Amperage - The sound of Ensemble 2004! - Jishnu Dasgupta

XLRI was treated to some good old fashioned rock and roll by the grand rock n roll daddies (and one mama) of the east - Skinny Alley. 'Amperage' the show that marked the close of XL's inter-business school festival 'Ensemble 2004'. The JLT doesn't have a roof, or it would have been brought down by the sheer brilliance of the veteran musicians on stage, who belied their 40+ ages.

With a setlist as varied as mixed pickle, there was something for everyone, from Pat Mecheny to Audioslave, from Steely Dan to RHCP, from The Doors to ... well, let's stop there. Amyt Datta on guitar was in blazing form with a fluid tone that draped over all present like warm honey at times and sharp blades at others. Jeff Rikh behind the skins was in a thunderous rage as he destroyed the Tama kit while getting out a rock solid rhythm section that bassist Gyan clung on to and never let go. They mixed it up nicely with their originals, notably 'Swunk' that struck a such a chord with the ladies in the crowd that they played it a second time, the odd-time signatures on the jazz-rock tune ending with an explosion of coordinated pyrotechnics.

XLers got into the act as well with Skinny Alley inviting members of BodhiSapling on stage for a jam. A total of 7 musicians on stage played the BodhiSapling original dedicated to the mess - 'Too Many Potatoes' with guitarists Bharat and Amyt trading groovy blues solos as Narain took the crowd through the chorus, a song that appeals to everyone who lines up at the mess foyer at lunch! Special mention must be made of Poornima on drums - she was like a rock, it isn't often you see a budding lady HR manager playing drums on a rock band, do you? But that's what XL is about, in the end...