Thus, in February 1971, I was
actually facing quite a bleak future. Three years of college life had been
hectic, but quite dissipate. I had tried, and liked marijuana, I had decided to
be a college “drop out”, I had grown my hair long in a “hippie” fashion. My
love life had yielded two unrequited “affairs”.
I had acquired some notoriety as a member of a “rowdy” gang.
On the other side, I had learned to
play the guitar, I had my first “skiffle” Band, and, the Band, Stoned Package
had in fact scored some success in a local “Beat Contest”.
We now looked around to start
playing more and start earning some money through Music. The success of “Stoned
Package” at the “Fortune – Estrella Batteries Beat Contest” gave some
encouragement. I showed the small prize we had won to my grand parents, the
result was that the Band was allowed to move back to the Garage in my grand
father’s house.
There was a tenant on the first
floor of my grand father’s house – one Dr. Lalwani. He had got married and had
a child. Both he and his wife were extremely tolerant of the “Stoned Package”
practice sessions – the Garage faced his bedroom. The practices were always
marked by un-tuned guitars, feedback and “earthing” hums & howls, all
varieties of earsplitting noises from the very make-shift equipment we
possessed, loud arguments within the band members… and very little actually
listenable music.
So, we were very surprised when Dr.
& Mrs. Lalwani contracted my band to perform at a luncheon on the occasion
of their new born baby’s “naming ceremony” equivalent of a Christening. We had
two weeks to practice for the event. We were expected to perform for at least
two hours.
13.01.2010
The first thing the Band realized
was that we had a woefully short song-list. While it was OK for College
Functions and Beat Contests where we performed for about 15 minutes, but there
was no way we could keep it going for a “full show” of two hours. So we had to
find a way to select, work out and practice a whole new set of songs. Each of
us knew a few other songs, but to play as a band, the songs had to be simple –
we were all quite beginners as musicians then, all members had to know their
own parts in the song and be able to communicate the chord changes, stops, etc.
to the others. Finally, the band had to practice each song several times before
some semblance of togetherness emerged.
One way to learn new songs was to
watch other Bands play them. We went to whatever gigs these Bands played –
often “gate-crashing” as we would never have the money for the tickets. There
were a few bands – especially the Pace Setters who did not mind us watching
their practice sessions in an old church compound.
Recorded music was available in the
form of “records” – vinyl platters that spun on a turntable at either 45 or
33.3 revolutions per minute. You could not “fast forward” or go back to pick up
parts as constant lifting and placing the “needle” on the groove would scratch
it and eventually damage the record. In the 1970s the “Record Player” was
actually only a couple of steps ahead in technology after its invention by
Thomas Alva Edison in the 1880s. “Stereo” was just making its appearance, in
fact it was only in 1969 that I heard music on stereo. Besides, records cost a
fortune, a single “LP” or long playing record – with about 30 minutes of music
on each side could eat up a whole month’s “pocket money”.
A few of our friends, the
“non-playing” members of the Band had a few selected collections. Sriiram had
almost the whole set of Beatles “LPs” and Nanda had a collection of The Shadows
– an instrumental Guitar Band that usually backed Cliff Richards. Beatles songs
were popular, we all liked them, but they had many chord changes and often a
lot of three part harmony singing. There were a few guitarists like Gussie, who
were generous enough to “show chords” if you asked, but most others were very
stingy, considering it as some kind of “trade secret”.
“The Shadows” instrumental songs were
reasonably simple and easy to put together. Besides the further participation
of Andy Morris, the Band’s lead singer was in doubt. His girlfriend had
“ditched” him for doing a fool thing like singing with a Band, that too on
stage; bring her no end of embarrassment and jibes from her college mates. That
he had actually won a prize was not good enough for her. Andy was also planning
to migrate to Canada shortly.
Lyrics could be had from “Song
Books”. These were supposed to be available in “music Shops”, but at that time
there was just one in Bangalore – Premson’s, run by an acerbic old Sardarji who
rarely had any stock and charged exorbitant rates anyway. By diligently
scouring the footpaths of MG Road and Avenue Road, Nanda would occasionally
discover an old copy in the “second-hand” book dealers, getting them for a
bargain. We had heard that someone actually picked up a copy of “The Beatles –
Complete” a true collectors item – it had music sheets of all the Beatle songs
and a collection of surrealist illustrations, for just Rs. 20!!
All this would, of course, require a
lot of treasure hunting time and effort. But the Band had a deadline – a date
to get their act together before. So, that left us to depend immediately on the
“Juke Box”.
