Lounge Piranha

Lounge Piranha is an alternative rock/post-rock band from Bangalore. Formed in 2005 and having gigged heavily around India since then, Piranha now has a large (and growing) community of fans and regular listeners around the country. From guitars and drums to didgeridoos and djembes, and a short wave radio to a band comic, Lounge Piranha is always evolving into new spaces and sounds. In late 2008, the band released their much awaited debut album Going Nowhere (rated No. 4 by Rolling Stone magazine for releases in India that year) and followed it up with a pioneering 6-city tour around India on their own tour bus. After an extended break post the tour, the band has returned with an altered lineup and begun new musical explorations which will presumably find their way into the next album expected in 2011.

History

Early in their musical career, Lounge Piranha were known for introducing an ambient style of post-rock to Bangalore's heavily metal dominated music scene. Demonstrating a preference for smaller shows and controlled environments, their club gigs which featured heavy visual effects, started getting much attention. Their songs quickly gained popularity among a young audience and the band went on to accumulate several accolades to this effect. Being voted as one of Bangalore's top three bands in the Radio City Live poll in Mar 06 and opening the Vh1 Rock Rules show featuring Taxiride in June 2006, gave their reputation a boost. While enjoying the bright lights and the big audiences the band also continued to moonlight the smaller stages with packed shows at pubs and clubs around the city. Their demo from 2006 "Yours Forever" won them the Indian TFA award for music in early 2007.

Lounge Piranha released their first full-length album, Going Nowhere, in October 2008 and toured extensively to support the launch of the album. In early 2009, bass player Rohan Ramesh quit the band to pursue a career in medicine. After a short break the band came back with Shalini Mohan supporting them on bass guitar for their older material. The band plays newer material as a 3 piece outfit.^[1]

Concerts

At a Lounge Piranha show today, expect to find familiar songs from Going Nowhere mixed with newer material which the band tends to perform as a three-piece outfit.

Members

George Mathen (drums)

Kamal Singh (guitar, vocals)

Abhijeet Tambe (guitar, vocals)

with support from:

Shalini Mohan, (bass guitar)

Pervez Rajan (didgeridoo, Jews harp (Morsing), flute, official photographer)

Rahul Giri (laptop artist)

Known discography

Studio album

• 2008: Going Nowhere

Other songs

• Yours Forever
• Negative
• So Concise
• My Bubble
• Yours Mine
• Blue Sphere
• Karmic Comic
• Shadows and Light

Notable performances

Lounge Piranha have performed at various venues across the country. This includes the most notable, Vh1 Rock Rules with Taxiride, Palace Grounds, Bangalore in June 2006. They have also featured at a local Radio Station (Radio City) Live at the Palace Grounds, Bangalore in March 2006. Another famous appearance would be at the Octoberfest again at the Palace Grounds, Bangalore in November 2005.

They have also performed at the World Music Day celebrations for two consecutive years^[2] June 2005 & 2006

They recently had another featured live performance on Radio City, 91FM, Bangalore in early 2006.

In October 2008, Lounge Piranha performed at the cultural festival 'Oasis' of BITS, Pilani.^[3]

In October 2009, they headlined the B School of Rock competition at Unmaad, the annual cultural festival of IIM Bangalore.^[4]

In November 2009, they performed at the Hard Rock Cafe, Pune

On 1 February 2010 they performed at VIT, Vellore.

They also performed at the 2010 edition of Fireflies.

References

Band Performed in Samavesh (College Fest) in Fortune Institute of International Business at New Delhi In 2011.

External links

• Official website