Hard Rock Cafe on Park Street was buzzing with energy on Saturday night as KK Live Forever: The Original Tribute Band took the stage to honour the legendary playback singer, who left an indelible mark on the music industry and in the hearts of millions. Comprising KK’s original band members, the group is on a nationwide tour, bringing the late singer’s timeless music to life in various cities across the country
All photos by Krishnungshu GangopadhyayAccording to Sean Pereira, General Manager of Operations and Customer Care at Hard Rock Cafe Kolkata, 170 tickets were sold through BookMyShow, bringing the total attendance to over 250, including the regular Hard Rock crowd. ‘Kolkata has always been a musical haven, and we knew a tribute to KK and his legacy was a must. You could see how much it meant to everyone present, with the band delivering a stellar performance,’ Sean remarked
One of the members in the audience brought a framed picture of the singer and wore a T-shirt with KK’s face on it. My Kolkata spoke to 36-year-old Banani Das, who had travelled from Serampore just to attend the tribute night. Tearing up, she said, ‘I was very sad when I heard the news. I couldn’t believe he was gone. He was the cutest and most beautiful soul, and I hope the world is filled with more people like KK. His music means everything to me, and the band is keeping him alive in our hearts’
My Kolkata also spoke to some of the band members after their performance. ‘I’ve played with KK for 14 years and knew him even before that. Not many people know that KK was also a drummer. He was the one singer we had a lot of fun with on stage, with lots of laughs and banter. He was a very chill guy and a genuinely nice human being. It’s quite unbelievable that we’re able to pay tribute to him. I still cannot believe he’s gone,’ said Lindsay Clapton Dmello, the band’s drummer
Recalling their last gig together in Kolkata on May 31, 2022, Kalyan Baruah, the lead guitarist of the band, said, ‘It was quite surreal for us because we played our last gig here with KK, and then, you know what happened. Coming back was nostalgic. I’m so happy that the audience loved it even without KK. It’s so positive to see because it shows us how much they love his songs. The songs are larger than life. I’m just so happy that we’re able to play his songs again — the songs we’ve grown up with since 1998. We can never get tired of playing them, and overall, it’s a great experience. It’s very difficult to choose a favourite song because they’re like your own babies’
Wearing the same in-ear monitor that KK wore during his last show, Sumedh Sanjay — currently the vocalist of the band — wanted to channel KK through his music at Hard Rock. Stepping into the biggest shoes, Sumedh expressed how he wanted to bring out the joy that people feel when they hear KK’s music. ‘It’s very difficult and no one can sing like him. KK has been a very big inspiration in my life and to be able to sing his songs with his band feels like he has blessed me forever. Even after practising for 6-8 hours a day I still cannot hit the exact notes that KK used to but I want his music to live on through all of us. KK is synonymous with Kolkata, and the audience showed us just how much he meant to all of them’
‘KK always gave us a lot of freedom to tune the songs the way we wanted for live performances. We want to keep him alive through his music. It was incredible to pay tribute to KK in front of such a vibrant crowd. We plan to do many more gigs in his memory, as we know there are people around the world who want to hear his music,’ said John Jaideep Thirumalai, aka JD, the bass guitarist who has been playing for the last 35 years and performed alongside KK for 26 years
Laughter, joy, sadness, and much more was felt at Hard Rock Cafe. From singing along to dancing and shedding tears at the end when the band finished off with ‘Pal’— the last song KK sang live — the crowd stood testament to the impact KK left not just on the music industry but also on every soul that was touched by his music. Truly, as the band’s name goes, KK’s songs will live on forever in the hearts of the people