Aerosmith were here

Whoa! They are another kind. These western musicians, showmen, performers.

[Few days back]: Even as i logged into the website to book my tickets for the show, i lacked the excitement which should serve as the motive behind spending Rs.1800 . I lacked the enthusiasm to drive to palace grounds in insane traffic and stand long hours to watch the band perform for 1 and half hours. I had second thoughts as an image of the band flashes in front of me. Do i want to do this. Look at them, somewhere near as old as my grand dad, wearing leather pants. Wearing make-up, hair done, clothes picked for a costume party. Who are they kidding? Well near about a few million people. And also fooling those who don't believe in being fooled, to still walk in wondering what the fuss is all about.

Well then why did i go? Hear me out, whoever i have adored have been less and my affection for them also transitory. Years after i had gotten past Bryan Adams he still keeps coming to India. When i wanted to go for the Strings concert in Pune, mom was home to see me. When Euphoria performed in my company, i had no idea they would be coming, i had taken the very day off. Oh how i writhed in pain and tortured myself at only if it had been. Finally i knew i was going to see them perform, the time was right, these were the people i had been listening to past many months. Indian Ocean was to come to IIMB, nothing could go wrong, no other appointment waiting for me, nobody could impose on my time. Friday evening i get so excited i am telling any remotely familiar face i meet that i am going to see them.I get the signs of chicken pox erupting over me the very next morning.

So here i was standing in queue to collect tickets for this show of not so loved by me band. And i stand and i stand and we stand, we; me and all these newly introduced friends of a college batch mate. Another compromise when i go with somebody when both of us work hard to tolerate each other. After 2 and half hours of standing in partly stinking partly smoked increasingly pressing on you crowd, it begins.

From where i stood, this time i was sure it was not just another organiser.It was Joe Perry. With a white stole around his neck. On the dark stage, i could make him out by the light of the huge display behind. Boy, did i go crazy ! Yes i did! People you always see on TV, people who are a staple diet on music channel. A face which is mostly hidden by hair. A face you know so well. Of a person you know. A person you know through this extremely convoluted media. So much so you would recognize them any day they pass you by, but they live unaware of your existence. Strange world we have created here. A world of celebrities and common people. And there i was a common girl, jumping like crazy. I clutched the little hand next to me so tight. I was going crazy like crazy. Joe Perry in the flesh!So? Yeah its a big deal!


But soon Steve Tyler took over. And he does take over, he is there jumping ... nah horsing around the place. Lying down on speakers and trying to catch the air with his hands. Going and hugging Joe, almost eating his ears out. Fooling around all the time, the guy loves the stage. I don't know why but everybody else looked dead bored including Joe Perry, though he had ample shirts to change and take off in front of screaming females. Somehow my hysteria had disappeared as fast as it had appeared, but i still played along, swayed along with whatever songs i could recognize.Oh yeah screamed along, its so fun i wanna do the mindless screamign again. Though i was coughing a lil later.

Mr. Steve Tyler, the bouncing bundle of antics. Obliging the crowd with snaps, giving million priceless poses, but these are the best my cell could capture.

Joe did make a very memorable statement. "We have always wanted to come to India.... blah blah...India is very close to what Aerosmith believes in (places a hand on his chest), its not the elephant rides, not the paint thing you put on your hands. Its kama sutra, its also about messing around". Here i have done my bit to recreate the demi-Gods words.

All that was noticed at the show follows in random order, well not that the rest has been organised till now, but let me just try and finish it. Steve Tyler seemed to be trying to hard to make his grumpy band smile. His enthusiasm totally clashed with the straight faced performances by the rest of the band. "Mr. Joe Perry", as Steve would keep referring to him as did ample tit flashing. Changed his guitars as fast as he could. One with his wife's pic one it.
One of those with two guitars rolled in one. Here's a pic, i dunno what you call them. Then the other antics of blowing golden dust of his guitar. Playing it in all possible positions. Getting the drummer drum it around. Well quite entertaining. Did get me thinking they might as well have been fireworks brigade here to entertain us with the dazzle. Well no one ever said its all about the music. No one asked me to go.

But i am star struck. This entertainers from west sure can entertain even half-asleep or dead bored. Great night. Lasting images. The silly feeling of having gotten so close to these Gods. The delight, the joy, the euphoria carries me even through monday. I love grand performances and here it was.

I did not go as a fan and did not come back as one. Though i loved the experience, it was an experience strangely, an experience of how some amongst us are so above us. They are Gods maybe not equivalent to the devotion and the number of devotees that Indian Gods command but still they got there in spite of not being carved out of stones and marbles or mold out of metals. Strange world we have here.