KARACHI: Despite a dodgy sound system which delayed the concert for more than half an hour, last year’s Pepsi Battle of the Bands (BOTB) winner Kashmir rocked the Arts Council’s open-air auditorium on Saturday afternoon in front of a large young crowd mainly comprising schoolchildren belonging to districts west and south of Karachi.

It was so heartening to see quite a few schoolkids knowing the band’s songs by heart, especially the ones that Kashmir played during the BOTB contest.

The band kicked off the gig with their groovy song ‘Kaghaz Ka Jahaz’ that many think clinched the completion for them in its final round. The older members of the audience looked a little unfamiliar with the track, but the younger ones enjoyed it to the hilt.

The concert entered into more familiar territory for some music lovers when the band played the cover of the rock band EP’s song ‘Hamesha’. It was nicely played by all the musicians, and by now the vocalist Bilal had come to terms with the sound that was coming out of the speakers.

Next up was the band’s original number ‘Buddha Baba’. In terms of technicalities, it was their best performed original composition of the day.

This was followed by two thought-provoking tracks, including ‘Soch’ which Kashmir also did on BOTB. But the concert reached a crescendo with the band’s cover of Jal’s ‘Aadat’ and Vital Signs’ ‘Aitbaar’ in one track. It got the crowd, including the not-so-young ones, to sing with the six musicians on stage. The band did more than justice to the famous songs.

And how could they have missed out on the cover that became so popular on BOTB: Aamir Zaki’s ‘Mera Pyar’? Kashmir’s a little psychedelic version of the song was a treat to listen to. Finally, they played ‘Kaghaz Ka Jahaz’ one more time, and this time around the sound was better.

The concert was part of the Arts Council’s ongoing youth festival.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2018