It has been a while. A while since we updated our blog. I think today’s a good day to get some news out to you all.

We’ve been working hard on writing tunes and keeping these tunes simple, yet ‘fresh’. We have 8 songs down. However, I know that once we step into the studio these stories are going to be worked on even further. Whether it’s the arrangements, layering, production or the lyrical aspect, I know there are going to be shifts, moves, edits, cuts, add-ons, etc. We’ve been talking with Grey and Saurian and other independent studios as well to get our first full-length out.

Less than a week ago we played a killer gig at the Blue Frog, Mumbai, easily the best venue in SEA and one the best in the World. At this gig we collaborated with Fuzzy (one half of the Bangalore-based electronic outfit Tempo Tantrick). The collaboration and the gig proved to be fab! This is the second of our multi-artist collaborations. The first being ‘a Band of Images’, which featured the works of two photographers – Hari Adivarekar and Parikshit Rao. We look to collaborate with anybody from any field of art – and if YOU, as an original artist, are interested in collaborating with us, email us: info@parachutexvi.com

The next couple of months are going to be immersed in writing and honing new songs and the ones that are done. Incidentally, we released two songs off the Blue Frog sessions. The Narcophiliac and the Day Before Last (homemade video - http://bit.ly/cEfJUW) are up for streaming and free downloads off our Myspace You will hear these two on the full-length, but consider this release a preview of what’s to come.

We’re on the look out for designers, photographers, web specialists and sound engineers to help and work alongside us. To make things easier he/she has to be Bangalore-based. We do nothing for free and don’t expect anyone to, so yes, there WILL be money. But not what you’d get paid by a MNC :)

Stay abreast (because we all like breasts):

E-mail (bookings, management, fan mails): info@parachutexvi.com

Myspace

Twitter

Facebook (we also have FB groups and fan pages)

Blog

Youtube

Social Integration

Stay tuned to the ether droogies!

Cheers!!

Ganesh

The Bass Player

PS: We play Bangalore on the 5^th of March at bFlat. We start at 730pm and play on till 9pm when Lounge Piranha takes over. Hope to see you all there!

On the 30^th of September we landed in Delhi, with the temperature hovering above the 35 degree mark we quickly made ourselves comfortable at a friend’s. Many beers, chola baturas and naps later we were forced into a hatchback. Like sardines in a can we drove through rush-hour for the sound-check at Mocha Bar (Nehru Place, Delhi). Mocha’s a cozy venue with an extensive bar, with time running short we ran through sound-check like a bull in a glass-ware store. Don’t know why we hurried. Anyhoo, we played to a modest crowd who seemed to have lost their voices. On the whole, it was a good gig for us. We went back home – happy, drunk and content.

The 1^st of October saw the unrelenting heat touch the mid-30s. Again, employing self-imposed exile we retreated into the confines of beer, bad jokes, food and sloth. Attitude (Gurgaon) is a well-planned venue with a raised stage and good stage gear. When we dragged ourselves through the mighty, red doors, I headed straight to the bar, no speedbreakers. After pints of Murphy’s Stout, momos et al, we took stage. The crowd, for some reason, stayed behind the smoking room doors. Bands do have off nights, this had to be the ‘offest night’ for us. It was an extra large, paid rehearsal. Again, on stage we were really happy as a band.

With two shows under our belt, some expendable income and time on our hands we headed out to the ..Himalayas… The chill of the Parvathi Valley bit into us as we headed towards Kasol, Himachal Pradesh. A tiny hamlet nestled on the floor of the valley with the river Parvathi tearing through the town. Having spent over 15 hours getting there, our designated driver, a total wanker with issues de la tete, kept nodding off or talking to himself or slapping himself, the whole nine yards – unanimously branded a psycho. A pint or two on arrival, it was the sack. The next morning we dragged our carcasses to a community known simply as Tosh. With its feet firmly planted in the virtues of the land, Tosh gets by, everyday, hoping the hefty Himalayas’ weather wouldn’t hamper ‘later-today or tomorrow’ - simplicity to die for – for us city rats. A view worth losing nine lives at least and a sharp, needle-like cold that might kill you, a few nights were spent contemplating Karma, cricket, cities, music, food, band, yada yada yada.

