While the city of Mumbai has been craving for a legitimate music festival, Pepsi MTV Indies sure made the difference last weekend with the Pepsi MTV Indies Spiro.
Calling it a legitimate โcultural takeoverโ MTV Indies brought cinema, music and stand up comedy on one platform over four days. The biggest highlight of the event was of course day four, which brought together a stellar line-up of performances from Prateek Kuhad, Suleimani Keeda, Kommune Presents Storytellers, B3: Battle Bars Bombay and Rochelle DโSilva on the alternative stage to names such as Aqua Dominatrix, Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator, EZ Riser, electronic weights โ The Glitch Mob, and of course the biggest highlight, Grammy-nominated Pretty Lights. And as always, The Sherp gives you the lowdown of the evening!
1. Variety
We honestly loved how MTV Indies got together comedy, charity, and music, all representing the independent scene, on a single platform. Day 1 saw funnymen VJ Jose and Varun Thakur host the countryโs first over official rigged awards. That in itself being a novel idea, the evening saw the indie scene take a self-assured dig at itself. Hilarious! Day 2 and Day 3, Spiro organised pop-up gigs where artists like Kris Correya, Subsystem and Kaleekarma among others, were brought together performing for a cause at the various venues. The variety saw Spiro manifest itself as a legitimate festival that will be looked forward to every year!
(images courtesy: Spiro Facebook)
2. Day 4 Location
Mehboob Studio has of late grown into a comfortable location for gigs and other mega-scale events, and it fit in perfectly with Spiro, as well. The large space was utilised perfectly, and the main stage set up for Aqua Dominatrix, Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator, EZ Riser, Pretty Lights and The glitch Mob was not only comfortably spacious, but also well-cooled. Their strict no-smoking stand inside the stage arena was a blessing, really, as for once you could dance through a gig without feeling asphyxiated. Plus, the choice of a spacious indoor venue worked well for the extravagant visual experience.
(image courtesy: @pepsimtvindies)
3. The Bar
What was pleasantly surprising, after really long might we add, is that one could actually be at a well-attended gig without having to run face first into one another. The bar, situated centrally in the foyer outside the stage did well, as it was there that one could purchase alcohol and indulge in random camaraderie without disrupting the vibe of the performance happening inside. All in all, the mood remained very relaxed once you entered the bar arena, so that was a plus!
4. That Pretty Lights Set
Pretty Lights was quite obviously the most awaited act of the evening. Derek Vincent Smith, with his unique sound and drop-dead visuals started his set smack on time, and boy, what a set that was! Stage lights can sometimes be glaring and hurtful, but not this one. Warm, and visually inviting, his original visuals, mind you, were in tandem with that set, that saw him merge one song into the other, seamlessly. We were left wondering how one man is capable of that range! But for the entirety of the set, we were hooked.
(video courtesy: @dittlestheskittle)
(video courtesy: @indpat)
5. The Glitch Mob madness
While Pretty Lights was the most hyped act of the evening, The Glitch Mob provided the starting fodder with such a stupendous act that most non-listeners were in for a major surprise. And the loyal fans in a repeated dose of we-told-you-sos. It was an act ably powered, with not a single false note, literally.ย People especially lost their calm when The Glitch Mob dropped their famous remix of 7 Nation Army.ย And the visuals sort of led you into expecting what was coming up next. Absolute fun!
(image courtesy: @minionstyle13)
6. Food stalls
Spiro was right on top of the game with its food stalls, keeping it simple and casual, yet scrumptious with an assortment of pizzas, chicken based savouries and other favourite festival snacks like sandwiches and icecreams. The pav savouries by Bhak-a-pav and the burgers by Between Breads were the absolute favourites of the evening, clearly! Ably located to the side of the bar, one could enjoy the food without jostling into the next beer holder!
(image courtesy: @betweenbreads)
Check out more images from MTV Indies Spiro here.