My 10-Day Music Fest Calendar

Before you start reading – we suggest applying for a 10-day leave immediately. Call in favours at work, volunteer to run errands for your boss next month, or just fake a medical emergency – but either ways, you will want to be on the road going from the green specked, coffee-soaked fields of Coorg to the beautiful, windy highways of Pune as the Storm Festival and Bacardi NH7 Weekender come calling. Here’s why, how and what to keep an ear out for as India’s music festivals finally get the show on the road over 2 states and a couple of cities…

Storm Fest, Coorg, Karnataka – November 11-12

The Storm Festival is an honest to goodness camp-out weekend celebrating music and supporting the eco-friendly cause of their picturesque location. Setting up an enviable roster of over 35 Indian and international DJ’s and bands in bamboo fields and a 28-acre riverbed, Storm is the perfect way to lose your festival virginity or just lose yourself in star-lit shows reverberating through the hilltops. Climb up to the festival area first thing in the morning, stay in a music stupor till late night and then climb down to get some shuteye. We suggest staying in the allotted tents at the festival grounds (remember you will be in a no-plastic, green zone) and living the experience all through the 2 days. Psst: Impromptu jams are expected between musicians, so if you are at the camp, it’ll be easier to catch the action.

Read FHM India in the digital libraryEvery issue, every shoot, on TCG Media.

Tickets – ₹2500 for both days + ₹1400 for twin-sharing tents; available at www.stormfestivalindia.com

November 11 – Storm Fields, Napoklu, Coorg

Chances are you have traveled all-night or taken connecting flights and changed modes of transportation to get to the venue on time. So take a minute off to register where you are – the scenic hills of Coorg, Western Ghats stand at an altitude of 5000 feet above sea level. Are you in awe yet? Awesome, now grab an energy drink and get ready for 10.30am, which is when it all starts.

From hereon, the music will be on for the next 12 hours! Yup, you read it right – it’ll be on till 10.30pm. At our last count, 16 of the coolest indigenous bands (we are prepping to chant for Indian Ocean) and 23 DJ’s (did someone scream Richard Durand) from around the world and of course India were setting up to perform at multiple arenas and consoles; all of them hosted by Nikhil Chinapa.

Forget schedules and go with the flow because all you’ll need here are comfortable shoes, lots of enthusiasm and a friendly disposition. Look out for collaborative acts such as Anil Chawla + Dale Anderson, our own gems like Arjun Vagale of Jalebee Cartel and of course Southern indie stars – The Raghu (we love you) Dixit Project and Swarathma. Phew!

November 12 – Storm Fields, Napoklu, Coorg

Sleep is for losers and every second of napping at Storm is such a waste of good music time. The campsite is surrounded by water on all 3-sides and if that isn’t sweet enough, there will be interactive sessions and workshops with musicians. Nurse the pounding head (such amateurs) with some Alka Seltzer Morning Relief and wash it down with a shot of caffeine. And if you are feeling hungry, let’s not forget that the festival food court will cater to all sorts of pangs.

Get out of the tents and spend some time in the specially created adventure zone before heading up to the stages again. By now, you should be a pro at walking up ahead and grabbing the best spots. Don’t forget to click lots of pictures of all the madness surrounding you, nestled amongst trees and hills. And as night falls on the second day, you would’ve heard the iconic Durand with Julie Thompson as well as Thomas Gold, B.R.E.E.D, and of course the Eastern pride Soulmate LIVE.

Watch your step down the slope and pass out praying that you don’t wake up to realise it was all a dream!

How to Get There

By Air – The nearest airport is 120kms away at Mysore. Mangalore is next at 135km and then Bangalore at about 250km. Fly in and hire a taxi or board the bus to reach Madikeri in Coorg.

By Road – There are a network of roads connected to cities like Mysore (120 km), Hassan (115 km), Mangalore (135 km) and Bangalore (250 km). Hop on a bus or rent your own vehicle.

By Train – Mysore is the closest station, two and a half hours from the venue. Trains also ply to Mangalore or Hassan.

BLURB#1

Where to Stay

Just in case you don’t wish to stay at the camp, there are moderately priced hotels and homestays available around the area including King’s Cottage Homestay, Honey Valley and Kaveri Estate.

