As part of The Late Night Tales with Shakey Rays tour, The Shakey Rays performed in B-flat Bar, Bangalore and thoroughly delivered.
Chennai Based The Shakey Rays had a shaky show last Friday at the B-flat Bar in Bangalore. The bittersweet performance saw the band go through numerous technical difficulties, such as the detonation of a guitar amp and the disjunction of a guitar string, however they did manage to put together a solid set and entertained the audience to the brim.
The Shakey Rays performs a distinct blend of music that is easy to listen to yet not quite easy to categorize. If I were to give it a shot, I’d say they play a mix of good ol’ Rock & Roll topped up with some Blues combined with some modern Alternative rock infused with RnB. Dhruva Gautham’s upbeat vocals and rhythm guitars are complemented by Vikram Kannan’s suave guitar lines, delivering a simple yet efficient sound. The band front man claims their main influences are The Beatles (but this is quite overstated, apparently), James Brown, The Smiths, Otis Redding, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. That’s quite an eclectic range.
The band’s second album – “Tunes from the Big Belly” has been quite a rave since its release. When asked about the experience with the second album, Dhruva had this to say – “The recording experience was awesome. We recorded the album in Chennai and Pondicherry. We took about 1 month to come up with all the material. It was a lot of fun to record this album”. The band has been touring the country to promote their music and their second album.
The Bangalore leg of the “Late Night Tales with The Shakey Rays” saw the band perform in B-flat Bar on July 6th, 2012. The band mainly performed songs from their latest album, with the occasional cover or two. The show had a tight start with the band playing a near-studio version of the album opener No Secret. After getting warmed up, Dhruva reveals to the crowd about his vocal cord blues, as a result of constant touring. “I’ve lost my voice, excuse my bum notes”, however his vocals were pretty consistent throughout the performance, with the occasional croaking. And by consistent, I also mean pretty darn good!
Vikram’s guitar tone was impeccable and the solos were top notch. Special mention goes to the Band’s bassist, who was an energetic as the energizer bunny, constantly interacting with the crowd ensuring they had a good time. The band also performed other songs from their album such as Queen Bee on the Radioand I’m Gonna Catch That Train. However the band did face a host of problems through the show. Apart from volume level issues, the band managed to blow the amp and snap a string. This did not seem to deter their spirit though. It didn’t look anything could.
Apart from their own composition, the band also played a few covers. A fantastic rendition of the Frank Sinatra classic I’ve Got You Under My Skin with jazzy chords and a generous dose of tremolo and vibrato aside, they also played an incredible version of The Beatles’ Yer Blues. I especially loved all tasty blues licks that Vikram was laying down in his stellar guitar solo. Being the elitists they are, The Shakey Rays also performed an outtake from a 60s Lou Reed album with a solo that reminded of 60s psychedelic guitar solo, which was thoroughly enjoyable.
Although they did have a loyal fanbase (eachof whom knew the band’s music inside out), the rest of the inebriated crowd was also quite pleased with the band’s easy going music. Playing through three encores, the Shakey Rays received lots of love from the Bangalore crowd. Constantly engaging in banter with the crowd, Dhruva made sure everyone had a gala time. The Late Night Tales with Shakey Rays tour is still on, and the band is yet to perform in Manajsa, Delhi on 13th July and the TLR Café, Delhi on 20th July.
And Chennaiites, The Shakey Rays will also be seen very soon at a Score Night near you! Hawk our space and you will know!
Listen to The Shakey Rays’ second album – Tunes from the Big Belly over here: http://theshakeyrays.bandcamp.com/
For more information on The Shakey Rays, check out their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Shakey-Rays/196463863718688
MORE pics from the concert here!
