The Iconic Independence Rock Music Festival Is Back With A Bang

The two-day festival has been at the core of the rock movement in the country since 1986.

Parikrama Music Band

It all began three decades ago. The year was 1986, and two of the city's most famous bands, Rock Machine (now known as Indus Creed) and Mirage, were slated to perform at St. Xavier's intercollege Fest, Malhaar. A week before the gig, the bands were informed that their show was cancelled as some authorities disapproved of the music. This led to protests by outraged students.

Among them was die-hard rock fan Farhad Wadia who (with some other students and rock band members) set out to organise what eventually became the first edition of the country's oldest and most significant rock music festival - the Independence Rock. It was subsequently held at Rang Bhavan.

That was the start of three decades of a dynamic rock scene in the country, which saw the inception of some of the most famous names of the genre who have now become mainstream sensations. Since then, Independence Rock, or I-Rock as it is known, has been at the very core of the rock and metal wave in the country, growing into a legendary music, cultural and lifestyle movement.

After a nine-year hiatus, this iconic and legendary rock music festival is returning as Mahindra Independence Rock with a high-octane rock-and-roll line-up on November 5 and 6 at Mumbai's Bayview Lawns (Princess Dock, Mazgaon).

The two-day festival will see several veteran and new-age artists from the Indian rock circuit take the stage. The first day will witness the homecoming of bands like Pentagram&nbspand&nbspZero&nbspto the iconic stage alongside Bloodywood, Thaikkudam Bridge and aswekeepsearching.

On the second day, seasoned bands such as Parikrama and Indus Creed will return with energetic performances with Avial, Kashmiri-origin band Parvaaz&nbspand The F16s&nbspall set to deliver mosh-inducing acts that will get your adrenaline pumping. Bombay Bandook,&nbspthe winner of Tomorrow's Headliners, will be setting the stage on fire with their opening act on the stage of the festival.