What a Day...

Rarely a day comes when the day is so hectic that you rarely get any breathing space, you are awake for 18 hours in the day, driving for some 140 kms through the day, riding for some 60 kms., changing your clothes thrice in a single day, eat 3 heavy meals & do some good-old head-banging and on the top of all this, you get this busy on a Sunday which in normal people’s lives is a day to relax & get rejuvenated for the week ahead but in my life normalcy gets thrown out of the window the way an employee’s idea is thrown out by the all-mighty supervisor…

And this day was 25th October 2009 which was action-packed & filled till the brim and I had a ball…right from 6 AM when I woke up…and the action began…

7 AM – Leisure Valley Park, Gurgaon – Bulls on Parade (BOP) Meet

Woke up at 6 AM, got freshened up, had a light breakfast of Bread-Jam & Mango Juice and headed straight for LVP where my Motorcycling buddies were to meet for our BOP Rendezvous towards The Tughlaqabad Fort…this is one place which we enjoy going to repeatedly without getting bored and we indulge in some level-headed Bakchodi & a beer session to boot and this time it was no-different…I had a minor fight with a biker near Vasant Kunj and gave him a mouthful and when he tried to be aggressive, I just showed him a sight of the other 10 motorcycles which were behind me, he got shit-scared after taking a look at that ultra-masculine sight of 10 bulls he just changed his way and took a U-Turn and ran away!!! We reached the fort and saw a Kulche-Matar vendor passing-by, he was frantically stopped as if all of us had just landed after spending an year in a torture session in Somalia, in minutes 15 plates were gorged…with our tummies full we entered the fort and took refuge at a new place where we started the BBB Session, soon Vihans, Ajit & Gyan joined us and we moved to our regular relaxation place within the fort where we had another session…in the end 15 motorcyclists attended the meet and we had 2 new-comers as well…I finally met Tarun Garcha from Road Survivors with whom I had interacted a lot online and even saw him at RM-09…



1:30 PM – Yadu Greens Banquet, GT Karnal Road – My friend’s Wedding

I reached my home at 11 AM; took a shower and changed into my formals from my Motorcycling gear of a Che Jacket & Camo-style cargos…I went to Arunima’s home and picked her up before starting the long journey of 70 odd kms to the Wedding Venue which felt some light-years away as ages have gone by since I have drove my car for so long…see I can ride my Motorcycle for 550 kms a day but when it comes to driving I am hate them the way Dada hated bouncers coming his way…we reached the venue after 1.5 long hours of a grueling driving session… it took us through 2 states and 68 kms(to be precise)…we ate our heart out at the marriage…Aloo-Tikki, Golgappe, Pao Bhaji & Besan ke Chille in the snakes variety and then Kadhi Pakoda, Pindi Chane, Stuffed Nan, Dal Makhani and Kulfi in the Main-Course variety…just to add some gory details I also dumped in the break between my meal & desserts…a satisfying dump and got me ready for the heavy-duty Kulfi session which was about to start!!!


4 PM – Pragati Maidan – The Great Indian Rock (GIR)



We left the marriage venue after Arunima had changed into her casuals in the banquet hall wash-room and invited the shocked-looks of quite a number pf Punju aunties who were shell-shocked to see a Sportswoman emerging out of a Marriage Venue…but she being the rockstar she is, she gave them all a big fuck and moved on…we reached Pragati Maidan sharp at 4 PM where we were to met Dips & Pravin who were coming on their SUV…we also saw some high-quality babes around us as it was also the 1st day of the Wills Fashion Week and the incoming crowds could be easily demarcated by their attires…the FW invitees were all decked up in their Designer Clothes with Make-Up plotted on their face quite carefully & at times over-the-top…Rakhi Sawant style and the GIR attendees were in their black Rock-Bands tees and long hair(only in few cases, in my case it is all about short hair to due to the sad state of affairs at the top of my body).

I changed into my Rock-Show gear in the car itself…wore my new Che & RATM Tee which I bought from Clydes – Palika Baazaar…

I entered the venue all excited as this was the first time I was attending a major Rock Show, yes I have attended some short-jigs in the past but nothing as big as GIR…its an annual event which is set-up by RSJ and is held in Mumbai, Bengalooru, Pune & New Delhi where bands of India & abroad play in front of some mad-mad crowds…and this time I was one amongst them though from the sober variety…as I was away from the front crowds all the time…