Row 21 on the Royal Nepal Airlines RA206 was occupied by us. Sipping on Heineken, Ananth and Guru filled out forms and; I took up the onus of reading, chatting the hostesses for more beer, critical mass. Pssst… Ananth hasn’t had a bath in a while.

We touched down in Katmandu post-lunch, and while we waited for our ride to the luxurious Hotel Manaslu. The room is a cozy one with the necessary modern amenities so we don’t forget who we are and where we come from Kathmandu is a liberated city. The women seem to be on-the-ball. They are the ones on top and it seems like they don’t make any bones about it. The rain came down in torrents and we had to spend most of the afternoon indoors. Having grown sick of the tobacco filled room no. 207, we headed out. The idea was to catch a drink and dinner in Thamel. A few paces from our hotel we found an Irish Bar. Guinness, Killkenny, Wild Turkey and Jamieson were the choice of the night. Head full of Irish booze sauntered back to our room.

We kicked off the Festival on the 7^th of October at Cafereena (Durbar Marg – the owner claims it’s the largest restaurant in KTM – I’ll have to dig deeper on this one), an exclusive gig. The crowd had braved torrential downpour this added some whisky to our already flaming hearts. What was amazing was that we actually found people who wanted to listen to songs off Sodium Trail (Download for Free!) . Screams of, “Walk Rewind!”, “60 WAAAAATTT SUNNN!” rented the air and the blues-heavy set went down well and this was the first time we had to play encores – two of them.

Woke up to another grey day and after surfing some channels on the television, I came down to the Internet Centre to update you – the ParaCrew. We’re going to play tonight at the Corner Bar (Radisson) alongside the legendary Aussie Jimi Hocking (ex-Screaming Jets). Nervousness is a-creeping.

Stay tuned to the ether, droogies!

Cheers!!

Ganesh (the Bass Player)

PS: Here’s where we thank Music Gets Me High (www.mgmh.net) for fixing up us the gigs in Delhi. Thank you.

Since the last blog update the band has been through a small line-up change. Yes, again. And we, Ananth and I, believe that this is going to be the line-up of Parachute XVI till infinity. This is for keeps.

A week or so ago the band along with our management, Mix Match Parade, were plotting the future. At this point Sachin Moogi decided that it was best he parted ways since he will not be able to dedicate the time that was going to be needed. This said, amidst much disappointment, Ananth and I turned to a certain Guru Somayaji. Quirky and vociferous, like most drummers, Guru has a strong foundation in experimental and progressive music thanks to his stint with the Glaswegian bands His Girl Friday and Fangle Dangle & the Skoogle Skangle. We are rehearsing double-time to bring him up-to-date with our set-list. Thankfully he has been following the band and played percussions with us on a few gigs.

That said we’ll see you – ParaCrew, on the 17^th of September at the Hard Rock Café (Bangalore) for the last of the Sodium Trail’s Bangalore Leg. After this gig we head to Delhi and Gurgaon where we’ll inject the ether into the system. Then we hit Kathmandu for the Himalayan Blues Festival. Bangalore folks, come over to Hard Rock Café and bid us farewell.

And of course, for those of you who haven’t heard the EP - Sodium Trail download a free copy here and share: www.parachutexvi.com

Until then, droogies!

Stay tuned to the ether.

Cheers!!

Ganesh

The Bass Player

ParaCrew or Para Crew is a name given to fans of the Indian electric-blues-psychedelic band, Parachute XVI.

