1986 born Mahindra Independence Rock turned 30 this year. Mumbai’s Bayview Lawns witnessed the rock mayhem on 16th and 17th November. The 2024 edition saw a wide variety of bands like the Bombay Metal Project, Motherjane, Indus Creed, Swarathma rock out the stage. Indian rock legends to new comers, hardcore metal to folk-rock, the festival saw it all.
What started out as a forbidden rock concert by some college students has come all the way to become a full fledged rock fiesta. Thus they keep the legacy going. The festival returned in 2022 after a nine year hiatus. This time with founder Farhad Wadia and Hyperlink Brand Solutions as co-organizers and Mahindra group as title partner.
The festival has seen eminent bands from the Indian music scene perform throughout the years. The list of bands performed also include Parikrama, Pentagram, Zero. While younger names like aswekeepsearching, Parvaaz, F-16 and Thaikkudam Bridge had also played the stage.
Rock fans shared their memories and moshed, jumped and headbanged to their favorite bands.
Mahindra Independence Rock 2024: Line-up
13AD: One of the oldest bands that took the stage after 28 years was Kochi based rockers 13AD who started their journey in 1977, even before legends Metallica of Guns N Roses! Fans were emotional as they saw their favorite act after this long. Started by Eloy Isaacs, 13AD had started by playing at various nightclubs in Kochi where they built a dedicated fan base and soon they grew into one of the country’s biggest rock bands.
About Us: Nagaland based About Us started in 2019 with an experimental sound. Band members coming from diverse musical backgrounds is what they have put to use. The band has played all across north east. This year they were all set to rock out this year in front of a broader audience.
Bloodywood: After rocking I-Rock 2022, Bloodywood was all set to rock this year’s edition as well. The band has now become a global phenomenon with US and Europe tours and their names on the Billboard charts. The band fuses danceable Indian sounds with metal instrumentals, including even rap.
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Bombay Metal Project is a musician’s collective formed out of the best metal bands in Mumbai and Pune. 16 musicians from Bhayanak Maut, Zygnema, Gutslit, Scribe, Indus Creed, Demonic Resurrection, Undying Inc, Noiseware and more bands, who get together only for special occasions. Definitely a treat for metal fans!
Girish and The Chronicles: Founded by the vocal powerhouse Girish Pradhan, Girish and The Chronicles is another act to watch out for! The Sikkim-born and Bangalore-based group has already shared the stage with Guns N Roses, Skid Row, Nazareth, Alter Bridge, Bullet for my Valentine, Kamelot, Hoobastank, and Poets of the Fall besides backing legendary drummer Chris Adler (Lamb of God, Megadeth) during his India performances.
I-Rock 2024: Indus Creed, Motherjane, Skrat, Swarathma and the list goes on!
Indus Creed: One of the first rock bands from India formed in 1984, Indus Creed is another big name in the Indian rock music scene. Having opened for legends Santana, Bon Jovi and Slash, Indus Creed has played almost all stages the country has to offer through out all these years.
Motherjane: Kerala based band Motherjane have been in the scene for a long time. They have been mostly noticed for fusing Carnatic elements into their propgressive rock sound. They’ve shared the stage with Megadeth, Opeth, Mr Big and many more. Furthermore, they have been conferred Asia’s #1 rock act (AVIMA 08-09). Baiju Dharmajan and Suraj Mani have joned forces after 15 years, getting fans even more excited!
Skrat: Chennai based Skrat is a high energy punk-influenced garage rock trio who have rocked the scene almost for 2 decades now. Having played at almost all the major stages the country, the band has even opened for Slash. Lineup includes Sriram TT (guitar, vox), Jhanu Chantar (bass), Tapass Naresh (drums).
Swarathma & Friends feat. Bhayanak Maut, Parvaaz, Sutej Singh and Sidd Coutto: The band had a new sound planned for Mahindra Independence Rock 2024. It involves a mix of folk fusion, metal and alternative rock. With Bhayanak Maut, Parvaaz, Sutej Singh and Sidd Coutto joining them for this year, adding their own flavor in the mix, Swarathma made fans headbang with their folk-rock! And yes, you read that right!
Among other names who took the stage this year were Kolkata based thrashers Deadhammer, Mumbai-Goa based rock quartet Signal W, post-punk, new-wave, dreampop, shoegaze: genre blending Long Distances, Jazz/Pop/RnB artist Pranati Khanna AKA Peekay, alt rock band from New Delhi: Salt Rock and Mumbai based post hardcore act Pacifist.
