cinema of Excess, a three-member Bengaluru-based band comprising Anirudh Ravi, Bharath Kashyap and Abheet Anand. And it hasn't dampened the spirit of the city's indie circuit, they add, ahead of a gig tonight at a SoBo venue. Edited excerpts from an interview.

How has the recent enforcement of the law regarding live music in Bengaluru affected the city's indie circuit?
To be honest, most venues were still doing shows. We played a few gigs at the time too. It was just the venues that had an issue with their licences and their occupancy certificates that were affected. It did, of course, impact the state of live music, but we believe that it was more a case of the little that we have being taken away. Everything is back to normal now, and even the previously shut venues are up and running.

Is there a sense of frustration among indie musicians in Bengaluru about the authorities' apathy to their cause, be it regarding early closing times for bars and now the recent issue with licences?
We've been through many of these laws. Like we said, the issues have now been resolved and venues are open again! This industry is going to have cops and the government trying to get involved time and again, and that's where the frustration stems from.

Do you feel that the sort of laid-back mellow music you play is under-served in a market that is increasingly dominated by electronic sounds? If yes, how do you think the situation can be remedied?
Now that you ask us, you might be right. But then again, we do have bands like Easy Wanderlings, Mahesh Raghunandan, Feathers in Space, etc, who are doing their thing with their own brand of laid-back mellow music, and it's working wonders. We're fans too! About the situation being remedied, we don't think it needs to be.

How and when did the three of you first form the band?
I had been working on a few songs for a while. Some of them were complete, and a few were still in the works. My plan was to get a different musician from the Bangalore scene to play over each of the tracks, and the first person who came to mind was Bharat Kashyap. He wasn't just a great guitar player, but it was also convenient as he was a friend and colleague. When we sat down to work on the songs, the whole process was such a trip — how well the guitar parts intertwined, the dynamics, everything! So I thought that I might as well get him to play on all the songs. And a few months into the writing process, we wanted to experiment with a bit of bass guitar. Abheet was the most prominent bass player in the scene from where we saw it, because he was (is) one of the tightest and most sensible players here. So we invited him over, and that's the story.

What have you got lined up for your gig in Mumbai?
We're going to be playing whatever we have. You'll be able to listen to Cinema of Excess's next three releases if you make it. And of course, as always, we're going to keep it cosy.

On: Tonight, 8.30 pm
At: The Quarter, Royal Opera House, Mathew Road, Girgaum.
Call: 8329110638
Entry: Rs 799

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