As far as a festival experience goes, Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Pune has always hit the nail right on its head. Whether itโs new acts to discover, brand activations or the grub, youโre always in for a pleasant surprise.
Here are a few first-time experiences The Sherp absolutely loved
1.ย Taking trips on the Ferris wheel
Judging by the massive queue outside, the Ferris wheel might just have been the most popular act at the festival. Back in 2011, the wheel was used as a projection backdrop for one of the stages, but this year, team OML decided to step it up a notch and let people ride on it, for free. Good move, guys.
2. The Mugs
Apart from making you feel like an extra out of a WWII sitcom (Band of Brothers, anyone?) these mugs were pretty much your perfect companion at the festival. To make it easier to carry around (and take home), they came with durable hooks to latch on to your bags/clothes etc.
While we do appreciate The Weekender Bucket, 2014 has been the year of The Mug.
(Image Courtesy :ย instagram.com/akash.kapshikar27)
(Image Courtesy :ย instagram.com/sweta49)
3. Mocktails/Chasers
Fruity and refreshing, the mocktail chasers sold at the bar in the food area were so delicious, we kept going back for more sans the alcohol. What’sย better? Refills were absolutely free.
4. Songhoy Blues
Leave it to NH7 to bring you a band all the way from Timbuktu ย (yes, really) and make you fall in love with them. With their catchy version of post rock and infectious energy, Songhoy Blues got the crowd to sing along to lyrics they didn’t even understand.
5. ย Bubsterr’s and their slices of happiness
A food stall that was absolutely buzzing with activity throughout the festival. From generously topped giant pizza slices to stuff hot-pockets, Bubsterr’s delivered the most aptly priced and scrumptious ‘on-the-go’ grub at the fest.
Oh, yum!
6. The Manganiyar Classroom
Two Weekenders ago, ย it was Royston Abel’s Manganiyar Seduction that blew us away. This year, we were lucky enough to witness his other project, The Manganiyar Classroom, that featured 40 children of Manganiyar descent, singing their hearts out in a classroom-bench kind of setup. The music illustrated how the right kind of education and teacher always trumps a fixed curriculum.
The Classroom ย was a completely soul-stirring performance that had the crowd clapping along and cheering throughout.
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ย 7. Duke Nucleya
Nucleya’s Weekender-special act, Duke Nucleya, was everything we expected it to be –unrelenting bass mashed with some hardcore visuals and collaborated efforts with Reggae Rajahs and Alo Wala. From the time he took over the console to the end of his set, he had the whole venue bouncing.
Like some of our friend’s would say, ” It was maaaaaaad.”
8. Luke Sital-Singh
Here’s a performance that surprised us by its simplicity. Luke Sital-Singh delivered all of his best ballads in the most soulful way possible, his voice resonating through the venue accompanied by his acoustic guitar or his keyboard.
There is a reason why the guardian once described his new album to be “believably vulnerable balladeering”.
Luke Sital-Singh ‘bottled up tight’ @nh7dotin @somymusic @vh1india – Happiest day of my life
A video posted by Leilah Zeenat (@leilahzeenat) on
(Image Courtesy: Bacardi NH7 Weekender)
9. Hokey Pokey goodness
If you happened to hover around the The Dewarists and the MTS Discover stages, you would have spotted the much-talked about Hokey Pokey ice cream stall. Their eclectic flavours and mixes were perfect for anyone with ice cream cravings.
At the price of just 50, you could get yourself a yummy limited edition Weekender special – a cup of vanilla ice-cream blended with caramel, chocolate brownie and hazelnut. As far as sweet things go, Hokey Pokey ice cream was the clear winner!
10. Pulse & Bloom
Saba Ghole and Shilo Shiv Suleman’s famous Burning Man Pulse & Bloom art installation was laid out at the most opportune of places – around The Dewarists and MTS Discover stages. It was a popular spot for people to pow-wow, chill and watch how by just placing their palms on the installation, the flowers would illuminate with lights in sync with their heartbeats.
As far as interactive art-installations go, this is probably the best an Indian music festival has seen and we can’t wait for what they have in store for the next.
(Image Courtesy :instagram.com/pdjhonsa)