Day#3

November 13 – Plantation Walks and Buddhist Retreat, Coorg

Time to recover from the music high by exploring the rest of Coorg. Pick up the backpack, say goodbye to fellow stormers and spend the Sunday indulging in mellow or reinvigorating activities, depending on how hungover you are.

The ‘Scotland of the East’ has fun walking and exploratory trails. Pick from one of the three trek-friendly mountain peaks and set off under the guidance of the Coorg Adventure Club (CAC).

While still on your feet, check into the coffee, pepper, vanilla and cardamom rich estates including Tata Coffee. They provide options of staying in one of their plantation properties and learning all about the growth of coffee and local spices from the estate owner, which is of course topped up with fresh brews.

But if coffee isn’t your cup of tea [sic], check out Bylakuppe’s (the Tibetan settlement) Namdroling Monastery, which houses the amazing Golden Temple and the 18m-high gold-plated Buddha. Find your spiritual side and meditate on the weekend’s sins while recharging yourself for the next leg of the journey.

Day#4

November 14 – En Route to Bangalore

Start the day late and do not get on the road without sampling some Panndi Curry – Kodavas pork specialty. Before hopping on the Volvo to Bangalore, the adventurous ones can take a detour to the Nagarhole or The Rajiv Gandhi National Park. It’s home to the Asiatic elephants, spotted deer, langur and chital. And maybe if it’s your lucky day, you might just spot the Royal Bengal Tiger. Though we won’t lay our bets on it.

The ride to the capital city will take you anywhere between 4-6 hours, so keep a hip flask handy and check into a comfy B&B to get a good night’s rest once you finally reach.

BOX#2

Off the Beaten Track

In case you want to tick another location on the map, leave Coorg early for Chikmanglur. It’s further away from the direct route, but is worth it for the wildlife at Bhadra Tiger Reserve and of course, the Baba Budan Range where you can burn off some calories while trekking up to Mullayanagiri (6355 ft above sea level). Plus, The Serai will be hosting Namma Uru – a carnival of art and culture of the local villages.

Or there is always the world heritage site of Hampi and the cultural capital Mysore along the way.

Day#5

November 15 – The Muse and the Music, Bangalore

What better transit between two music fests than the birthplace of Indian rock culture? From world-class concerts to whirlwind bands, Bangalore deserves days of exploring, but for now we just have 2 packed ones.

Kick off the morning at The Egg Factory with everything egg-y from French Toast, Eggs Benedict to Egg Cannelloni. The coffee could be better, but we forgive it for those prices and the early opening hours.

Fuel the mind next. Set aside a couple of hours for Blossom Book House. This secondhand bookstore has three floors of (over 50000) titles stacked ceiling to floor (and sometimes even on the staircase). The old-school treasure trove stocks used, rare and collectors’ editions like a pocketbook Lonely Planet on Delhi from 1994 with scribbled notes by the last user or a set of DC comics.

Then spend some time walking down Church Street to soak in the city’s sights and sounds. Cap off the evening with a steak dinner at The Only Place in easygoing, retro settings that will remind you of college. Unfortunately, there’s no beer. So for that, drop by at Hard Rock Café – the Bangalore branch is the best in the country.

Day#6

November 16 – Adventure Trails and Wine Country, Grover Vineyards, Doddaballapur

Midway through this 10-day roadtrip is the perfect time to live off the edge or well, jump off it. In and around the city, there are adventure sports including paragliding, skydiving, river rafting, bungee jumping, parasailing, trekking, hiking and for the faint hearted – paint balling. Some of these need practice and training sessions as well as more than a day at hand, so either plan to get here early or just pick up one of the simpler options. Over 10 credited companies including Venture Adventure Club, Ozone, Vertigo Expeditions and Agni Aerosports offer various packages for all the above-mentioned activities.

If you want something a little less sporty and a little more spirited, the wine trail at Grover Vineyards is a heady affair. Unlike it’s more publicised Nasik cousins, Grover’s actually has a rich estate legacy and an indigenous wine – La Réserve worth writing home about. So just go on one of their personalised tours and become vino-literate just in time for the holiday season. Drop them a mail at <visit@grovervineyards.in> for more.

