Billy Joel, Sting, Ed Sheeran covers and an impromptu Usha Uthup jam, Best Kept Secret’s Kolkata gig had everything

Bangalore-based pop-rock sensation Best Kept Secret just played a terrific pre-Christmas gig at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCF&C) on Saturday, in an event, supported by Indulge, The Morning Standard.

The band has played more than 24 shows in the last month, including one in Moscow, and is even making its foray into Bollywood in 2020. “The audiences in Kolkata really know their music, be it classic rock or pop, so it’s always a joy to play here,” frontman Behram Siganporia tells us. 

Saturday nights at CCFC are always a busy affair, but this week something special awaited us. Not only did the club unveil its Christmas lights before the show, but the event also saw a really diverse gathering of listeners as the band enjoys a fan base across all age demographics. The band is one of the leading English pop/rock bands in the country at the moment and has been a steadfast name in the most prolific live music line-ups.

Best Kept Secret started the set with a series of beloved sing-along classics, like Uptown Girl, Every Breath You Take and also included some recent hits like Maroon 5’s Girls Like You, and gradually moved towards a high-octane tempo as the night progressed.

Kolkata-based DJ and singer Sandeep Vyas was a part of the audience and the band didn’t miss a chance to get him up on stage. Vyas, who’s a seasoned performer himself, aced his set and ended up belting out three songs with the band.

But the biggest surprise of the night was when the band announced that the pop/jazz sensation Usha Uthup was in the house and invited her up for a sing-along. “I was dying to sing up here anyway!” Uthup exclaimed as she joined Behram and the boys. Uthup began with the famous Mexican folk number La Bamba, popularised in the west by Ritchie Valens.

Uthup’s jam with Best Kept Secret saw the dance floor fill up and most listeners stayed back to groove until the band had sang their last song - foot-thumping rendition of We Will Rock You. “Usha Uthup is such a legend, I can’t wait to show this video to my mom. She’ll be so proud,” Behram tells us after the show.