"Destiny knocked on our doors on a Saturday evening..A phone call let me know Phoenix was selected for the semi-finals to be held in a month at a the best place for gigs in Kolkata,'Someplace Else'. We were all overcome with joy...IT was as if we were living out our dreams...Who knew that in a second it would turn into our darkest nightmares!!!
We had jam sessions and rehearsals nearly everyday...As the fateful day approached, the nervousness began to play on us....Booze sessions became more regular but none of them threw any surprises like first one!!! The only thing that happened in the interim was that Annie's parents divorced. Though this was bound to happen, she was visibly hurt but still she kept herself motivated towards the band....
The day of the concert arrived...I cant give you a show like you come to expect in the movies, but frankly we rocked and were in for the finals in a couple of days' time..That would be the beginning of the end...That night we all had a bit of booze to celebrate..AB was supposed to drop Annie off at her house but she never made it!!! They met with an accident...Annie was in a come..AB got a few broken ribs!!
I was too shocked as was her father...I forgot everything about the band until the day of the concert arrived...A phone call arrived at 10-30 pm informing that AB had sung a touching slow song as a sort of prayer for Annie and the judges had bestowed top honours for Phoenix!! A sort of happiness came over me which was wiped off in an instant as Annie breathed her last...A part of me died that day..The next morning I woke up to another bad news...AB had slit his wrists and had left us considering himself responsible for Annie's death!! That was the last I talked to anyone related to Phoenix!!! This phoenix would never rise from the ashes!! A group of friends who were inseperable were seperated by a series of events that might not have happened if we had not wavered from the beaten track!!! Society finally had its revenge!!!"
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Phoenix!!!
"A lot of quarreling ensued between Rambo and Sam over what the name would be!! it even came to a stage where we decided to shut down the band in order to maintain our sanctity...In the end, one of them budged and gave up with a bruised ego!! 'phoenix' would be the name that everyone would know us by or so we hoped!
After this, life was as normal as can be and everything was fine with the band!! One day, Rambo, suggested a booze party...Hesitantly, we agreed...even the girls!!! Date set and our rehearsal room as the venue, Rambo arrived with 2 Jack Daniels...We were high..with Pink Floyd giving an awsome sensation! It was AB's turn to give us a surprise...he handed each of us a "special" smoke and told us this would be the best experience of our lives!!! We were high, we got higher!!! Most of us passed out....
I was the first to wake up along with Annie and were shocked to see Niru and Sam entangled in each other, naked with clothes strewn all over the place!! We decided to keep it under wraps...but it wasnt to be!!!! At one of our jam sessions, Niru entered late and dropped a bombshell announcing that she was pregnant!!!
She had become pregnant the day she lost her virginity....After a lot of thought, we decided an abortion would be the best option!!!It took place discreetly that night and I dont know if anyone else ever came to know about it!!!
Our jam sessions were on in full swing but we were not earning anything!!!! We decided to take part in a rock band competition in the city with a cash prize and a chance to record an album!!! By this time, we had around half a dozen songs of our own....We recorded one of them for the audition....the songs were good even though I say so myself....The CD was sent for the auditions and our destiny was in their hands!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...Last Post of this tomorrow...!!!!
After this, life was as normal as can be and everything was fine with the band!! One day, Rambo, suggested a booze party...Hesitantly, we agreed...even the girls!!! Date set and our rehearsal room as the venue, Rambo arrived with 2 Jack Daniels...We were high..with Pink Floyd giving an awsome sensation! It was AB's turn to give us a surprise...he handed each of us a "special" smoke and told us this would be the best experience of our lives!!! We were high, we got higher!!! Most of us passed out....
I was the first to wake up along with Annie and were shocked to see Niru and Sam entangled in each other, naked with clothes strewn all over the place!! We decided to keep it under wraps...but it wasnt to be!!!! At one of our jam sessions, Niru entered late and dropped a bombshell announcing that she was pregnant!!!
She had become pregnant the day she lost her virginity....After a lot of thought, we decided an abortion would be the best option!!!It took place discreetly that night and I dont know if anyone else ever came to know about it!!!
