With the Mahindra Group as its Title Partner, the country’s most iconic and legendary rock music festival is getting a fresh lease on life, re-christened as ‘Mahindra Independence Rock.’ This festival, which has been at the core of India’s rock music soundscape, has been brought back after nine long years by its founder Farhad Wadia alongside Hyperlink Brand Solutions and Paytm Insider this November. And now, unveiling a stellar line-up of 10 ultra-talented bands for its newest edition, it is all set to reclaim its rich history and legacy as Mahindra I-Rock.
Mahindra Independence Rock’s line-up includes a remarkable mix of seasoned and new-age artists from the Indian rock circuit. Making their comeback to this iconic stage are Zero – one of the most popular rock bands of the 90s known for their easy and unpretentious sound, alongside Pentagram (whose frontman is Vishal Dadlani), and India’s front-running band for a quarter of a century, Indus Creed – pioneers of rock music in the country – who put India on the international rock map from the late 80s to the late 90s.
Also returning to the stage with their high-energy performance are Parikrama, whose debut song ‘Xerox’ was named “the face of Indian rock.” Kashmiri-origin band Parvaaz, that will join the fray with its unique sound influenced by psychedelic rock, alongside The F16s of “Triggerpunkte” fame. Post-rock band aswekeepsearching will join the line-up for a cathartic yet immersive audio-visual experience, while Folk metal band Bloodywood is all geared for a powerhouse delivery of their thunderous Hindi-Punjabi chorus, unforgiving rap verses and ethnic instrumentation.
Furthermore, Avial, which includes Rex Vijayan, and are well-known for pioneering ‘alternative Malayali rock’ and Thaikkudam Bridge, the biggest breakout band to emerge from India, will set all our adrenaline racing with their energetic, mosh-inducing acts.
Additionally, discovering talent in the rock scene is the very bedrock of the festival. In fact, its previous editions have played a significant role in the discovery and subsequent journeys of bands like Demonic Resurrection, Bhayanak Maut, Motherjane, Agnee, and many more, alongside Indus Creed, Pentagram, Parikrama and Zero, who will be returning as successful bands to the Mahindra I-Rock stage. Keeping this tradition alive as the proving ground for tomorrow’s headliners, Mahindra Independence Rock is conducting an online country-wide band hunt for emerging artists (criterion: 16 years and above). Moreover, in true I-Rock style, the winning band will get an opportunity to open for this year’s fest. For more details, aspirants can tune into Mahindra Independence Rock’s Instagram page.
Jay Shah – Vice President, Cultural Outreach – Mahindra Group, mentioned, “The power-packed line-up for this year’s re-iteration will transform the Mahindra Independence Rock stage into an intersection where old and new rock culture culminate. Furthermore, we at Mahindra have always endeavoured to be at the forefront of nurturing meaningful storytelling and art. And Mahindra I-Rock is a space that has the potential to bring together diverse crowds bound by the thread of rock culture, turning this revival into a gloriously spectacular celebration of the genre under one roof.”
V.G. Jaishankar – Managing Director of Hyperlink Brand Solutions, added, “What is at the heart of Hyperlink and Mahindra Independence Rock is a constant need to tell multifaceted stories connecting cultures and deeply touching human emotions. I-Rock’s tale as the custodian of India’s rock movement from the very beginning till now has been nothing short of dynamic yet resilient in the larger Indian pop culture story. And I believe that with a phenomenal repertoire of bands taking the stage at this edition of Mahindra Independence Rock, the festival’s new chapter will surely reverberate loudly through the ages.”
Marked by iconic guitar riffs and energetic moshing, Mahindra Independence Rock’s roaring resurgence this 5th and 6th November 2022 will be a larger-than-ever night of rock shindig with a promise to regain its cult status as a music festival unlike any other.
