Rock music has always held a special place in India’s live music scene. Right from the early 60s, when iconic bands toured the country to play secret shows to an intimate audience, genres of rock have lived on generation after generation in the subcontinent and continue to breathe life into live gigs around the country even today. However, the past few years have seen a steady decline in the number of outdoor events that cater to the headbangers and mosh pits, thanks to the advent of music festivals that began to heavily promote EDM music to its revellers. And that is when there came a barrage of festivals catering to the same style in music. With little to differentiate, fans picked their top 2 and gave everything else a miss because they did not have anything new to look forward to. This became a big problem for organisers, and a few took the decision to branch out and adopt a more multi-genre approach.

Vh1 Supersonic, as a festival that started off with a fully electronic line-up, understood early on that a diverse audience requires a diverse musical line-up. By bringing hip-hop artist Macklemore as a headliner at their last edition, they broke away from their conventional tag and won many hearts. And this year, it looks like we’re going to experience an ode to rock.Β Catch these brilliant acts in action at Vh1 Supersonic 2018 from the 9th to the 11th of February 2018 at Laxmi Lawns, Pune. Book your ticketsΒ hereΒ ASAP!

Right from headlining acts Incubus and alt-J, to Indian icons Pentagram, rock is being well represented at this year’s edition. Here’s a look at some of the rock acts to grace Vh1 Supersonic this year. And the most beautiful thing is that every performer on this list blends rock with flavours from different genres, hence providing a well-rounded experience for both rock lovers and ones who aren’t as attuned to this genre.Β After all, it’s not just Incubus and alt-J that define the rock roaster this year.

Pentagram

The veterans in Indian rock, Pentagram need no introduction. A four-piece Indian rock/electronica band that started in 1994 in Mumbai, Pentagram comprises of Vishal Dadlani on vocals, Randolph Correia on guitars, Clyde D’souza on guitars, Papal Mane on bass and Shiraz Bhattacharya on drums. With four albums released (the last two on their own record label, Pentagram Music), this band is considered as one of the pioneers of original Indian independent music. And, they were the first Indian band to play at the Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK.

Plini b2b David Maxim Micic

Having independently recorded & released one album, a trilogy of EPs and numerous singles at just 25, Plini is one of the biggest guitar sensations today. Based in Sydney, Australia, his main genre influences are Instrumental rock and Progressive metal. He will be going b2b with guitar/keyboard player, composer and producer from Serbia – David Maxim Micic. By the age of 20, he had composed, recorded and produced over 8 hours of original music, written music for commercials, movies and TV series, and produced and arranged for many great musicians, mostly from Eastern Europe. This is one set you cannot afford to miss.

Aswekeepsearching

This modern post-rock band is no stranger to the rock circuit in India. Formed in 2013, the outfit comprises of vocalist/guitarist Uddipan Sarmah, guitarist/keyboardist Shubham Gurung, bassist Bob Alex and drummer Gautam Deb. They’re one of the few bands in the circuit to sing in Hindi, giving them an edge over others. Their newest album, β€˜Zia’ sees the use of instruments like the Violin, Viola, Cello, Sitar and the Tabla, making it an instrumental masterpiece.

Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator

After releasing his debut album in 2006, Donn Bhat felt the need to put together a band and perform live, which is how Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator was born. The Mumbai-based composer, producer, guitarist and vocalist with his band, Passenger Revelator, are known to whip up an interesting concoction of music that mixes electronic, pop, rock and more. Infact, their last album β€˜Connected’ served as a meeting point for electronic music and early 2000s alt-rock.Β Two albums down, they’re going strong and we can’t wait to get our hands on more of their music.

Soulmate

India’s most famous blues-rock band, Soulmate is made up of Rudy Wallang, one of the most respected blues guitarists of India, and Tipriti TIPS Kharbangar, one of the finest female singers to have emerged from North East India. Formed in Shillong in October 2003, they have recorded 3 albums till date, ”Shillong”, β€œMoving On” and β€˜Ten Stories Up’. They’ve spread their beautiful talent across continents, playing concerts all over The Northeast as well as in different parts of India, Southeast Asia, Europe, The Middle East and The United States. They continue to play to sold out venues around the country.Β 

Dossers Urge

Known for electrifying shows and stage presence, brothers David, Romeo and Gideon have been jamming ever since they got introduced to Green Day and Blink182 by a friend, although they credit Led Zeppelin & Black Sabbath as their inspirations. After winning the Converse Road to Rubber Tracks New York Brooklyn USA 2016, this punk/heavy-pop/psychedelic/garage/rock & roll/indie rock band from Shillong got the chance to headed to the Converse Rubbertracks Studio in Brooklyn, NY to record an album. They’ve performed at major venues across the country and it’ll be great to catch them in action at Vh1 Supersonic 2018.

Catch these brilliant acts in action at Vh1 Supersonic 2018 from the 9th to the 11th of February 2018 at Laxmi Lawns, Pune. Book your ticketsΒ hereΒ ASAP!

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