Menwhopause rock city mall goers

CHENNAI: The internationally acclaimed rock band, Menwhopause, concluded the final leg of their tour to promote their latest album Easy, at City Centre, RK Salai. The concert was the final performance of the Deli-based band’s 11-gig tour.The show was an excellent opportunity to see a great band for free, and despite a few EQ issues at the beginning, the show was very well produced. People all over the mall were listening, leaning over balconies, and walking in and out of the crowd while the concert could be heard over the din throughout the entire building.Although it was primarily a younger crowd, the band succeeded in reaching out to people of all ages, including families and children, and were happy with the venue and the receptiveness of the people of Chennai.“That’s what you need, you need to reach out to local people,” says Randeep Signh, the bassist and vocalist. “You always need to reach out to new audiences, the masses. Unless you give it to them, they won’t accept it.”Although the crowd kept moving in and out, by the midpoint of their set, they had accumulated a very enthusiastic, albeit small, crowd that helped to make it a intimate show.Menwhopause have been playing together for about nine years and have earned a huge domestic and an international reputation, along with being the first rock band to be sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Their groundbreaking style incorporates western rock and roll and Indian harmonies as well. They also have a unique improvised feel because their songs are interspersed with great jams and they didn’t stick to a specific set list. Closing the night and their smashing set with hits Easy and Circles, the ‘Men’ it seems hit ‘pause’ a tad early, because their new fans were ready to keep going, including two youngsters in the front who seemed rather uninhibited as they showed off their ‘rock fingers’ and some dance moves.After the tour, the band is headed back to the studio to finish up their upcoming album Haze and stay tuned for three new videos that are currently in the works.