Explosive talent
True to its name, Mumbai-based band Laxmi Bomb is quite the ‘firecracker’ act
By : rahul thekdi
Update: 2015-05-05 23:17 GMT
The “Laxmi Bomb” is a popular firecracker among those who like their Diwali celebrations loud and explosive. It was this cracker’s explosive prowess that prompted Ruell Barretto (bassist), Levin Mendes (drummer), Keegan Pereira (vocals) and Joaquim Fernandes (keyboard) to adopt its name for their band.
The band was formed in 2013, when Levin and Keegan teamed up for a project. The “reggae-disco-rock-Bollywoodish” sound it came up with proved to be a winner and today, the band’s sound is described as “a blend of Bollywood film music of the 1990s with contemporary electronica”. Reggae Rasiya and Major Major are among its best known numbers.
While Laxmi Bomb has been making waves at gigs all over the country, the band members have some pretty funny anecdotes to narrate as well. Like the time when a reporter came up to them at Ragasthan 2014, raved about their performance, and then asked them, “So what’s it like, being a two-piece live act?” And when the band gently corrected the scribe by pointing out that it was a four-member act, she hurriedly said, “Oh, I must have the wrong band!” Keegan has drawn some of their most hilarious experiences into comic strips.
They’ve had some heartwarming interactions with fans as well. Bringing up a recent gig in Mumbai, the members recount how they spotted two girls, dressed in Indianwear — and standing out from the rest of the party crowd — swaying to the music. “They made their way to the stage and we thought we knew what to expect — a request for a Jon Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias song. Instead, they asked us to perform one of our dearly loved originals, Pari By Night. It felt grand!”
There are certain to be more such moments at their upcoming gigs. Of their upcoming performance they say, “We’re going to have a special guest on stage with us — we’re not going to reveal the name! — and we will be playing material from their upcoming EP.”