The Guide catches up with a Delhi-based Rock band known for their on-stage antics, who are on their first tour of the city
The Guide catches up with a Delhi-based Rock band known for their on-stage antics, who are on their first tour of the city
Its time to Rock and Roll as Half Step Down is all set to perform at Curve. Formed in 2005, they began their gigs in 2006 as an essentially Rock 'n' Roll band though their sound is more a mish-mash of Blues, Alt-rock, Funk and Reggae. 
Its members include Dhaval Mudgal (vocals), Shiv Lumba (keyboards), Farid Singh (drums), Carl Abraham (guitar) and Chaitanya Bhalla (guitar).u00a0 For their upcoming performance, they will play originals as well as covers.
The band rose from the ashes of a college band as Dhaval and Rudy realised they wanted to continue playing music. They started their search for like-minded musicians and soon Jishnu and Srijan joined in on the guitars and drums. Recently, Rohan has joined on the rhythm and backing vocals. "We have played at almost every major event across the country but surprisingly our Pune plans got cancelled for almost two years," says Dhaval.
Consciously refusing to let themselves be fenced in by genres, they derive their sound from influences ranging from Led Zeppelin and Dave Matthews to Rachmaninoff, Marley and Django Reinhardt. In early 2007, the band made it to the The Great Indian Rockshow (GIR) with their track Overture to Outerspace, which launched them on a much vaster platform.
They spent most of the following year touring the country taking time out in June to appear on Channel [V]'s show Launch Pad. They wrapped 2007 with an unplugged performance in Delhi where their cover of Redemption Song stood out as the critics choice.
Known for their antics on stage, the band is as much about performance as it is about the musicians. Despite the lineup changes and other minor disruptions, they make it a point to maintain their sense of humour.
The name of the band is derived from the fact that they tune their guitars on a chord that is half step down from the standard tuning pitch. "Our songs are about everyday experiences ranging from what we feel about maintaining peace to how tough it is to write a good song. We plan to record and release an EP very soon," adds Dhaval.
On October 22, 8.30 pm onwards
At Curve, Koregaon Park.
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