Kolkata and the D.IY. metal virus

After a long gap of 4 years we managed to pull off the eighth version of THE PIT and it was an overwhelming success, hands down.

This post isn't however an event review - in fact it really isn't about THE PIT at all. What it is about (or at least I hope it will be, at the end of my rambling) is a statement on the condition of the D.I.Y. metal gigs that are taking place in Kolkata.

But wait, what is there to talk about anyway? There are shows happening, there are shows being lined up, there are bands left right and center across the city - in fact the amount of metal diversity that is available currently is something that Kolkata has probably never seen before.

But IMHO (and at the end of the day, it is just my opinion and observation, nothing more!) this is all window-dressing. Scratch the surface, and you will probably find a black hole full of worms and squiggly wiggly insects eating away at the very foundations that this city's metal culture was built upon.   

So what are the things that are bugging me here? Well, I'll try and list down as many as I can - that would help me set up the base for all the things I want to talk about, and I guess that would also help me to give YOU a better picture of where I am coming from. So here goes:

• The D.I.Y. metal culture in Kolkata and why is it growing so rapidly?
• Can every Tom, Dick and Harry organize a metal event?
• So many shows, too many bands
• Show me the money! 
• The 3 Hs = Humility, Hospitality and Heart 
• Too many shows, not too many people

The perfect D.I.Y. formula has still not been discovered, and I guess it probably never will. THE PIT v.9 was probably the closest we came to finding that formula - however we did face a few hiccups, but I hope we learn from them and don't repeat those in future PIT editions. Anyway, like I said at the beginning of this post - this ain't a review of THE PIT v.9, but I feel it would be nice to include a link to this video from DYNT, an online magazine of which my departed pal Abhishek Bhattacharya was a part of. He was an integral part of the PIT core committee too and this PIT was organized as a tribute to him. I truly hope he was happy with our efforts. Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0VSbd3XeHU  
  

The Return Of The Manipuri Metalhead

Its not easy having so many things to say but not being able to say them, especially when most of it is just inconsequential blaaah! And when there isn't anyone around to listen to you blabbering, well then blogging your thoughts seem to be the only option to clear your mind.

So here I am again, after a huge gap of 5 years, trying to make sense of all the changes and challenges I am facing in, what I call, Chapter:2 in my meandering life.

In these 5 years I have successfully managed - among other things - to survive a 21st century marriage, proudly become a father to a bouncing bombastic bundle of a boy (my life!), continue to slowly stagnant in Kolkata's withering IT sector, witnessed the loss of a close friend and also helped in reviving this city's watermark Heavy Metal event, "THE PIT".

Whew! So much has happened - and yet I still need to prepare for so much more...  well here's hoping that this blog helps me in clearing the cob-webs in my head and to straighten out and align my other thoughts. Call it online therapy, if you will. I'll probably need quite a few sessions to get me through - thank God, I don't charge by the hour!!!