For me the most fulfilling thing is to see the bands walk on to stage and start playing their music to an audience that they would normally not have any access to – Says, Luke Kenny, Festival Director STB

Q.1: Tell us about your conversations with Soulmate and Smokestack in the run-up to signing both for this concert?

Rudy Wallang has been a friend for a long while now and his musical prowess has been exemplary long before Soulmate was formed. Their journey has been relentless and they have gone from strength to strength with their choice of genre, The Blues, thereby becoming a beacon for musicians to steady their inner blues musician to. Each performance of Soulmate is moving, uplifting, celebratory and exuberant.

Luke Kenny

Smokestack are a discovery. One of the visions of “Simply The Blues” is to procure and present Blues talent that somehow remains hidden for various reasons. So when I heard of the band, and spoke with them and then heard the way they play the blues, they really intrigued me. It posed another variation to our bouquet of blues artists that we have presented so far.

Q.2: How has the journey been so far for you, on the personal front?

For me the most fulfilling thing is to see the bands walk on to stage and start playing their music to an audience that they would normally not have any access to. The four bands that have played so far are all blues bands but yet each of their musicalities are so different. And the best thing is that its all so entertaining and that in the end is what I want to be able to take away from the evening. Good music and good fun.

Q.3: How do you envision the last concert in January and the forthcoming series after that?

Well, we are trying to plan a few surprises and a finale that will keep the audiences wanting more… and as far as the next series goes, we have a few ideas that have begin to germinate, so prepare for more surprises there.

‘There is a surprise element with each STB concert and there are some surprise elements for this event too’…says Joyce Arora, Partner, StarKonnect Events and Promotions

Q.1: What should the audience expect with the third installment of Simply The Blues?

It’s the Festive Season..and what better way to spread the cheer than by bringing down India’s best Blues Band…Yes that’s right, SOULMATE from Shillong shall be taking stage. Opening the evening shall be SMOKESTACK from Pune, a very progressive Blues band, with a harmonica section to it, adding a different charm to the Blues.

Q.2: It’s the second last concert for STB, how do you feel? How has the journey been so far?

Joyce Arora

We have crossed the half way mark, and are quite excited at the response we have got so far. Musicians from across the country are asking if they could be part of the event, when would they get a chance to perform on our platform. All the artistes who have performed so far have raved about the audience response, and how well the event has been put together. Our guests and even the artistes performing are taken up by the fact that a small company such as ours is actually taking the effort to promote Indian Blues artistes on a regular basis. Looking forward we know that the only way to promote the beautiful genre of Blues music, is by spreading awareness of the form, as well as the Indian musicians who are in the forefront of it, the upcoming talent that we have. Our premise that providing a platform to young talent will be the driving force for taking the Blues to the youth, has been proven right, as at our 2 events we have had an equal mix of young and mature audience.

Q.3: Tell us something different that you as Organizers have done at this concert when compared to the previous ones?

Each event crafted so far has been different and appealing. There is a surprise element in each. We have some surprises in store for this event too, and with SOULMATE set to storm the stage, there is only one thing left to do…get out and grab your tickets now

Know more about Smokestack.. they share the stage with Soulmate at 3rd edition of Simply The Blues 2012 @Andrews Auditorium, Bandra

1. How did Smokestack happen? Tell us about how you guys got together and the journey so far.

Smokestack started off as a pretty purist Country Blues trio, something like Carolina Chocolate Drops or the South Memphis String Band, singing mostly covers of the classic blues songs across all styles. This concept expanded with the addition, first, of a percussionist and then a drummer and a bass player. We flirted briefly with a heavier Electric Blues sound and then settled for a rarer ‘acoustic with drums sound’. At the same time we also made the move to completely original set list.

2. Elaborate for us on the tag ‘Blues-world groove-jam band’?

Although the lyrically, harmonically and melodically we are very much a blues outfit, our rhythmic tastes are skewed towards a broader range of influences all mostly earthy, folky types from across the world with a special bent towards African and Indian rhythms. This gives it a special bounce mostly missing from the typical Blues Shuffle.

smokestack

3. What do you guys do besides performing the Blues? Are some on the 9-5 schedule, entrepreneurs?

Yes, the band members do have a different day schedule.

Anoop – Owns an IT company in Pune… Michael – Is a Director of an International School… Vidula – Is the budding entrepreneur who sorts out off beat treks & nature trails… Shreyas – Almost convinced his Dad that he will be joining his family business (which we all doubt)… Vishal – Is just jobless and wasting time looking for a stable job!

4. Tell us what the audience at Simply The Blues should expect from Smokestack? What you got planned?

Gospel inspired Acapella songs, solo harmonica breakdowns, full band harmonies, Indian music inspired jams, dirty jokes, songs dedicated to Kareena Kapoor – anything can and will show up at the gig! It’s not a band we say, it is a festival.

5. How would you connect the Indian folk music to Blues?

We actually make a serious attempt at this. The modal nature of the melodies, the drone aspect especially in the guitar playing of the early blues, the wide open spaces for improvisation and the pliability of the rhythms actually makes the blues the best form to connect to the Indian sound without it feeling like a patchwork. And when it works, it is a wonderful thing indeed.

6. Why Blues?

Blues is the best music to get drunk and laid. What more can one want!

Listen to more Blues, it’s good for the heart! Says Vinoo Mathew, Bassist, Ministry of Blues.

1. How was your experience at Simply The Blues?

 Simply magnificent, the organisers are by far the nicest people we’ve met on the music circuit. The event was extremely well-organised, down to the last, small detail and the audience had a great time. I met quite a few people from the audience after the gig, and every single one of them had nothing but nice things to say about the event

2. What did you enjoy most about the audience? Were they different in any way from audiences that you’ve played for so far?

The audience was highly appreciative and interactive as well – there were moments during the gig, when we were almost in conversation with them! We hadn’t expected this, or such a large and enthusiastic turn-out for a Blues event featuring Indian musicians. This was a revelation for us.

3. Tell us a memorable incident you, as a group experienced in the city

There isn’t any single instance, because the entire experience was very rewarding. The hospitality, both at the Orchid Hotel and from the organisers, was fantastic. It felt good being a musician – that’s how it went during the entire day and a half we were in Mumbai. Usually you have to wait till you get on stage to feel this. 

4. A message to all the fans in Mumbai

Listen to more Blues, it’s good for the heart!