Rock with their clones

Delhi-band Them Clones is here to rock you and this time the unplugged way, sans synthesizers and electric guitars

With three awards at the Rock Awards including the one for best song for their track My Life in their kitty, alternate rock band Them Clones is no newbie in the music world. Ten long years of rocking many a stage, they insist on defining their genre as rock laced with pop melody with an element of rock and roll in it.

A five-set ensemble, Them Clones started out in the year 2000 as a local band and shot to fame with the Channel V Launchpad in the year 2005.

The line-up has changed twice since its formation and now includes Prithwish Dev on the vocals, Joseph L and Gucci Ss on the guitars, Clarence Gonsalves on bass guitars and Surojit Dev on the drums.

With regular day jobs in advertising, production and even government jobs, the boysu00a0 make music in the evenings. Surojit Dev, Drummer, who works with an ad agency, gets candid, "It has been a conscious choice all along.u00a0 Music is not lucrative enough as a career," says Surojit Dev.

This is also how their name came into being; the band sees their stage personalities as clones of their personalities off-stage.

With over 850 gigs in a period of ten years and a year long lull, Them Clones is back to the stage and this time with a unique surprise.
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"We will be playing a completely unplugged set of originals. All our numbers will be performed acoustically", Surojit tells us. "Even though there is a great demand and need for unplugged shows they cannot be done at every venue and occasion," he adds.

Having entered the field of music a decade ago, at a time when rock bands in India were just about catching up Surojit admits things have indeed moved towards making it easier for musicians.
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"In our times bands would play 10-12 covers at a gig and throw in one original for the sake of public familiarity, it was always a 70 is to 30 ratio.

Now, it's the other way round, bands play only originals and throw in a cover or two for good measure," says Surojit. "Corporates are also pumping in a lot of money these days", he adds.

Talking about inspirations Surojit says bands now have ceased to inspire them, "Regular work and people inspire us now though Pearl Jam is one band we dream of performing with," he says.

At Opus, Palace Cross Road
On September 24, 9 pm
Call 98440 30198
Entry Rs 200.