A warm evening of summer in the bustling city of Mumbai, bore witness to a music festival of many musical facets and textures. The sweltering heat bestowed its wrath in its all its glory, but even it was peturbed by the magical aura of the Emerge consciousness. A series of Indian live acts, adding their own unique blend of emotive sounds led to the breath taking performance of UK based Alt-J. A horde of die hard fans, screaming unabashed words and tunes etched into their hearts and arms raised to form their famous logo – Emerge Music Festival unmasked an emotiveness that the audience from Mumbai had reserved only for their highest utopia.
The Artists
The night, slated to start early with the performance of Color Compound was inadvertently delayed when the band pulled out in the last minute citing “certain circumstances”. The Indian acts continued to flow with Voctronica & later Prateek Kuhad taking center stage. The music was enchanting and alluring, given the perfect sunset rays beaming into the venue creating a sea of gold and light inside. The acts kept the energy intact as they warmed up the steadily building crowd who were trying to beat the infamous Friday traffic to reach the venue in time. With the lights dimmed out and the stage in fore shadows, the audience gathered in packs awaiting for the arrival of the main event of the evening.
And sharp at the designated time, a loud hum and thunderous synths later, Alt-J rose from the shadows to vociferous applause and deafening cheers. Like a storyteller surrounded by his listeners, the audience converged in the stage area, gasping to become part of the experience.
With tracks like ‘Hunger of the Pine‘, ‘Fitzpleasure‘, ‘Something Good‘ and ‘Left Hand Free‘, Alt-J kept the emotional quotient pretty high as they at times ceased to complete singing of the verses, as the ever-receptive Mumbai audience chose to sing it along louder for them! The incredible visuals and stage production responded to the buildups, breakdowns and disperses. Drowned in a sea of emotion and plenty of sweat, the crowd never ceased to be part of the Alt-J performance as they responded with absolute jest and joy to their tracks. Their tunes ‘Dissolve Me‘, ‘Matilda‘ and ‘Tesselate‘ were met with much enthusiasm as the crowd drowned in tracks like ‘Taro‘ and ‘Lovely Day‘ with their own chanting. The track ‘Warm Foothills‘ was supported with the inspiring visuals of a series of doves flying across the stage, translating peace and hope in the must synchronous manner.
Their performance ended with their highly adored ‘Leaving Nara‘ and ‘Breezeblocks‘ that really got every last person in the crowd swaying and grooving to the unmistakable vocal hook.
The Venue
The Richardson and Cruddas Mill is renowned for its rustic appeal and its reputation to hold on large crowds. The venue was deservedly submerged in various palettes of colors bringing another dimension to the musical experience for the listeners. Stunning visuals add much appeal to the rustic, torn-down essence of the venue, bringing music and history at a synergetic counterpoise.
The Vibe
The weather and the lack of adequate mechanical ventilation played spoilsport, as the heat got to a few as they chose to show their enthusiasm for a select favorites. Perhaps, the linear stage setup alienated audiences at the back, as audibility became an issue alongside the steadily building congestion. But the Emerge experience was the only memory the crowd took home, as stunning visuals, melodic soundscapes and the effervescent vibe and love of a spellbound crowd added the tantalizing electricity in the air that any other mechanical ventilation may have added! Alt J’s remarkable return to India was a success as die hard fans got every penny’s worth through their eclectic musical performance.
Review by: Hamed Khalidi
Edited by: Pranav Gupta
Image courtesy: Emerge Facebook page/Parizad D
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