Six Bengali bands rocked the Sunday crowd at Band-e-Mic held at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Sunday. My Kolkata was the digital partner of the show.
The show began around 2pm but the fans, all dressed in black, were there since noon. Even rain couldn't dampen their spirit as they waited for their favourite musicians to take the stage.
Fakira kick-started the show, belting out hot numbers like Hare Krishna and Nizamuddin. “This is the beauty of Bangla bands. The same group is singing these two songs from the same stage. This is amazing,” said Fakira frontman Timir Biswas.
Fakira kick-started the show
Next, was Chandrabondoo’s turn to rock the stage with their power-packed show. The magical vocal combination of Upal Sengupta and Anindya Chatterjee captivated the audience in no time. They sang popular numbers like Bhindeshi tara, Juju and Bondhu chol. “We will end our performance with the song of friendship,” said Upal just before delivering Bondhu tomay.
(L-R) Upal Sengupta and Anindya Chatterjee captivated the audience
Fossils’ Rupam Islam said they had a great experience at the event. "The audience response was brilliant. We performed a new song Oporibortito from our next album Fossils 7.”
Cactuss had the audience rocking
Lakkhichhara, Cactuss, Anupam Roy and Band and Fossils had the audience rocking, too. Praising the organisers, Cactuss frontman Sidhu said, “The secret of a successful show like this lies in proper planning."
Rupam Islam said they had a great experience at the event
Team Lakkhichhara paid a touching tribute to Moheener Ghoraguli. “We are not only eternally grateful to Moheener Ghoraguli but it is because of them that we were inspired to sing and perform and make our presence felt,” said Gabu, the percussionist of Lakkhichhara.
Team Lakkhichhara paid a touching tribute to Moheener Ghoraguli
Anupam Roy and Band was the second last band to perform. With the iconic Amake amar moto thakte dao, Jol phoring and Ekbar bol, the band created a connect with the audience. “I loved the management and the audience. So many people came for Bengali music which was really special,” Anupam Roy told My Kolkata.
Anupam Roy and Band performed iconic songs like 'Amake amar moto thakte dao'
The audience enjoyed every moment of the show. “I am a Fossils fan and a show like this is a dream come true for me. All these legendary bands sharing the same stage is something worth experiencing. I have heard from my brother that this was a regular thing between 2001 and 2010, now that I have experienced the same electrifying situation, I will have a tale to tell,” said Anurag Mishra, a YouTuber and a student.
Audience enjoyed every moment of the show
Shinjini Paul, another Bangla Band fan, said, “The crowd response was unbelievable. During the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival, where Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan had graced the occasion, Netaji Indoor Stadium had witnessed such a huge crowd and now again the response has been overwhelming. It is very inspiring to see fans of Bengali music willing to shell out money to watch a show to boost the Bangla Band culture,” she said.
Prasanta Kumar Sur, an organiser, said around 6,500 tickets were sold and the total turnout was a little over 7,000. “Right after the concert, the stills and videos of Band-e-Mic went viral on social media and people were asking for Season 2. We have plans for it but currently want to enjoy the success of this show,” he added.
