Sivamani, Louis Banks at Times Chennai Fest

Take the greatest instrumental show you’ve ever attended, multiply it by a thousand and you’d still be nowhere near it. Feelings like this and more, filled the balmy Elliots Beach air at the Times Chennai Festival 2011 on Saturday night.
The members of Asia Electrik — Sivamani, Louiz Banks and Niladri Kumar unleashed their musical thunder on the unsuspecting crowd of Chennai and had them mesmerised from the word go. Kicking off the concert with the homage, Matha Pitha Guru Deivam, the band moved on to more edgier notes.
The band literally played a game of cat and mouse with the audiences as they jovially teased them with glimpses of everything from the Top Gun theme to dappankuthu
numbers. Sivamani, in his inimitable fashion, took to playing, not just the drums, but substitutes ranging from bicycle bells, steel vessels, a suitcase and a bubble top can (no less).
At one point in the show, Sivamani went on to play the drums with his bare hands. He was ably aided by his compatriot Louiz Banks, whose subtle keys complemented the firebrand brigade of the drummer and Niladri’s Zitar. For his part, Niladri went on to put up an electrifying solo as he single-handedly shred his fretboard in a flash of musical genius. The closing act was a rendition of Raghupathy Raghav with a rocking twist that had the trio’s signature style etched all over it.
The associate sponsor of the festival is Reliance Digital, the cosponsor is Navin Housing and the co-host is Sheraton Park Hotel and Towers.