5 Steps on How to KISS!

Not that kiss silly! I’m talking about Keeping It Short & Simple.

We’re hell bent on complicating almost everything we do today. We are weighed down by the need to stay ahead of others. Who can blame us? Competition is cut throat, isn’t it? So we try doing everything differently, doing a lot at once, putting in too much in one thing… you know what I mean.

Let’s simplify life. Simple doesn’t mean easy. But simple is elegant and successful today. Be it the iPhone (simple functions), Gucci (simple designer wear), the art of Zen (simple concepts) or Metallica (simple heavy/thrash metal music).

 

KISS - Keep It Short & Simple

So how do we make things simple, you ask? Well, here are 5 tips to get you started:

• Don’t imitate someone: Companies today try to copy what worked with competition. Likewise, we individuals keep trying to go one–up on peers. Comparing with others impacts how we look at what we have. We end up trying harder; wanting more – more money, more recognition, more assets, more gadgets, more happiness outside… I had talked about howit hurts us and how to get rid of it. The best (and only) yardstick for comparison is YOU! You owe nothing to no one and no one owes anything to you. So measure your success on the basis of your past. Expect rewards depending upon the effort you have put in. Imitation and comparison hurt no one but us.

• Don’t do it all at once: Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Companies try to incorporate everything they can think of in a new product simply because they can. Musicians try too many things in one song thinking it will become interesting. People work out extra hard in the 1^st month to lose weight expecting miraculous results. Writers try to cram too many points into one sentence/paragraph. You know what happens. Products flop, maintaining them becomes tedious; music doesn’t hit it with the audience; people lose steam instead of weight; the reader loses interest… All this happens just because we try to do it all at once. I know you have plenty of ideas; so many that your head must be buzzing. But try them gradually. Have patience, stay persistent and you’ll taste success. Plus you’ll have a lot more to keep yourself interested.

• Aim to Simplify: Keep asking yourself one question “How can I make this simpler?” It’s a myth that simple is no longer awesome. In fact, simple today is preferred over complex. The simpler you make something, the better it becomes. And believe that you can make it simpler. This applies to music, work, food recipes and even your daily chores.

• Have faith: Everything you want to accomplish takes time. Everything good takes time to evolve. Even those who got successful overnight have been working painstakingly at it for years. If success was easy, everyone would achieve it. Don’t give up because it isn’t working out now. Chota Bheem director Rajiv Chilaka took 7 years to taste success. Jubilant Foodworks streamlined their business for 15 years before they listed on the stock exchange. So many people don’t know how close they were to their goals when they gave up. So have faith; stick it out.

• Know that you’ll be alone: A vast majority of those around you can’t comprehend this. They won’t listen to you. They want to complicate, which is the status quo today. They won’t appreciate you challenging it. They won’t appreciate you trying to change things, even if it’s for their betterment. The longer you hold on, the more likely to succeed. As Gandhi said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win.”

Simple today is the need of the hour. Try incorporating it in everything in your life. Simplify your diet, your lifestyle & your thinking and watch your life improve. Simplify your behaviour, your attitude and see your relationships improve. Go on, try it. And thank me in the comments section.

KK Provides Mumbai With A Memorable Evening.

Perfect! That’s one word to sum up KK’s performance on 16^th June, 2012 at Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai. Well, almost perfect. The only thing not perfect about the evening was when the audience would song ;)

My company was organizing an event at the venue the next day. So I was fortunate to go backstage before this Fever 104.8 FM organized event began. There I got a 1^st glimpse of him; a figure of calm energy who spoke quietly to an organizer before quickly retreated to his dressing room. As expected, I was delighted, but didn’t know the evening would only get better.

KK  the Legend - Need I say more?

KK took centre stage to a standing ovation by around 7:30. Dressed in well fitting black trousers, shirt and blazer, he looked at ease right from the word GO. He explained to us what an Unplugged Concert is – no electronics. The instruments to compliment him were an acoustic guitar, an acoustic bass, drums, percussions, grand piano and harmonium. He immediately broke into a sensational unplugged version of Tu Aashiqui Hai from the movie Jhankar Beats. WOW! It evoked a thunderous applause and gave us Goosebumps. He said he didn’t have good PR, and that was evident from the fact that we didn’t know how many good songs were sing by him. Many times, we’d ask each other “Oh! He’s sung this too?” Songs he sang included Oh Meri Jaan (Life In A Metro), Aashayein (Iqbal), Zara Si Dil Mein (Jannat), Oh Mehki Hawa (from his debut album Aap Ki Dua), Yaaron (Aap Ki Dua), Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai (Gangster), Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe (Dil Chahta Hai), Awarapan Banjarapan (Jism), Khuda Jaane (Bachna Aye Haseeno), Ek Nazar Mein Bhi (Taxi No. 9211), Zindagi Do Pal Ki (Kites) and more. The ones that drove us nuts the most were Tadap Tadap (HDDCS), Alvida (Life In A Metro) and Pal (he ended the show with this one).