Sodium Trail, our debut EP was launched on the 27^th of August at the Tavern Inn in Bangalore amidst a lot of ruckus and blistering electric blues. The band didn’t have time to relax after the launch though. Our management, Mix Match Parade (twitter.com/mixmatchparade) put together this very unique concept dubbed A Band of Images. What happens here is, they took the works of two very talented photographers – Hari Adivarekar (adivarekar.in) and Parikshit Rao (parikshitrao.com) and exhibited it while we dished out jam after psychedelia fuelled jam. The images were mixed live by the young and talented Shilo Shiv Suleman. This event went down real smooth, last night at Kyra, as smooth as Scotch on ice. We have thanked the ParaCrew already, but for us they are the ones who really matter – yes, YOU.

Many walked up to me saying, “Hey, man! Thanks for the music, I downloaded the EP. Ripped a CD and play it when I drive to work!” This gives us immense JOY! This is what matters. It doesn’t matter that promoters/venues treat you with indifference (this has to change – bands should STOP PLAYING FREE GIGS!). Venues need to understand that by providing bands with an opportunity they are not doing us a favour; this is a give-n-take process. They can’t keep ripping bands off. Bands need money to sustain. Just like how the dirty pasta, cheap wine, undercooked meat and overcooked veggies (that are served at atrocious rates) don’t come for free (or cheap), the band’s rehearsal space, the commute, logistics, amps, strings, guitars, pedals, drums-sticks, etc don’t come for free. Then there is marketing and promotions. Unless the junta out there hears about the gigs, nobody is going to come – and when that does happen, the band bears the brunt. This too has to be a combined effort. While the band uses its power of reaching out to its fanbase, the promoter/venue needs to be on the ball and treat every band/artist with the same respect it would a….let’s say….Trilok Gurtu. BUT, with us there is the ParaCrew.

All that matters is YOU each and every member of the ParaCrew.

The Sodium Trail will appear for one last time in Bangalore on the 17^th of September at Hard Rock Cafe. We will see you there where you can bid us farewell as head out to Delhi-Gurgaon-Kathmandu.

Download Sodium Trail for free: www.parachutexvi.com

Stay tuned to the ether, droogies. Godspeed.

Cheers!!

Ganesh

(The bass player – Parachute XVI)

So, we tried and tested for many weeks. And it came to tonight. We launched our debut EP titled Sodium Trail (download it for free – www.parachutexvi.com). It was quite a night. High Fucking Time (www.myspace.com/hftindia) played an amazing supporting set. We, together, killed.

We would like to thank Mix Match Parade (www.twitter.com/mixmatchparade) for managing us and putting this release up for us. And, many people to thank…especially the ones who turned up at Tavern Inn for the launch.

At a loss for words right now.

Stay tuned to the ether and download the EP here www.parachutexvi.com.

Godspeed droogies!

Cheers!

Parachute XVI

After having spent just about a year with the band Snehal Pinto (keyboards) has decided to leave the band.

Snehal’s contribution to Parachute XVI is matchless and he was instrumental in writing, collaborating and giving us the edge that you’ll hear on Sodium Trail (the EP), however due to personal reasons the exit came about. We wish him the best and hope to see and hear him make his keyboard screech in years to come.

Having said that, the band is juggling between jobs and rehearsals in preparation for the launch of Sodium Trail, the debut EP with 4 electric tunes to drink, smoke, make love and space out to. The first of the many gigs will be at Take 5, Bangalore on the 23^rd of August –a Sabbath. That will be followed by a gig at Tavern the pub off Church Street on the 27^th, Kyra Theatre on the 4^th of September (this one is going to be extra trippy for reasons best kept under wraps now) and Hard Rock Cafe, Bangalore on the 17^th of September. This is just the Bangalore itinerary.

We hope to see you all there, one big progadelic bunch, as we whip out some tunes you haven’t heard yet and some that we’ve written after we finished recording Sodium Trail.

It’s a beautiful Friday here in Bangalore and we’re going to find a cold pint, suggest you do the same. The world keeps-a spinning, you best spin with it!

Stay tuned to the ether, droogies.

Cheers!!

Parachute XVI

The masters for Sodium Trail are done, which means EP releases early August.