Thermal Opus
Sunday, the 18th of December, and I was up at seven…ready to go at ten…ready to go to Opus, very close to the Palace, where I was to go that evening to watch Pin Drop Violence. I couldn’t really fix one event as “main”…’cause it was Thermal at the Opus!
The Opus is a nice place, great ambience, and unlike Legends Of Rock, very amicable toward live performances. One whole side section of the restaurant was dedicated to the “stage”. Thermal were doing a slow song, Rzhude on voxx, and playing his “digital guitar”…and I really hoped this was the soundcheck!
Minutes later, Bruce Lee et al sat themselves on the biggest table in the house for some eats and a couple of beers.. A signboard behind the table read “the eight days of Christmas”, with TAAQ described as “Alt Rock”, which I found debatable. A crowd of about fifty chillar were spread all over the well decored Opus…Met Rhzude and asked for CDs…seconds later, a lady with a stack of “Jupiter Café” showed up. Now this was Sunday, and getting around without my usual biryani/kebabs really got to me…so got me some chow…12 bar blues playing as Chandy did a lazy strech…
I took the opportunity to check out the gear…same as usual, only this time, Bruce was with his Parker (remember the one he used when TAAQ opened for Purple, April 1, 2000…Ranjit…you were there) and an off-white beauty of a Gibson!!! The round sound on it is etched on my brain! Half high/med, full low drive, and it is the ultimate blues weapon. Marshalls and Peavey spoke for Thermal this time.
Shorty after, TAAQ step out for some smokes and receiving their families!! Bruce has a kid! Didn’t know this.
And then what followed was a study!! I take this opportunity and name Rajeev Rajagopal (percussion) as the best drummer in recent memory that I have seen! From bare snare to extremely timely chimes, Rajeev’s got it all…and a zillion techniques I have never seen before…to name a few “one stroke, two clicks on snare, cymbal (any), frame, and any piece of drum found on his extremely elaborate kit…
Bruce….well what can I say, flamboyant!! This time…lots of classical style finger plucking…and lots of slide guitar too…amazing!! Rhzude and Chandy…apt, and surprisingly in a very experimental mood!!
The highlight of the performance was one Mr. David Pascal, an amazingly talented vocalist, who sang through most of Jupiter Café.
Setlist:
- Close To Heaven
- Falling Down (with crazy slide guitar and RR nuances)
- Cat Stevens’ “Moon Shadow”
- Cat Stevens’ “Wild World”
- Sunset Man (with a crazy alternate time signature)
- Sorry for Me
- Drumk
- Look at Me
- The Police’s “Roxanne”
- Familiar opening?? BRIGADE STREET!!! Crazy!!
- Wishing For Magic
- “Thermalized” Beatles’ “Day Tripper”…with what Bruce referred to as “Mallu rhythm”, seven count madness!!!
- Fly
- Holy Joe’s
- Oasis “Wonderwall”…TAAQ did those hermos a favor
(people who have a problem with this should understand, given that these are the same ffaces who called the Beatles their tits)
- Nifty fifth-fret capo was an instrumental
- Lemonade
- Band The World!!!
- Chianese Item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- The Steal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Jupiter Café
I think I got it right J .
Congratulated TAAQ, out at 5:00. Off to the Palace!!
The Opus is a nice place, great ambience, and unlike Legends Of Rock, very amicable toward live performances. One whole side section of the restaurant was dedicated to the “stage”. Thermal were doing a slow song, Rzhude on voxx, and playing his “digital guitar”…and I really hoped this was the soundcheck!
Minutes later, Bruce Lee et al sat themselves on the biggest table in the house for some eats and a couple of beers.. A signboard behind the table read “the eight days of Christmas”, with TAAQ described as “Alt Rock”, which I found debatable. A crowd of about fifty chillar were spread all over the well decored Opus…Met Rhzude and asked for CDs…seconds later, a lady with a stack of “Jupiter Café” showed up. Now this was Sunday, and getting around without my usual biryani/kebabs really got to me…so got me some chow…12 bar blues playing as Chandy did a lazy strech…
I took the opportunity to check out the gear…same as usual, only this time, Bruce was with his Parker (remember the one he used when TAAQ opened for Purple, April 1, 2000…Ranjit…you were there) and an off-white beauty of a Gibson!!! The round sound on it is etched on my brain! Half high/med, full low drive, and it is the ultimate blues weapon. Marshalls and Peavey spoke for Thermal this time.
Shorty after, TAAQ step out for some smokes and receiving their families!! Bruce has a kid! Didn’t know this.
And then what followed was a study!! I take this opportunity and name Rajeev Rajagopal (percussion) as the best drummer in recent memory that I have seen! From bare snare to extremely timely chimes, Rajeev’s got it all…and a zillion techniques I have never seen before…to name a few “one stroke, two clicks on snare, cymbal (any), frame, and any piece of drum found on his extremely elaborate kit…
Bruce….well what can I say, flamboyant!! This time…lots of classical style finger plucking…and lots of slide guitar too…amazing!! Rhzude and Chandy…apt, and surprisingly in a very experimental mood!!
The highlight of the performance was one Mr. David Pascal, an amazingly talented vocalist, who sang through most of Jupiter Café.
Setlist:
- Close To Heaven
- Falling Down (with crazy slide guitar and RR nuances)
- Cat Stevens’ “Moon Shadow”
- Cat Stevens’ “Wild World”
- Sunset Man (with a crazy alternate time signature)
- Sorry for Me
- Drumk
- Look at Me
- The Police’s “Roxanne”
- Familiar opening?? BRIGADE STREET!!! Crazy!!
- Wishing For Magic
- “Thermalized” Beatles’ “Day Tripper”…with what Bruce referred to as “Mallu rhythm”, seven count madness!!!
- Fly
- Holy Joe’s
- Oasis “Wonderwall”…TAAQ did those hermos a favor
(people who have a problem with this should understand, given that these are the same ffaces who called the Beatles their tits)
- Nifty fifth-fret capo was an instrumental
- Lemonade
- Band The World!!!
- Chianese Item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- The Steal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Jupiter Café
I think I got it right J .
Congratulated TAAQ, out at 5:00. Off to the Palace!!
posted by Riff at 9:29 AM
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