A friend of the late George Harrison, rocker Mick Jones tells us why the upcoming multi-city Indian tour of his 35 year-old band, Foreigner, is a must-attend
A friend of the late George Harrison, rocker Mick Jones tells us why the upcoming multi-city Indian tour of his 35 year-old band, Foreigner, is a must-attend
Bands are like shooting stars; they surface and vanish in no time. Only a few are 'timeless'.u00a0British-American rock band Foreigner is one of the few acts to have remained popular for over three decades. We spoke to founding member Mick Jones on the recipe for an ageless band. 
Indian classical and fusion musician Niladri Kumar will perform
with British-American band Foreigner.
Foreigner has sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. Very few bands can boast of such a tag. Does that ensure a high good enough to beat 'Ecstasy's'?
I don't know about these new fangled drugs but having your music appreciated the world over gives you a natural high. There's nothing like it.
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Your fans are waiting for something like Waiting for a girl like you. Do you care about expectations?
I am not out to recreate the same magic. I have already done it. I'm here to bring back that magical music and to present it in its most impressive form ever.
The list of members has changed too often in Foreigner.
Although Lou and I had tremendous respect for each other, we were opposites in many ways. We did have things in common, like our love for music. And we took pride in what we had done. We had chemistry, but sometimes personal relationships outweigh magic, and unfortunately that's what destroyed the partnership. But when we worked together, we came up with some incredible songs.
Now with Kelly Hansen and I on vocals, Jeff Pilson, our bass player and Tom Gimbel, our rhythm guitarist- saxophonist, we have formed a nucleus. And together with two new arrivals, Michael Bluestein on keyboards and Jason Sutter on drums, I feel like we've been together for years.u00a0
Have you managed to practice with Niladri Kumar?
No. It's unfortunate. We won't get time since we are landing the same morning that the show is planned.
Your compositions have always been youth-centric. Are the concerns of the current generation the same as those in the 1970s?
Everyone, through the ages, looks out for the same bunch of things when they are youngu00a0-- women/men, good music and a good time.
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As a band, do you face different challenges than you used to back then?
The music scene has changed drastically from the '70s. Back then, record labels were in charge. The advent of the Internet changed all that. The record companies used to work along the publicists to push a profile, and the album of the artist. Today, artists and bands have the web, and social networking sites to push themselves. The middleman, the record company, is out of the equation. Today, it is much easier to reach out to your fans directly, and let music do the talking.
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Has the audience changed too?
For Foreigner, what is wonderful is that our music has managed to span generations and has gone down well with every audience profile. Our audience today is a mix of young adults, and ardent fans from my generation. Not much has changed, though. We always have a fantastic time with the audience.
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What insecurities plague a 35 year-old band?
Whether a band is a year old or 35, the challenges are the sameu00a0-- will we make it for our flight on time? Will we have a great soundcheck? Will we have a great audience, and performance?
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Fans are no more loyal as they used to be. Agree?
I disagree. A fan is someone who identifies with a band for its music. That connection you make with the music is timeless.
When was the last time you feared the stage?
Never. The stage is like a lover; someone to pursue and conqueru00a0-- not to be afraid of.
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Tell us about a weird fan experience.
Well the weirdest are possibly too explicit to publish!u00a0
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What was your first reaction when you were asked to perform in India?
We love performing in countries we haven't been to. India is one of the few countries where Foreigner hasn't played. But we've heard that there is a fan base for us here. Being a Britisher, I've naturally been exposed to Indian food and culture, and my very dear friend, the late George Harrison, introduced me to the magic of Ravi Shankar's music and his virtuosity with the sitar. I am quite excited about performing in India. My only regret is that we won't have enough time to see the Taj Mahal.
They will perform today at St Andrews' auditorium, Bandra at 7 pm.
Tickets are priced at Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000.
Call: 022 26459667
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