Those familiar with the tunes of the soulful Bengaluru ensemble Perfect Strangers are already aware of their frequent performances in Chennai. Their music, the enthralling cacophony of various genres, is a familiar yet unique work of art that almost instantly, draws in a first-time listener.
Their visit to Chennai this time is quite special as they have kicked off their first India tour called City of Heartache (COH) and are bringing the same to the city. The band has already made a mark online with views of their original compositions reaching thousands. So, ahead of the exciting concert, which is curated by Quriosity, We dive into an exciting chat with the band’s lead guitarist Debjeet Basu as he reveals what the tour is all about, the experiences of performing online versus performing for a live audience, the playlist for the show, and more.
Tell us about the COH tour. What is it all about?
The COH tour, named after our recently released single, City of Heartache, is our first tour across Indian cities where we are playing our original music for the first time. The playlist consists of some of our old originals and newly released ones. We are touring as a 7-piece rock band.
How does it feel to be performing live again?
It feels great. Nothing compares to the connection between an artiste on stage and a live audience.
As a band do you feel like sticking to one genre of music or would you want to be more experimental?
We have always been experimental. All the musicians in the band come from diverse influences and that is reflected in the music we write. Rock, funk, blues and jazz influence us.
What’s on the playlist for the show in Chennai?
We will be adding a brand-new original for the Chennai gig! Apart from that, there will be the usual list of our popular originals like Shout, Just for gigs,
On the wild side. How different will this performance be compared to your previous shows?
This will be quite different from the last time we played in Chennai. Along with new music, there will be merch, freebies to be won during the performance, the best fan award, and a fantastic Klipsch karaoke speaker as a giveaway in a contest.
Any artiste/band from Chennai you would like to collaborate with in the future?
I think the F16s and Junkyard Groove would be really cool bands to collaborate with.
Is there anything specific you look for in the audience when you perform live?
Nothing specific but the audience’s energy matters. We play music that's built on groove, so it's crucial for us to keep the audience involved in our live performance.
Tell us about the ‘crowd sections’ you all have planned as part of the show.
Quite a few songs have ‘crowd sections’ where we encourage the audience to sing along and the loudest ones win band merch!
INR 399 onwards. On October 6. 8 pm. At Barracuda Brew.
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