Iconic Kerala-based fusion band Thaikkudam Bridge performed at Armed Forces Medical College on the 7th of May, in their very first concert in Pune. The show was held on AFMC’s Parade Ground, in the late hours of the evening, for a crowd of over 300 people. Thaikkudam Bridge is one of India’s most celebrated musical acts. Formed in 2013 by violinist and vocalist Govind Menon for a one-off performance on Kappa TV, the band has grown to be a massive success, having performed over 400 shows in 19 countries. Their breakout hit “Fish Rock”, a Malayalam rock song written by Menon about his love of eating fish, made them an overnight sensation in 2014. The video for Fish Rock now has over 25 million views on YouTube. The band also produced a rendition of the devotional song “Aigiri Nandini” for Bejoy Nambiar’s 2017 film “Solo”. What has set Thaikkudam Bridge apart from other Indian fusion music acts is their refusal to stick to any one genre. With their 17 member (that’s right, seventeen) lineup, each member having a unique area of expertise, they have been able to experiment with a variety of different genres and sonic possibilities over the years. Nowadays, they are probably best known for their songs that combine heavy metal with elements of traditional The AFMC performance, which was hosted as part of AFMC’s annual “Silhouettes” festival, saw Thaikkudam Bridge regale the audience with their evergreen hits like “Chekele” and Fish Rock, as well as newer originals like “Navarasam” and “Thekkini”. It was indeed a sight to behold for the band, witnessing fans in Maharashtra singing along to the Malayalam lyrics. The band even performed covers of popular Bollywood songs such as “Teri Deewani”. The performers certainly knew how to put on a captivating show. While bassist Vian Fernandes got the crowd riled up with his rapping and thumping basslines, guitarist Mithun Raju’s blazingly fast and virtuosic guitar solos left some of them gawking. The band even broke into a co- Tickets for the show were sold out within 24 hours of going on sale on BookMyShow. Vian Fernandes stated in an Instagram post later on that he had never seen such a huge turnout outside of Kerala.
Indian (particularly Kerala) folk music.
ordinated dance towards the end of their almost two-hour-long performance.
10 Mar 2022
Rishab Sengupta