GIR started with a performance by a Aizawl band called Boomarang…they were not very loud types, I liked their music but sadly the crowd had not gathered up and their performance was actually wasted…I really felt bad for them as they had come all the way from Mizoram to perform…this act was followed up by another dull performance by “Another Vertigo Rush”…but then the Big Daddy of them all came…BHAYAANAK MAUT, yes that I the name of this killer band…and when literally translated into English, the band name means TERRIBLE DEATH!!! Wow what an amazing name…puts to shame all Brand Managers who take back lakhs of rupees to their homes and give the shittiest of the names to products…

To describe them in one-word, this band is CRAZY…you can’t understand a single word of their lyrics but still you just love the energy flowing all over the place…I had never ever heard this kind of music but still I loved it to bits…what fuckin amazing scenes…people were engaged in Mosh…for the uninitiated it is basically some Rock Music enthusiast(read Fanatics) who indulge in a crazy game of pushing & shoving each other and get fun out of it…I witnessed it for the first time and was shit scared about my Motorcycling Comrade Dips who was right there in the middle of the bloodshed scene…but the true fighter he is, he never ever flinched and kept asking for more…what a spirit this guy has got…and it is wrt everything…Biking, Trekking, Travelling, Head-Banging & Moshing…hats off to you Dips Bhai…and I am sure there are many more facets to him which I am yet to reveal!!!

After this explosion of sorts, one sad band followed…named Indigo Children whose lead-vocalist sounded more like a lullaby singer…with due respect…I am sure there were some people who loved them but I beg to differ…
The fun was not yet over…the next lined-up band was named Scribe…another killer performance followed and their lead-vocalist involved the crowd amazingly well…once again I learnt another form of Rock Music Fanaticism…Wind-Mill Head-Banging…where some guys with their long hair moved their head like a wind-mill and it was one crazy sight…I loved their performance and Dips once again went to the Mosh Area…and when I asked him “Doesn’t it pain”…pat came the reply “Yes, it does but I enjoy this pain!!!”…I kept quiet after that…

The best part about these performances was the energy which flowed and the amazingl vocals of lead-vocalists...they were literally grwoling and it still came out as melodious...plus I am sure if the total energy of the Bands & the fans were collected I am sure the NHAI's pending projects can be completed in no time. I really feel sad that having been born & brought up in Delhi and I haven't even attended a single edition of GIR...Dips was the one who told me about GIR a week back but I am not ashamed as I had a different kind of upbringing and till 2001 music just meant Kishore Kumar, Jagjit Singh & Punjabi for me...I thank BOP & GIM for my musical renaissance...infact Dips has educated me so much about Rock Music that I would be always indebted to him for the free training he has imparted to me...he is & would always remain the true master of Rock-Music for me...

The final act was by an American Band called Intronaut…another decent performance and their lead-guitarist was amazingly talented, he could also play some real kick-ass drums…but not upto the levels of Bhayaanak Maut & Scribe...

We didn’t watch their entire performance as we wanted to avoid the parking-area rush and also we were literally starving…

More Details about the Event & Bands @ http://www.greatindianrock.com/Schedule.asp?Event_City=Delhi

10:30 PM – Old Delhi – Food Fiesta

We reached Old Delhi amidst a Wedding Procession where the kids were dancing as if there was no tomorrow…I enjoy such sights as when I was kid, me & my brother always used to dance in our balcony whenever there was a marriage procession and I really miss those gay-abandon days and this time also I gave a small jig amidst the Dhol-Beats…

We went to our favourite shop called Chicken Point where he serves a psychedelic varity of Grilled Butter Chicken with fresh Roomali Rotis and the taste is HEAVENLY…period…nothing more to describe the taste further…the 5 of us gorged 30 rotis amongst us in no time and the total bill was just 260 bucks…I mean what the fuck guys…the quality of food is better than the 5-Stars worth their salt out there and the costing is highway Dhaba types…Long Live Chicken Point!!!

We enjoyed Shaahi-Tukda & Phirni for deserts which were followed by Pan to end the glorious day…

A special mention for our dearest Vihans Bhai...inspite of a very late Saturday night he came for the BOP meet and also for the GIR with his friends, he even accompanied us to Old Delhi and his day wasn't over yet...he went to Janpath for a Pizza Party with his friends after that...his spirit is one which I salute everytime...he is a true team-player and is always willing to go that extra step for his friends...

I finally reached my home at 12:30 AM…tired & exhausted but not out yet…what a day it was…phew…I am sure all of you would agree with me…Great Music, Good Food, Mighty Bullets, Friend’s Wedding & Great Friends…what else I can ask for…well nothing…

I pray to God that he grants me more such momentous days and I give full justice to the time I get…

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then ride safe & have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…