In May 2020, amidst the peak of the Covid pandemic and lockdown, Krishnan, Karthik, and Ankit (Hellbound Harmony, Vocals) in India, along with Siddharth Sinha (SidSin) in the US, decided to create YouTube videos under a new name, Kittypalty (later changed to WAV). It all started with a cover of Velvet Revolver's "Slither," followed by the composition of a new song titled "Secrets" and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song." It was at this point that the decision was made to stage a reunion show when Siddharth visited India.
Fast forward to July 2023: Sid's plans to visit India were finalized, leading to the decision to hold a show in December 2023. Ripple's presence was confirmed, and the decision was made to perform once again as Decibel, featuring the 2005 - Decibel 2.0 lineup, minus Vijay, with Ankit as our vocalist.
Reflecting back to 2008, the last time we performed, we were all starting our careers or pursuing further studies, surviving on pocket money with minimal responsibilities, few familial connections, and plenty of free time.
In 2023, with everyone sporting grey hair and careers spanning 1.5 decades, most band members now lead teams of 20-30 people, functioning as leaders, managers, and some even running successful startups. Most are married with kids aged between 1-10 years. While we now have the means to buy dream gear, finding time to open the guitar case, clean the drums, and practice became a significant challenge.
Ankit scouted around the Delhi pub live circle and secured a venue, despite the challenging times as the metal and rock music scene in Delhi/NCR was almost non-existent. One venue, Informal by Imperfecto, agreed to host us, but only on a Thursday night – not exactly an ideal weekend slot. The date was set for December 21, 2023.
With the date in place, it was time to 'Take the Time' and revisit our younger selves. Thanks to our careers, we've learned how to manage and plan our time. Siddharth would be in Delhi for 'N' number of days, Ripple had 'N' hours to practice, while Krishnan, Karthik, and Ankit applied for leaves planned meetings to practice late at night. In total, we had three days of jamming as a full band we jammed at: Trifecta in Defence Colony, Krishnan's OG Decibel Jam room, The Green Box in Defence Colony. After countless hours of individual practice at home for a month and 9 hours of collective band jam, we finalized the playlist.
The Playlist:
- Cochise - Audioslave
- Ghost in Your Mirror - Decibel
- Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
- Tornado of Souls - Megadeth
- Time Machine - Decibel
- Master of Sandman (Master of Puppet + Enter Sandman Medley)
- Wickerman feat. Raghav Verma on Bass - Iron Maiden
- PSP 12" feat. Raghav Verma on Bass - Zero
- Naagin the Lady Cobra - Decibel
- Secrets - WAV
- Slither - Velvet Revolver
- Metalingus - Alter Bridge
- Click Click Boom - Saliva
- Take a Look Around - Limp Bizkit
- Naagin the Lady Cobra (Once more)
The stage and sound were set, but a corporate party delayed our performance by an hour. The party, supposed to end by 9:30, persisted, and after some conflicts and discussions, we finally took the stage at 9:30. Despite the poor stage sound, we managed to deliver. The crowd on a weekday night mostly consisted of family and friends, around 150 people in total. Our partners, parents, and kids witnessed us for the first time, thoroughly enjoying the show. That night, our focus was on enjoying the performance. For the first time, we played a carefree gig, a departure from the 2001-2008 era when the goal was to deliver a perfect gig and prove our band's prowess. Ah, those were the good times!
Thanks to our family, friends who all supported us past few months. Our wives and kids to bear our absence. Ankur & Eshwar bhai for recording our gig and Siddharth for getting me my old spice.
The band aspires to perform at least once a year, with hopes of increasing the frequency. No one knows what the future holds, but one thing is certain... "Feel barkarar hai mere dost!"
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