Our jam sessions were on in full swing but we were not earning anything!!!! We decided to take part in a rock band competition in the city with a cash prize and a chance to record an album!!! By this time, we had around half a dozen songs of our own....We recorded one of them for the audition....the songs were good even though I say so myself....The CD was sent for the auditions and our destiny was in their hands!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...Last Post of this tomorrow...!!!!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
continued...
"We would usually hang out at Sam's place and we had decided just before our boards that we did not want to get into college at that moment..It was a difficult decision to take and even harder to explain as we had not yet decided on what we wanted to do!! Society i think never forgave us for dreaming and going off the beaten track...that's why it made us lose our ways in the end!
It was at our usual hangout place one day when somebody came up with the idea of taking the pain of using our stupid talented selves, except me, of course, and starting a band! The thought had really never come to our mind as we were all happy in just pursuing our traits of music as our hobbies! Now that we had time to kill, we decided to start the band!! Oh, and because I was the person who was useless, I was made the band manager..I frankly had no idea what to do!!
We needed a place to rehearse and well, Sam, our usual walking talking ATM was up to the task!!! He got a small place which his father had recently bought to lend and it became like our second home! Well, this is where it helps to have a spoilt brat with you!!!
We started with covers of other bands and within a month, we were quite good at them...The next hurdle which came was our song writing....all of the members tried but none succeeded...finally I gave a shot at it..I mixed the tunes of some songs...and well...there it was, our first ever song!! Hey, you have to take inspiration from somewhere...With our first ever song penned, we needed a name for the band!! Shakespeare had said " Whats in a name?" I got my answer then..egos and pride come in the name!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED....
It was at our usual hangout place one day when somebody came up with the idea of taking the pain of using our stupid talented selves, except me, of course, and starting a band! The thought had really never come to our mind as we were all happy in just pursuing our traits of music as our hobbies! Now that we had time to kill, we decided to start the band!! Oh, and because I was the person who was useless, I was made the band manager..I frankly had no idea what to do!!
We needed a place to rehearse and well, Sam, our usual walking talking ATM was up to the task!!! He got a small place which his father had recently bought to lend and it became like our second home! Well, this is where it helps to have a spoilt brat with you!!!
We started with covers of other bands and within a month, we were quite good at them...The next hurdle which came was our song writing....all of the members tried but none succeeded...finally I gave a shot at it..I mixed the tunes of some songs...and well...there it was, our first ever song!! Hey, you have to take inspiration from somewhere...With our first ever song penned, we needed a name for the band!! Shakespeare had said " Whats in a name?" I got my answer then..egos and pride come in the name!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED....
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The story starts!!
"This story might sound like the Summer of 69 but it was one glorious year of my life when everything seemed to fall into place and yet, all of a sudden, it all fell apart!!
It was summer. My friends and I had finished school and decided to give ourselves a year's break from studies. All of us were decent students, none too intelligent, none really stupid..We were a group of 6- 4 boys and 2 gals. Let me start by giving you a backdrop of every one of them!!!
RAMBO aka Ram Banerjee was a simple guy who was outstanding on da bass guitar. His life was his guitar and alcohol. His parents ran a small medical shop and were hardly able to make ends meet!!
AB aka Ashish Bakshi was a die hard Bachchan fan...dunno how many silly Bachchan movies we had to watch because of him!!! Hardly anyone knew it but he was an extremely potent singer!!! Maybe it was because his mum had died from cancer that he was rather an introvert.
SAM aka Sambit, a spoilt brat from an upper class family was a guy who would always boast of his guitar skills...The guy had a Fender, goddamn it!!!
NIRU aka Nirupama, Sam's girlfriend were so different we wondered how they got along....She was always so quiet and Sam was da loudmouth!!! It was only at the end of our school days that we came to know that she was God-gifted and an extraordinary drummer. She led a simple life except for the fact that her mother had remarried after her dad died in an accident!!
ANNIE aka Anwesha, my girlfriend, the love of my life..A person who could make Yanni stand up and appreciate her...she was a maestro on the synth!!! Her parents would always quarrel and her music would be her refuge!!!