KK’s full name is Krishnakumar Kunnath. He is India’s best singer and unfortunately, also the most under rated. The strength in his voice and his ability to sustain high notes seem out of this world. He effortlessly reaches crazy octaves which mere mortals like us can’t reach even if we scream! Born in Delhi, the secret to his magical voice is merely self practice; he hasn’t learnt music/singing formally from anyone. I’m sure this can be attributed to the 10,000 hour concept – he must have practiced solo for above 10,000 hours to reach this legendary level. He rightly stated (although humorously) “I’ve made a pact with God. He’ll give me good songs to sing, but I must be quiet about it.” He doesn’t blow his trumpet, believes in letting his songs to the talking. Although he’s a very reserved person, he gets into his element very quickly on stage, cheering and jogging from one side to another, breaking into impromptu jigs and getting the audience to clap. Each of the musicians enjoyed themselves as much as he did.

My office friend had told me KK is very punctual and leaves every venue within minutes of the show getting over. He also had shown me where KK would exit from. I went there and waited alone, quietly. As predicted, KK stepped out to leave in his Audi Q7 within 20 minutes. He vigorously shook my hand when requested and almost bear hugged me. As I walked away from his car, I kept trying to digest the fact that my idol had hugged me. Hell, I still can’t come to terms with it! A person with easily the best voice in the country, some of the best songs sung and no airs. Barely any PR, barely hogging any limelight... I’m just ranting. I don’t know what to say. I’m still mesmerized by yesterday.

I’ll leave you with a cameo of that evening’s performance. If you like it, do share. KK deserves much more credit than he gets.

Interview with Zedde Frontman 2Blue — The Original Madman

It’s not often that the frontman of a leading Rock N’ Roll band from India spares an hour to chat with you. The band we’re talking about here is Zedde, which was formed in around 2009 but is already creating typhoons (f**k ripples or waves) in the Indian music scene. The band comprises of seasoned musicians; all of them – 2Blue on vocals, Deepu on bass, Claver on guitars and Trevor on drums.

Zedde (L-R Trevor, 2Blue, Claver, and Akashdeep)

I’ve known 2Blue since he was the frontman of his previous band, Vayu (another kick ass rock band). The sheer talent and stage presence of the band would enthrall spectators. Zedde (with 5000+ fans on Facebook) has taken things a couple of notches higher. I got to speak to 2Blue about a lot of stuff, which is quite interesting. I have to share them with you! So here goes:

Q: What is music according to you?

2Blue (lead vocalist) the Trooper

2Blue: Music, according to me, is a religion. It’s the one thing that makes waking up every morning so exciting… the one thing that makes life worth living.

Q: So what do you think of the current music scenario?

2Blue: The scene is a lot better than what it used to be, say 5 years back. Audiences are a lot more receptive to original music now than ever before. There are many more venues to play and doors to knock… but yet, making a career out of rock music alone could still be a hardship. As a bass player who’s been in the local rock circuit, I’m sure you would agree. But living off music alone isn’t impossible. You could write about it, give lessons, and record advertising jingles amongst other things that interest you. There are also a number of platforms that have begun to extend support for independent artists. Just that you’ll need to be careful enough to read everything they ask you to put your signature on. *Winks*

Q: What does Zedde (the band) stand for? How does Zedde stand out?

Claver (with the guitar and DRILLER) & 2Blue

2Blue: We are very passionate about our live performances. Every gig is played like it’s our last. As you have seen at our gigs, we always try and give the audience something to write home about. There’s the electric drill machine guitar solo in ‘Blame It On Her Youth’, the megaphone, the whole skull mask act during ‘Mr. Horny’… there’s something that will warrant a reaction. Love us, hate us, but you can’t ignore us. So I guess Zedde stands for the unbridled rock n’ roll energy that the young-hearted would love to embrace.

Q: What are you future ventures and plans? Fill us in on what we should be excited about.

2Blue: A full length album, a music video… and what else? You tell me. *Smiles*

Q: Any advice for youngsters starting up?

2Blue: We all need to get out of our comfort zones if we really want to chase our dreams seriously. No great band was formed by people working 5 days a week as white collared slaves or by people whose parents had all the money in the world. We need to go against the grain to do what we truly believe in. We need to have the courage to follow the heart.

Zedde (in their 140 charactered avatar) continues to push the envelope with their brand of hard hitting rock music. With multiple awards under their belt, and countless headlining performances at college festivals and Hard Rock Cafés across India, the band has become quite the force to be reckoned with. What makes them even more praiseworthy is the way they’re still grounded. 2Blue and I have been friends for more than 7 years. While our hectic schedules don't let us talk very often, when we do, it always feels like the good old times when our bands shared more than just stage space, bottles of booze, and a dozen dirty jokes.

Don't just go by what I'm saying. Listen to their music here (http://www.facebook.com/ZeddeLIVE/app_2405167945) to know for yourself. Also check out their official site www.ZeddeLIVE.in. You can always thank me later.

Zedde frontman 2Blue performing at Rider Mania, Goa