By Parvaaz drummer Sachin Banandur’s estimate, this is the longest that the rock band have gone on an involuntary hiatus. “Before, our breaks would be mostly for a month or so around Christmas time. This is the longest break of 17 months or so,” he says.
Among Bengaluru’s most feted bands in recent times for their immersive, intricate songwriting that draws from blues, psychedelic rock, progressive rock and Kashmiri music, Parvaaz not only had their hands tied by the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, but also internal imbalance. Guitarist and co-founder Mir Kashif Iqbal exited the band early this year: his statement online mentioned that he was “negotiating” terms of an “amicable settlement” of his departure from Parvaaz in August 2020.
Making way
While the news spilled into the online realm, Parvaaz found a new member in guitarist Bharath Kashyap, part of indie/folk trio Cinema of Excess as well as singer-composer Aabha Hanjura’s band. With the band members – Banandur, singer-guitarist Khalid Ahamed and bassist Fidel D’Souza – rarely able to meet during the pandemic, they have finally announced their comeback with the multi-city Full Circle tour, which stops by in Bengaluru on October 23.
Banandur says this tour is all about “going back” to the sound they love. He adds that it is also their shot at promoting their 2019 album Kun , which had a launch tour set in early 2020 that was called off due to the pandemic. “People had booked tickets for the Kun tour and they are only now getting to see us live. We just realised when a fan pointed out that Kun had its second anniversary of release this month,” Banandur says.
For Parvaaz, there are multiple elements on play on their forthcoming six-city tour. They will be back on stage after more than a year and a half, with a new member on stage. “It still hasn’t hit us, but this is what we’ve been missing,” Banandur says about the hectic prep for the tour, which is being put together by event company Bohemian Live, music platform Skillbox and Parvaaz’s management Big Bad Wolf.
Familiar state
As for Kashyap, he is familiar with both the touring life as well as marathon sets with his other projects.
To be a part of a widely acclaimed band like Parvaaz, whom he has also followed for many years, is, however, different. “I am figuring out how to fit in here. It took me a while to understand,” Kashyap says.
While some fans may bemoan the exit of a formative force in the band, a sold out show in Bengaluru only means that their diehard followers are still keen to see this new chapter of Parvaaz unfold. Kashyap adds about stepping up, “There is that sense of unfamiliar-ness but at the same time, there’s that excitement of going on stage.”
Parvaaz performs on October 23, from 6 pm onwards at Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined, Koramangala.
Published - October 21, 2021 03:31 pm IST
