After watching Coldplay, Green Day and Guns N’ Roses earlier this year, Mumbai’s rock music fans can look forward to the October 12 concert by American band The Smashing Pumpkins at Jio World Garden. It’s a different matter that most people last heard them in the 1990s, when they produced fabulous albums like Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness and Adore.
It’s not that the Pumpkins disappeared after that. Despite constant line-up changes, they had highly listenable records like the three-part Atum in 2022-3 and last year’s Aghori Mhori Mei. Their alternative rock sound mixes heavy metal, grunge, gothic rock, progressive rock, shoegaze and electronica. Unfortunately, in the post-music video era, they somehow got lost in the streaming clutter. Of course, vocalist-guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain have a great live presence.
Mumbai has this thing about people showing up in good numbers, whether they go for the music, to hang out with friends or just to be seen. In some cases, one is surprised by the band’s fan following, as was seen with Green Day and Guns N’ Roses. A large section knew the rarer songs too, besides the compulsory Boulevard Of Broken Dreams or Sweet Child O’ Mine. It’ll be interesting to see whether they know their Pumpkins beyond Cherub Rock, Bullet With Butterfly Wings and Rocket.
The tour, which also covers Bengaluru on October 11, is organised by Eva Live, as part of the band’s Rock Invasion gigs. While it will cater to a specific taste, the next few months will see various international acts targeting different sonic palettes. On the rock side, Steven Wilson will perform at Nesco, Goregaon, on November 2 to promote his latest album The Overview. The British musician is the founder of progressive rock group Porcupine Tree, which has a cult following in India. Though he moved into an electronic space for some time, his latest record sees him return to his prog-rock style. His show is courtesy Skillbox.
On the pop front, Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias will have two Eva Live shows on October 29 and 30 at the MMRDA Grounds. The original plan was to have only one concert. Known for the hits Bailamos, Rhythm Divine, Addicted and Hero, he has a sizeable following in Mumbai, even though he hasn’t produced anything memorable in over a decade. For a generation now in the 40s, it will be a nostalgia ride. The younger lot can drool at his cuteness.
For the rap crowd, BookMyShow Live brings in American star Travis Scott at the Mahalaxmi Race Course on November 19. The show is part of his six-nation Circus Maximus World Tour, and will feature his hits Sicko Mode, Goosebumps and Highest In The Room. Scott was to perform only in Delhi, but the organisers felt he had a fan base in Mumbai too.
A show to watch out for is Jacob Collier, who performs at Nesco on November 30 as part of his Djesse 4 tour, organised in India by Skillbox. The British singer-songwriter uses diverse influences and has a unique style. But for some strange reason, he is called a jazz artiste, which is weird. His earlier shows in Mumbai have shown some wonderful crowd interaction, and this one should be no different.
Blending pop with jazz-funk and Latin-flavoured music is the British group Matt Bianco, which performs at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre on September 7. Some will remember their 1984 hit Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed, but a lot has changed after that, though founder Mark Reilly has been with the group all through.
Canadian new age pianist Tony Ann will perform at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Grand Theatre on November 16. His sound blends pop, neo-classical and ambient music. The electronic dance music (EDM) regulars threaten to return for the nth time, and DJ Snake will spin his ware on October 4 at a still-undisclosed venue. There’s plenty in store. Keep a tab on your wallet.
