The Sherp has been to numerous gigs and festivals across the country, but few have left him speechless like the Smirnoff Experience festival in Bangalore did. It was an all-round sensory overload, the good kinds, with something enticing for each one of them (senses). Here is The Sherpβs attempt to decode the amazing evening through those five senses:
SIGHT
One of the highlights of the evening β the elevated βCloud Stageβ by world-renowned βexperience generatorsβ β Vita Motus, who have been working on this unique βfloatingβ creation since August. And boy, did their efforts show! Right from the moment the sun set and the βcloud-lookingβ stage came to life, the Vita Motis team created a truly awe-inspiring visual experience with music-coordinated lighting and some spectacular 3D mapping. And to complement the awesomeness of the mega-stage, the venue was dotted with various art installations including a mirrored entrance-way that was filled with multi-directional lasers and a βchandelier barβ that was made up of several suspended crystals, illuminated by different colored lights. All these experiences put together made the event a real treat for the eyes.
HEARING
Smirnoff spared no costs when it came to sound quality, flying down a specialized team from the US to ensure that every beat and drop was as crisp as it could possibly be. These perfect sounds were belted out through some giant sized βstacksβ that caused the air around it to tremble ensuring that you not only heard but felt every beat. Some of the very best artists in the Indian bass revolution took turns at the console, belting out hit after hit, adding their bit into making the event a rich sonic experience. The acts included Mode 7, Sulk Station, Sandunes, Squid Works, Dualist Inquiry and for the first time ever a unique live collaboration between Bay Beat Collective & Vachan Chinnappa. They got the crowd into the mood for the headliners of the evening β British dub-legends Rusko and Nero. Rusko was up first and the moment he dropped his first track, the crowd went into a wild frenzy, and stayed that way all the way to the very end of his set, which included a killer dub-step remix of the famous Space Jam movie OST. He was followed by Nero, who with their more intense and darker variant of Dubstep, transported the crowd to another world (mentally). Their perfectly combined mix of βlive vocals over tunesβ proved to be quite a hit with the audience.
TASTE
Smirnoff being one of the worldβs leading Vodka brands, had multiple bars around the venue (including the previously mentioned Chandelier Bar), churning out a wide variety of Vodka-based concoctions that included some lethal βshotsβ, their signature LED buckets (remember the ones at Group Therapy India recently?) and some herbal-infused (mint and other such leaves) cocktails that were served in chic spherical glasses. And for the hungry lot there were a bunch of food stalls, including one by the famous Nizamβs restaurant chain who were serving some mouth-watering rolls and kebabs.
FEEL
Thanks to the top-of-the-line speaker stacks and the bass heavy music, we (audience) could not only hear but even FEEL the music. This made for a very interesting sensory experience and really got the crowd into the right mood to fully absorb the awesomeness of the evening. The chill in the air, courtesy the venue (Manpho Convention Center) being on the outskirts of an already cold Bangalore city, added an extra layer of happiness to the experience.
SMELL
As mentioned before, the fact that the venue was on the outskirts of the city and surrounded by trees, ensured that the air was not only cooler but also cleaner and loaded with the scent of freshness that is hard to find in most outdoor venues these days. This olfactory treat was disturbed by the (amazing) scent of the food stalls which wafted through the air from time to time. But this disturbance was one that was welcomed with open arms.
Well what can I say, Smirnoff Experience was something else, a first of its kind landmark event that will hopefully become an inspiration to other events around the nation and set-in-motion the trend of βproduction richβ musical experiences.