Alt-J, the Grammy-nominated band from UK, took Delhi fans by storm with its hit numbers like Breezeblocks and Tessellate during its debut performance at the IG Stadium. Rupinder Kaur reports
In the month of March this year, after nearly three-hour wait in the rain at HUDA ground, English Indie rock band Alt-J’s fans were turned away as their debut gig was cancelled. They again returned to Delhi to make amends and also brought along the much-needed ‘awesome wave.’
First time Alt-J listeners will feel the need to get into a bit of research due to the cryptic lyrics in Joe Newman’s (lead vocalist/guitarist) quivery yet haunting falsetto which are often indecipherable. Their debut album An Awesome Wave released in 2012, which also won them the British Mercury Prize. It narrated the tale of 1930s war photographer Gerda Taro and her partner Robert Capa, of Matilda — the character from leon: The Professional, of heartbreaks, of being thrashed and bullied and other things with numerous interpretations by fans. The second and the latest release, This Is All Yours, had a surprising new member — Miley Cyrus insisting “I’m a female rebel” in a rather chilling tone sans the twerking in the track Hunger of the Pine which Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboardist, vocalist) said is about “the idea that missing someone — pining — is just like hunger.” They raised the lGBT rights issue and oppression, especially after Russia came out with stringent laws against the community, in their song Nara.
The leeds-based group, once named Daljit Dhaliwal after the British news presenter, took to stage at 8 pm sharp, after the home-grown fusion band Advaita opened for them, much to the dismay of many fans who were stuck at the entrance with formalities. Their opening track, left Hand Free, which the band had earlier termed as the “least Alt-J song ever” and was created in about 20 minutes around Newman’s guitar riffs and “cliched” drumming by Thom Green, got the crowd crooning in a rather shrilled voice. It was followed by the soothing ballad Matilda with Newman’s raspy voice over the acoustic guitar. It got everyone humming along and its aftertaste lingered for a while.
The saga of two photographers in love — Taro and Capa — was next. The experimental electric guitar playing by Cameron Knight (guitarist/bassist), unleashing a Bhangra-esque riff took the song to a whole new level. Tessellate was surely the highlight where the crowd (keeping their recording/clicking phones away for a change) threw their hands up in the air to create a triangle (delta — Greek mathematical symbol for change), which also happens to be the band’s symbol.
What came as a surprise was the beautiful and stirring rendition of Bill Withers’ classic lovely Day which features on the band’s second album as a hidden track. The other-worldly sound of Newman along with the Japanese flute-like tune on loop was captivating. The Grammy-nominated band’s sexual innuendo-charged track Every Other Freckle was followed by Fitzpleasure, Breezeblocks, Something Good and The Gospel of John Hurt.
photos Pankaj Kumar