The about-me sections of all four bands have one word in common — progressive. The words preceding are different. Students of the Sound Engineering Academy avoided the established bands when they scheduled the third music festival they are organising in Thiruvananthapuram. “It is to promote amateur bands and alternative music that we are conducting this festival, for free,” says Vishnu A.R., director of SEA.
Last year they had six bands performing on six evenings. This time it is four — Segments, KL-01, Perfect Equation and Tricorti, from August 11 to 14. Segments led by musician Nikhil J. Menon, is a progressive rock band based out of Kochi. “I can’t wait to perform in my hometown again, after a long time. I was born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram. And coincidentally I am playing in three corners of Kerala on three days — Kannur on Wednesday, Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday and Kochi on Friday,” says Nikhil. There’s also Ajay Joseph and Chris Paul on the guitars, Ritwick Wilfy Bivera playing the drums, and Lesley on the bass.
KL-01 is obviously from the capital, with that RTO code for Thiruvananthapuram. The band playing folk/ progressive/ hard rock, is a collaboration of two extinct bands. It has Anand Amarnath on the vocals, Sharath Menon playing the lead guitar, bassist Brian Fernandez and Ananthapadmanabhan as the drummer.
Perfect Equation playing experimental/ progressive is from Kochi, with Irthasa Aazem on the vocals, Arjun Aravind on the lead guitar, Paul Emmanuel on the rhythm guitar, Santo Joseph on the bass and Nekheeb Shah on the drums. Tricotri does experimental progressive rock, hails from Kollam, and has on its line-up, Vishu, Niranjansuresh and Ajai as vocalists, Shiyan and Arun as guitarists, Jackson on the bass, Jeo on the drums and Sachin on the keyboard.
All four bands will perform at the Bharat Bhavan in Thycaud from 7 pm onwards starting today.
