The season of rock music festivals in India started with the Republic of Rock in Kolkata, the Mahindra Independence Rock in Mumbai, the Cherry Blossom in Shillong and Bandland in Bengaluru, followed by the much-awaited Bryan Adams tour in multiple Indian cities.
Among the international acts like the Canadian star Adams, American bands Avenged Sevenfold and Extreme, Indian Rock group Zero played their customary reunion gig after two years at the Bandland Music Festival in Bengaluru in November.
The iconic English original act from the country has kept the music alive through reunion gigs despite disbanding in 2008. They continue to find new listeners grooving to songs written in the late ’90s and the early 2000s. They broke stereotypes with three independent albums — Albummed (2000), Hook (2002) and Procrastination (2005) — when pop music in Hindi ruled the roost. Such was the impact of their songs that they couldn’t completely split. The timeless songs forced them to plan reunion gigs for their fans despite two members — vocalist Rajeev Talwar and guitarist Warren Mendonsa — living in the UK and New Zealand respectively.
A whole new audience
Girish ‘Bobby’ Talwar, the bassist and younger brother of Rajeev, feels the fans have kept the band relevant. “Many years ago, one guy in Manipal had run into our elevator after a gig to tell us how our song Not My Kind of Girl helped him cope with his breakup. It was a personal moment for him. I have had people asking me to show them how to play the bass intro of PSP 12 (the band’s signature song). Since the last couple of shows, we have seen a lot of new fans who are liking the music. If the music is good, it doesn’t matter when it was released and that is exciting,” said Talwar.
“Typically, if a band had members in different countries, it would stop. It doesn’t work as the intent disappears, but the four of us have been childhood friends. We were committed to each other that anytime there was a possibility to get four of us in one location, we would be happy to play a show. Now that has become our modus operandi,” he added.
Zero frontman Rajeev Talwar in action at the Bandland Festival in Bengaluru
They plan well in advance since it involves international travel. “It starts with somebody proposing the idea. Sometimes, it doesn’t work out when people call last minute since visas can be a problem. The organisers at Bandland asked if we were open to doing something this year. We figured out the dates and planned it,” said Talwar, who now runs Rebellion, a firm for influencer management and brand consulting.
What keeps Zero going
The band operated in full throttle for 10 years, which involved extensive touring and playing at festivals. Friendship, food and fun kept the group together. “We were bandmates during important years of life. Most of Zero's material was written when we were teenagers. The comfort level is the same old — four Dadar (Mumbai) boys in a room. When we play live, I see the old memories. We don’t even have to play music to have fun. Being in the same room talking nonsense and laughing at stupid jokes is also great,” added Sidd Coutto, the drummer.
Coutto recalled a gig where Talwar couldn't make it and somebody else played the bass. “That bassist was a bald guy, and a newspaper article stated that Zero played with a balding Girish Talwar. I don’t know why anybody would write that. We kept a cutout. We still refer to that bass player as balding Girish Talwar (laughs).”
Zero bassist Girish 'Bobby' Talwar feels the band has gained new fans through the reunion gigs
The band never missed out on local delicacies while travelling. “We have always liked our plate of momos in Shillong and going to Nagarjuna in Bengaluru for Andhra meals. Having rice beer for the first time in the Northeast is a good memory,” shared Talwar.
Kolkata listeners on Zero
Rupak Chakrabarty, a 28-year-old motion graphics designer and video producer, flew to Bengaluru to catch Zero for the first time. “Their experience and stage presence were undeniable. The energy was electric. I liked Spitleaf and Christmas in July. The stage production was impressive with lights and fireworks perfectly timed to complement the music,” he said.
Abhishek Chowdhury, a techie, loved Take Me Away, the last song the band wrote back in the day. “Zero is one of the best alternative rock bands in India. It was a compact performance,” he added.
Rohini Sen, who now works in Bengaluru, was mesmerised by PSP 12. “I have heard the song multiple times at college fests when the students would play. But to hear it live from the original makers was surreal.”
Many more years to go
Legendary Indian rock band Indus Creed were on a 13-year-hiatus before returning in 2010. Zero can take a leaf out of their books. The only thing that surprises the band now is the intricacies of the compositions. “We wonder how we played long sets and how certain parts in a song were composed when we were young,” said Talwar.
Coutto and Mendonsa are still full-time musicians, while the Talwar brothers opted for corporate careers. “Rajeev is still connected to music but also a marketing consultant in London,” he said.
The new fans will be keen on listening to Zero every year at Bandland. Who knows? Another youngster in 2025 may walk into an elevator with the Zero members to narrate a personal story related to one of their songs.