Word of warning: Don’t tipple too much. You have an early flight to catch the next morning. Pune beckons!

BLURB#2

How to Get There

By Air – There are plenty of direct flights plying from Bangalore to Pune starting at 6am and on till 9pm across various carriers.

By Road – Pune is over 800kms from Bangalore and it’ll take around 12 hours to get there by road. Get on one of the sleeper or semi-sleeper buses in both AC and non-AC options starting at about ₹500.

By Train – There are several trains that will get you to Pune Junction in anywhere from 18 to 24 hours.

Day#7

November 17 – Pune, Maharashtra

If you want something a little less sporty and a little more spirited, the wine trail at Grover Vineyards is a heady affair. Unlike it’s more publicised Nasik cousins, Grover’s actually has a rich estate legacy and an indigenous wine – La Réserve worth writing home about. So just go on one of their personalised tours and become vino-literate just in time for the holiday season. Word of warning: Don’t tipple too much. You have an early flight to catch the next morning. Pune beckons! You have an early flight to catch the next morning. Pune beckons!

BOX#3

Chorush

India’s first and perhaps only concept offering customised packages exclusively for music events could not have debuted at a better time. Formed earlier this year, Chorush works on the basic concept of music tourism that has been missing in our country till now. Still in a nascent stage, the plan is for them to eventually be able to take audiences to any music event on the planet. For now, they are concentrating on India and offer travel and stay options for every budget and festival tickets till the last minute. We asked them for more deets…

Here’s what they can do:

Get you event tickets (for certain events only).

Design tailormade travel packages to reach the event fossr different need.

Offer pre-designed all-inclusive packages.

And this is what they are doing for The Weekender:

A sampler of the packages for per person, per night on a twin sharing basis –

Package A: Stay at Magarpatta Service Apt + 3 day pass = ₹6999/-

Package B: Stay at Koregaon Park / SV Road (10-15 minutes drive from the venue) Service Apt + 3 day pass = Rs. 4500/-

Package for Students: Stay at Koregaon Park / SV Road Service Apt + 3 day pass = Rs. 2999/-

Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Pune, Maharashtra – November 18-20

Known as the happiest music festival in India, The Weekender is an experience that will define our generation. In its second year, this music orgy traverses a long winding path that leads to the ultimate destination – sheer musical bliss! 3 days, 3 diverse stages (with many surprises in store), over 20 hours of music and around 50 artists will ensure you stay hooked. Headliners include the Grammy award winning Imogen Heap and UK house maestros Basement Jaxx. We still have our entry band from last year as a keepsake and this time they promise exclusive fest merchandise. Besides the music – though why would you need anything else – the fest is hosting an international tattoo convention called Tattoo Republic and will also feature stalls from Comic Con India. Psst: The Bazaar promises hours of browsing through whacky merchandise up for grabs, healthy multi-cuisine fare, as well as an organic and eco-friendly Flea Market with ice-lollies!

Tickets – ₹2000 for all three days, ₹1500 for Sat-Sun only and ₹750 for one-day pass. Students also get a discounted rate of ₹999 for three day pass; available at www.nh7.in/weekender

Day#8

November 18 – The Weekender Grounds, Magarpatta City, Pune

If you’ve recovered from the night before or even if you haven’t (put on your darkest pair of sunglasses), get to the venue by the afternoon. The Bazaar will open at 3.30pm and you’ll have some time to eat and get ready to hog vantage points. Don’t forget to give some love to the crew behind the fest, you’ll see them everywhere with walkie-talkies, making sure everything runs smoothly and starts on time.

The fest is divided into 3 main stages – The Dewarists Stage (fusion, acoustic, experimental), Bacardi Black Rock Arena (metal, rock and well, heavy and dark variants of both) and Eristoff Wolves Den (DJ’s + artists – electronica, EDM, house). All of them start off simultaneously and run till 10pm at night, post which, the party shifts indoors with after-party venues. The former two stages are inactive the first day, so you can park your posey at the latter and inject some dance energy for the weekend ahead – Catch Ash Roy (Jalebee Cartel), Midival Punditz and headliners Basement Jaxx!

