Music unites Galeej Gurus

Life has come full circle for this alternative/ indie rock band from Bangalore-Galeej Gurus.  City Express caught up with the lead vocalist, Nathan Harris, who also happens to be the band’s original drummer. The band was formed in 2000 and they have over 450 gigs in their kitty.

“I used to play the drums and sing until 2006 and that is when I decided that I wanted to step off drums because we were playing for much bigger crowds and we needed a vocalist to pump them up and do all the crazy stuff. The audience tends to connect more with the vocalist. Then I had to choose between the drums and singing.”

When we asked Nathan what keeps Galeej Gurus together, at a time when it’s not easy for music bands to stick on because of personal rivalries and creative differences, he retorts, “Music keeps us together.”

Years have passed and things have changed, thanks to marriage and children (three of the band members are hitched), but they seem to be the same ‘crazy bunch of guys’ who started out in college.

Is Bangalore still their favourite when it comes to performing despite the restrictions on night life? He tells us that Bangalore is home and it is always fun to play here as more people know them.

“And we haven’t really pushed hard enough to build up a big enough following, up North. I like Delhi as well because there is something going on there all the time. It’s a lot better than Bangalore. Though our city has the talent and has a lot of people playing, we don’t have a lot of venues for bands to play. We need more places. Mumbai and Delhi have club owners who allow bands to play in their clubs. But that doesn’t happen here unless there is an official product launch. Now getting sponsors is also a bit of a problem. The restrictions and curbs on nightlife doesn’t really help and people will not show up at 8 pm for a concert,” he adds.

He also feels the need to have people like the late Amit Sehgal, an Indian rock musician and founder of music magazine, Rock Street Journal.

“He was so intense about developing the music scene and ensuring that there was live music going on constantly. He was a pioneer and he did a lot for the Indian Rock music,” he added.

We couldn’t help asking how did the band’s name come about? “It means ‘dirty teachers’ or ‘enlightened people’, says Nathan, laughing.

He adds, “It’s catchy. People were like ‘Galeej Gurus? What the hell is that?’ In college, we had a Mad Ads team at Christ and we had a team who were always cracked in their heads. They suddenly started coming up with these funny concepts and one guy said ,’Lets call ourselves Galeej Gurus.” We ask Nathan if their respective marriages has affected their female fan following.

“Whether you are married or not, you will still get a lot of attention. Still, I think the most popular one is Kishan, because he is the youngest. And all the chicks always fall for the drummer. He looks cool and girls think he is cute,” he adds. Any piece of advice for aspiring musicians? He says, “Just practice, practice.Don’t sell out! Ten years ago, you couldn’t play your own music and you had to stick to covers. Over time, after taking risks and writing your own stuff, bands can play their own songs which is fantastic.”

Nathan voices his displeasure over the ban on music concerts and any form of entertainment in Palace Grounds.

He signs off,”I understand that it creates traffic. But my argument is that you have political rallies where thousands of people come in truckloads. They are causing bigger traffic than anybody else. Why is no one making any noise about that? ” The band will be opening for Korn this Sunday.