3 Days @ Desi Octoberfest, Bengaluru

Weekend travelling is always a blessing in disguise and our weekend trip to Bengaluru’s Great Indian Octoberfest was no less. 3 nights, 3 stages and more than 35 artists, plus an exclusive interview with Hoobastank – that’s the making of a great weekend right there. There were no ladies dressed like the one on your left holding large jugs of frothy beer though.

Day wise activity

Day 1

Swarathma — the leading folk fusion band from Bengaluru managed to pull up a decent crowd with their combination of theatric showmanship and distinct musical effort. The next performer was Arijit Singh. Though, we at FHM are not avid fans of romantic Indian songs, the band has a great sound.

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Day 2

Despite the low turnout on the first day, the second day saw a full house. It seemed like EDM had completely taken over the city known for its love of rock and metal. Avial and Indus Creed did a fantastic job, while EDM artists Chico and Ajit Pai dropped beats that were quite the rage. The last leg saw Hoobastank’s thrilling performance, which had the the crowd jiving to ‘The Reason” and other hits.

Day 3

Despite waking up to a gloomy and a cloudy day, the rain gods were on our side, and it turned out to only a pitter-patter affair. The last day saw a humongous crowd and even better performances. The finale saw Mika Singh, who made a rather fashionably late entry which is when the fest took a Punjabi pop turn.

The Great Indian Octoberfest is organised by Kingfisher

30 minutes with Hoobastank: in conversation with Jesse Charland

Hoobastank has been around for close to two decades now… How hard has it been to sustain through this period?

For us the journey has been unflappable. When you spend so much time together, it’s almost like being in some sort of marriage. When I joined in 2009, the band had just gotten through a kind of rough patch and everyone was eager to work again. It has been great ever since then. To survive in a band, it is imperative that there is chemistry musically as well as personally amongst all the band members.

What is Hoobastank’s next move?

As of now it’s completely up in the air. Recording an album these days is not a good idea at all, as you pump in a lot of money but nobody cares enough to buy albums. The digital era has really changed the way the music industry works. It’s become as simple as ‘click and download’. We need to make money, and at this point of time, we don’t make money through record sales.

The Reason completes a decade next year. Any special plans for this occasion?

We are brainstorming on how to make it special for our fans. We are planning to re-record the song, or maybe combine it with a handful of songs and releasing an EP – we don’t want it to be perceived as something that is contrived.

We are in a dilemma as we need to showcase real artistic material without being perceived like we are here to make a dollar out of everyone.

So how do bands survive in these cloudy market scenarios? Do they make money out of co-branding/ tours?

Personally speaking, I think co-branding is the worst thing for any band to get involved in, as you gradually deviate from your core strengths i.e. making music, and move towards selling clothes, shoes or accessories. I think the only way to make money is to put in more concrete material out there. Today, the diversity is so huge that it is hard to segment the market. So for me, it’s about having content that is organically new and up to the mark. As a band we have learned the lesson through our last album, which received a very mild response.

What are your thoughts about the rising popularity of indie music as a cult genre?

I think it is really cool. There are bands that are doing that and rising at the same time on the pure merit of what they are producing. You wouldn’t see them following a pattern, as they are constantly testing their artistic virtues and throwing it out to people who are, indeed, liking their stuff. And it’s really hard to do that, as you have to be original.

Is indie the new way to go?

Yes, totally. We’ve signed up with independent record labels and it is so much better for us. It’s better as we don’t have someone who is constantly pestering us to make tunes to their liking, instead of us following our artistic instincts. Plus, independent labels know that they are not going to make millions out of selling a tune, and thus, it becomes critical for them to bring out more original content.

Do you think rock musicians will eventually instill bits and pieces of EDM in their songs?

I think rock bands are already showing an acceptance for EDM in a big way. And I’m sure in the years to come, it will become even bigger. I guess we have lived through the time of rock, per se.

This is your second visit to India this year, what’re your best parts so far?

We have really liked the people here. They are quite humble and have come forward to show us support. We were in Shillong and it was overwhelming to see people come out to see us and sing with us almost halfway across the world.

Culturally speaking, do you see any differenced in India and US?

I see US as a materialistically advanced country, but spiritually dead. And I see India as materialistically not that advanced, yet spiritually way ahead of us. I feel that Americans have a lot to learn from India.

How has driving around the city been?

It is amazing how you guys drive around here… It’s like everyone is a pro! I almost gagged seeing the way our driver was zooming past pedestrians.

When do you we get to see you again?

We might be here again sometime in Feb next year.

From the November 2013 issue of FHM India.