Knowhow..

A wise man once asked of us...

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Are we afraid??

Afraid of stepping over the edge..of crossing into the unknown?

Caution is advisable. But fear we can do without. If a few good men had not realized this, we would still be living in a flat world, with no electricity.

My search will never stop...even if I find what I'm looking for. Because there are things I know I don't know and things I don't know I know nothing about...

HUH??????

Let me put it to you this way.....

We've heard “about” Greenday. We know of this song called Boulevard of Broken Dreams. We know there is a song called Holiday, but we have not heard it (So we don't know it).. But there is also a song called Nimrod, which if you didn't know of, or heard of, then you don't know that you don't know it.

All because you didn't even know it existed.

And we have fear and loathing for all that we don't know.

My philosophy is simple (even though that can't be said of the preceding lines). There is no limit, no visible boundary marking that says “This is it.....no further.” That in itself is anathema to rock.

I get a few people at Toons, where I DJ, who come up to me in the middle of a Maroon 5 song and tell me “Ay man, play some rock man.” The last time I checked, Maroon 5 was a rock band. But then I realized that it's not about the music...it's about what we know and are comfortable with. So anything that we are unaware of is either not rock or bad rock.

Allow me to take an observation from the other end of the DJ'ing spectrum. At the “commercial” dance parties, with the bollywood and bhangra music, two songs held sway at one point of time. One was “Kajra re” and the other was “Kangna.” Both are great songs, for all the technical aspects and the groovy feel of the songs themselves. But there was just no escaping the songs. Every speaker from 5 to 5000 watts was blasting the song at some point of time or the other. It took two years for Kangna to die a somewhat natural death....considering it was played to death in the first place. Back in our world, I would say “You're Beautiful” suffered the same fate. It got played so often it got annoying. But kudos to “In the End.” Seven years and still going strong.. In the mean time, LP was out with Minutes to Midnight and no one knew of “Bleed It Out.”

The songs that are popular are popular for a reason. I accept that.. All I am saying is that in clutching to what we know, we are missing out on so much else, of which we know nothing.

Swami Chinmayananda said “It is sure to be dark if I close my eyes.” Think about it...

Between The Doors and Led Zep, we lost out on the Stones.. Between 3 Doors Down and Nickelback we lost out on Hoobastank. Between Maiden and Metallica, we lost out on Priest.

What would you do if you weren't afraid???

Rock's Children!!

Hi! I am DJ Rudra, the DJ at Toons, one of the last places still there for rock. And beer, but well, rock comes first.

The setting is the cafe down under, the time is now... the air is thick and the energy is electrifying. The stage is set for an evening of music, beer and happiness. As is often the case, the evening starts off slow, with a gradual build up to rock 'n' roll. As the voice of Plant jumps from the speakers, and John keeps 3/4^th time under the cymbals, I search the crowd for recognition. Not for me, but for the song, it's Black Dog, a jumpy track, capturing the essence of the rock 'n' roll experience... One, two, five....as the number of people infected by the song's rhythm grows, one person comes up to me and asks me the name of the song. Success! One more person, exposed to the wonders of Zep. Then enters Jim. Everyone knows Jim. Everybody loves Jim. Let it roll, baby, roll...let it roll, all night long.

The crowd is swaying, and not all of it is for that sweet sweet brew. As the mood changes to the current crop, some old tunes and some new ones come together, to tell the tale of many broken hearts. Though the music may be up-tempo, the lyrics tell a sad tale....of hearts broken, dreams shattered and of a generally melancholic existence. I have this against modern rock. Not to the limits where I want to cut myself to see how it bleeds, but enough to wonder where the happiness is gone. But then again, rock is a venting of frustration, so I let it go. But there is this about waking up when september ends...it does make them happy. Hateful songs too, evoke positive responses, so I guess one man's pain is another man's elixir.

Heads bang, arms wave, feet bounce...DU hast mich...You have me...Now the anger pours out, freeing your subconscious from the burden you carry everyday, searching for a place to unload. Welcome..to our corner of the world.

A little more of the tech/industrial sounds and it's time for the masters to come out and play. Headlining today is Iron Maiden, and for a brief period of time, Fear reigns supreme. Though maxing out the vocals, I see defiance in their eyes....

I am not afraid of the Dark! I am rock's child..... and Darkness shall never touch me!!

are you there??

Alone in my space, tuned out yet tuned in, I see.

Icy air, heavy in the smell of humans envelopes us.

As the riffs of a madman pierce the air, I scan a room, alive with electricity.

A cog in the engine, a spoke in the wheel, I am but a medium to the heroes. Men, unlike you and I, ones with power at their fingertips... The power of creation, of which we are humble admirers and I am the link.

The feet respond to rock 'n' roll, the heads to metal, and always there is smoke. A comfort we seek in the company of mates and the aura of beer, and always we stay.... one with the music.

I am an observer

The next songs is cued, is anyone attuned?

Recognised, she ignites.... and away we go...

Now I see the joy, now I feel the seekers, with hope in their hearts.

As he sings in his head and laughs with his eyes, the people are drawn together.

Is this not what we seek?

To be with our own, enjoying in each others happiness?

And who else shall deliver, but the masters of beat and harmony...