Finally, me, a worthless guy with no talent living with my parents who hardly gave a damn about my life. The only thing that would keep me in my house would be sleep, food and my collection of rock music!!!
Now that you know who we are, I feel you can understand the situation we were in...."
TO BE CONTINUED....
It was summer. My friends and I had finished school and decided to give ourselves a year's break from studies. All of us were decent students, none too intelligent, none really stupid..We were a group of 6- 4 boys and 2 gals. Let me start by giving you a backdrop of every one of them!!!
RAMBO aka Ram Banerjee was a simple guy who was outstanding on da bass guitar. His life was his guitar and alcohol. His parents ran a small medical shop and were hardly able to make ends meet!!
AB aka Ashish Bakshi was a die hard Bachchan fan...dunno how many silly Bachchan movies we had to watch because of him!!! Hardly anyone knew it but he was an extremely potent singer!!! Maybe it was because his mum had died from cancer that he was rather an introvert.
SAM aka Sambit, a spoilt brat from an upper class family was a guy who would always boast of his guitar skills...The guy had a Fender, goddamn it!!!
NIRU aka Nirupama, Sam's girlfriend were so different we wondered how they got along....She was always so quiet and Sam was da loudmouth!!! It was only at the end of our school days that we came to know that she was God-gifted and an extraordinary drummer. She led a simple life except for the fact that her mother had remarried after her dad died in an accident!!
ANNIE aka Anwesha, my girlfriend, the love of my life..A person who could make Yanni stand up and appreciate her...she was a maestro on the synth!!! Her parents would always quarrel and her music would be her refuge!!!
Finally, me, a worthless guy with no talent living with my parents who hardly gave a damn about my life. The only thing that would keep me in my house would be sleep, food and my collection of rock music!!!
Now that you know who we are, I feel you can understand the situation we were in...."
TO BE CONTINUED....
Monday, June 1, 2009
X
The next few posts will be updated daily and will be the continuation of this next piece of fiction!! I got an inspiration yesterday while watchin a movie...so you might find some resemblance!! well, here it goes....
"I am X. X is the epitome of all those people who are living somebody else's life. X is someone who is settled in life, has a family, is physically satisfied but mentally dead. X is someone who has given in and has lost the long battle to break the shackles of stereotype society. X is someone who has a job, a mediocre one, which provides him just enough to survive. X is someone who has a dream, a dream of living life in his own terms, a dream that was shattered, a dream which few ever realise in their lives! Unfortunaltely, I am X.
It is a Sunday morning, the only time I can get away from this life to one of my passions- music, though not any kind of music...Hard rock would take centrestage in my life on Sundays!! according to my wife, this was a futile attempt on my part to reach out to my past though I wouldnt totally disagree. It would always be Iron Maiden which started the ball rolling and today, the song I chose was "Dance of Death"...The lyrics started...
"let me tell you a story to chill the bones..."
I suddenly realised that I too had a story to tell though it wasnt really bone chilling but nonetheless it was story of how life takes away the things that matter most to you....."
TO BE CONTINUED.......
"I am X. X is the epitome of all those people who are living somebody else's life. X is someone who is settled in life, has a family, is physically satisfied but mentally dead. X is someone who has given in and has lost the long battle to break the shackles of stereotype society. X is someone who has a job, a mediocre one, which provides him just enough to survive. X is someone who has a dream, a dream of living life in his own terms, a dream that was shattered, a dream which few ever realise in their lives! Unfortunaltely, I am X.
It is a Sunday morning, the only time I can get away from this life to one of my passions- music, though not any kind of music...Hard rock would take centrestage in my life on Sundays!! according to my wife, this was a futile attempt on my part to reach out to my past though I wouldnt totally disagree. It would always be Iron Maiden which started the ball rolling and today, the song I chose was "Dance of Death"...The lyrics started...
"let me tell you a story to chill the bones..."
I suddenly realised that I too had a story to tell though it wasnt really bone chilling but nonetheless it was story of how life takes away the things that matter most to you....."
TO BE CONTINUED.......
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