Last year, we made excel sheets to figure which artist to catch at which stage at what time. And then proceeded to map out running time between each stage. Unfortunately, we neglected to factor in how drunk we would be by the evening time.

BLURB#3

Must-Watch New Artist Alert

Dualist Inquiry – Eristoff Wolves Den (Nov 18)

We first saw producer and guitarist Sahej Bakhshi’s solo project Dualist Inquiry at an after-party at last year’s Weekender. In the one year since, he has performed his signature live sets playing the guitar and mixing around the country, received critical acclaim and made a name for himself and debuted his EP Dualism. This time, he is back with a stage slot and a whole barrage of fans.

Goddess Gagged – Bacardi Black Rock Arena (Nov 19)

Bombay’s five-piece atmospheric, prog-laden abyss (as they like to call themselves) rely on guitar work, crushing rhythms, solid bass lines and moody atmospherics. Winners at Strawberry Fields 2010, their first single Visionary was released in May 2011. They not only play their first gig at Weekender, but will also release their album Resurfaces.

Day#9

November 19 – The Weekender Grounds, Magarpatta City, Pune

We have our new ink ideas ready as Tattoo Republic opens its door at the festival today. With over 45 booths by world-renowned international artists like ‘Sala’ (Spain), Darrin White (USA), Larry Brogan (USA), John Montgomery (USA) and Khan (Japan) as well as some of the best names from India, the convention will be THE place to get inked. Tramp-stamps and butterfly/angel/barbed wire enthusiasts need not bother.

‘Sala’, White and Brogan will also conduct specialised certified workshops and seminars on ‘Body Modification’, ‘Painterly Style’ and ‘How to be a successful international tattoo artist’ respectively. Send a mail to <info@tattoorepublic.in> for registration.

And then run on over to The Dewarists Stage as the likes of Hipnotribe, Advaita, The Raghu Dixit Project and headliner Imogen Heap do their thang. Vishal of Pentagram and Imogen will also be performing their The Dewarists original Minds Without Fear at the fest. The Black Rock Arena will see a new album set from Pentagram, Tough on Tobacco in one of their rare outings, plus Delhi boys Menwhopause and The Circus. Don’t forget to grab a shot or two from the bar and then put on your dancing shoes for Bay Beat Collective and Bobby Friction at the Wolves Den.

Day#10

November 20 – The Weekender Grounds, Magarpatta City, Pune

It’s the last day of what has been a crazy and unprecedented 10-day ride. Scream, shout and make the most of it. But first, wind down a little at the Flea Market and shop and eat organic (it’s the closest you’ll get to a detox). On the other side, there is some animated fun from the peeps at Comic Con India. And don’t forget to buy some festival merch.

The beauty of The Weekender is the different vibes running at every stage. So while The Dewarists is all about mellow lounging, the Black Rock is sheer adrenaline and Wolves Den brings a dance marathon – which you should’ve found out by now. What we also know is that they’ve saved the best for last. Not only will Indian Ocean be there but Papon is finally back with The East India Company. At the metal side, Bhayanak Maut will cause another mosh-pit riot and Scribe will be doing their first show after hopefully winning their award for Best Artist (Worldwide) at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Shaa’ir + Func and DJ Jayant will be bringing it down at the electronica stage.

And no we don’t want it to be over yet. Make your way to one of the after-parties and refuse to call it a night. We know we will!

BOX#4

Bacardi NH7 Weekender After-Parties

India’s first and perhaps only concept offering customised packages exclusively for music events could not have debuted at a better time. Formed earlier this year, Chorush works on the basic concept of music tourism that has been missing in our country till now. Still in a nascent stage, the plan is for them to eventually be able to take audiences to any music event on the planet. For now, they are concentrating on India and offer travel and stay options for every budget and festival tickets till the last minute. We asked them for more deet India’s first and perhaps only concept offering customised packages exclusively for music events could not have debuted at a better time. Formed earlier this year, Chorush works on the basic concept of music tourism that has been missing in our country till now. Still in a nascent stage, the plan is for them to eventually be able to take audiences to any music event on the planet. For now, they are concentrating on India and offer travel and stay options for every budget and festival tickets till the last.

From the November 2011 issue of FHM India.