What sets the sound Galeej Gurus apart from most other local rock bands is their constantly changing sound. One of the most iconic bands in the Bengaluru rock scene, as they have been since the early 2000s, the Gurus still sound as fresh as ever.
The secret lies, perhaps, in the ever changing line up of the group and the fact that its members play in other bands and projects as well, says Naveen Thomas, the guitarist of the band. Thomas comes with rich experience too: he was part of alt rock outfit Junkyard Groove and still plays with Tattva Trip and Suraj Mani. Kishan Balaji, their drummer whose style Thomas describes as “aggressive” is also a part of Bhoomi and Secondhand, while Bharath Kumar, who plays the keyboard also performs alongside popular singer Lucky Ali. Nathan Harris is the frontman of the band and their lyricist while his twin brother Matthew Harris adds the lower bass tones.
“That’s the thing about Galeej, it has evolved over the years, just like its members and the scene in general. A song sounds so different when you write it with someone and someone else plays it after that. It becomes completely different and the band has had quite a few line up changes, three to be precise. I think over the years, we’ve changed to have a more contemporary style,” he explains.
The band now has keyboard samples, loops, effects and a more layered structure in terms of their music, he adds. “When we started out we would hit you with a big riff. It was strong music;. Now, there’s a delicate side to it. Though its still rock and roll, we have become more complex.”
The Galeej Gurus found their big break when they won Shamal 2008’s International Battle of the Bands in Dubai. They went on to perform at Dubai Desert Rock Festival, which is Asia’s Largest Music Festival alongside the legendary bands like Velvet Revolver, Muse, Korn, Machinehead, Killswitch Engage and Slapshock to name to a few. They really earned a name for themselves a few years later when they opened for Deep Purple and Mr. Big and more recently for Korn’s Bengaluru gig in 2012.
Their upcoming gig this weekend at the Alliance France’s Fête de la Musique 2017 is an anniversary in some ways, reveals Thomas. “We had played one of our originals called Believe in Tomorrow at this festival two and a half years ago for the first time. Fast forward it’s still one of our favourites,” he underlines.
They will be performing only originals for this gig and the audience can expect crackling energy on sage. “It’s an amalgamation of genres, our originals but there’s one thing that’s for certain. There will be lots of energy. Even on our worst day, our music still sounds punchy! You will witness a really powerful sounding band that really gets people going!” says Thomas excitedly.
What: Galeej Gurus, at the Fete de la Musique 2017
When: June 17, 6.30 pm
Where: Alliance Francaise, Vasanthnagar