Of all the technological innovations
which boosted the popular music industry, the “Juke Box” holds a primary place
with a very significant contribution. It was installed in Coffee Shops, Ice
cream Parlors, Snack Bars etc. frequented by students and young people. The
typical outlet is “Pop Tate’s from the “Archie’s Comics”. It was a large
contraption, with a glass panel through which you could see about 50 “records”
stacked and a song list below with push buttons against each. You inserted a
small coin – in India, 25 paise into the coin slot, pressed the button against
the song you wanted to hear and a small “robotic arm” would emerge, move along
the record stack grasp the selected disk, place it on the turntable and the
needle would descend onto the revolving grooves and play out the song. It was
new technology, fascinating to watch in action and you got to hear the song you
wanted – once. To repeat, you needed another 25 paise coin.
There were two Juke Boxes available
to us – one at Koshy’s on Brigade Road and another at Three Coins, Coles Park.
Of these the latter was near Benson Town where I lived and the Band practiced.
But Brigade Road was also our regular hang out – for “bird watching”. In honor
of this we learnt The Shadows instrumental – “Music to watch girls go by…”
At both places, we had befriended
the waiters enough that they let us sit for hours only ordering at least a
“three-by-five” tea or coffee. This is a unique and characteristic of Hotels in
Bangalore. It is the only place where you can order tea or coffee in fractions.
“One-by-two”, that is, one cup divided for two persons is an order that is
accepted till today, even in posh restaurants.
So, when we needed to resolve any
argument or work out a song, the whole band would collect at either Koshy’s or
Three Coins and order a “three-by-five” tea. Each of the members contributed 5
paise and with the 25 paise collected, the song would be played – “Andy, check
on the lyrics, Parvez get the Lead straight, Nandu concentrate on the drumming
and you, Chod, get the bass correctly next
time we practice and I’ll check out the Rhythm chords once more”, says
Adrian.
If any of us did not get the song
the one time it played, he would have to shell out the full 25 paise and play
it again, and the others would get to hear the song a second time - free.
As I write this, in 2010, almost 40
years later, I am quite amazed by the way Technology has made things so easy
for the practicing musician. In minutes I can download hundreds of songs on my
PC, get Lyrics, Chords and even Midi Files which I can play through software
like “Band-in-a-box”, “Cakewalk” etc and get what I need.
The Juke Box, like the Bakelite 78
RPM, the Vinyl 45s & 33.3s, LPs, EPs, Spool and Cassette tape, Walkman,
even CDs has all passed into history. From the half-a-ton Juke Box with 100
songs, today we get I-pods the size of a match box which holds tens of
thousands of songs!!!
Then the day of the event dawned,
with all kinds of glitches. Krishnan of the “Happenings” from who we regularly
“borrowed” gear absolutely refused to lend us. So we had to go to old
Gafoor Bhai of Ajantha Sound system and
literally beg him.
“hamara phelaich program hai, aur
bahut milne waala hai. age sub ko aaphi ke le lene ko hai” (It is our first
gig. We are getting many more. We’ll always hire from you) We got three small
amps with speaker boxes – ancient things powered by vacuum tubes and loaded it
onto an auto and arrived at the Venue. This was at “Rotary House of Friendship”
– a small hall and the Drum set and other gear was carted by Shekar on his
scooter in three trips.
We barely got going with our opening
songs as Lunch was being served. We were all starving, having got up early
morning and running around for the Gear without breakfast or even a morning cup
of tea! The waiters carried the food –
the choicest North Indian and Sindhi cuisine past us on the stage. The most
delectable flavors wafted up and it was really difficult to keep concentrating
on the music with our hungry, growling tummies. Especially each time the
ice-creams went past as the guests moved to the dessert course, five pairs of
eyes, the Band Members of the Stoned Package, followed its journey across the
hall. It was most comical, when we reflected on it later.
Finally Mrs. Lalwani came up to us
and said “That was very nice, boys. I’m sure you are all hungry… go ahead and
help yourself to lunch”. It was the most welcome statement of the year. We
dived for the “lubbacks” (our own slang for Food) starting with several
helpings of the ice-cream first.
This became a regular feature in my
music career. We almost always “sang for our supper” (and lunch too). We were
obliged to eat last of all, sometimes be satisfied with left-over’s, always
long gone cold. When possible, I always try to grab a snack before getting on
stage.
For this “Child Naming Ceremony” of
Dr. & Mrs. Lalwani’s baby, we were paid the handsome sum of Rs.150/=. It was the first “paid” show I played for.
The next day the couple had planned to go to Mumbai for a holiday and
generously and erroneously gave us permission to have a small party of our own
in their house to celebrate and unwind.
We gave a fuming and unsatisfied
Gafoor Bhai Rs. 30/= towards the amplifiers hire, assuring him we would make up
in future shows. Rs. 20/= got spent on transport, the remaining Rs.100/-
afforded us with a sumptuous party spread of non-vegetarian “kebabs”, samosas
etc. plus a bottle of Amrut Rum, and several packets of “ganja” too. Both were
strictly forbidden in my vegetarian grandfather’s house downstairs.
The Stoned Package got promptly both drunk and
stoned and left the place in a mess which poor Mrs. Lalwani had to clean up
when she returned
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