words by farhad wadia.

as posted on RSJ online.

I- Rock XX

Hi!
It has been 20 long years which were fun & always interesting, Sometimes it was the Cops, Sometimes Mr. Navalkar , sometimes the Censor Board or some times even Rival Promoters , Every year was Touch & Go & we somehow managed to prevail & carry it off .
This Year alas for the first time in 20 years we had to cancel 1 hour before the concert!

Many people have told me that this event has been a sort of Rite of Passage for them. Thru the years many Bands have come & gone and all have told me that playing @ I-Rock has always been magical for them.

For me too it has been a sort of a magical coming of age experience where I have gained Notoriety, Fame, Bouquets & Brickbats thru this event.

But as you know all good things come to an END & since.... the Audiences are Dwindling, The Sponsors are few & far between & the Constant Harassment from the "Establishment " ... I have decided to call it a day after this year's Show.

This saddens me to no end but I am getting too Old & Weary Of Constantly Fighting with the Powers That Be ... I was foolish to think that I alone could Fight The system ... I am sick of having this event being postponed for the 2nd year in a Row ... just because someone in a position of Power thinks that Rock is Noise & causes Sound Pollution.

We have had Rang Bhavan (the Home for Independence Rock for the last 18 years) Shut Down last year!!! 1 year & Many Lakhs Later we are still in the Supreme Court awaiting a Decision on this ... This year after getting Permissions from every Government agency Barring the Armed Forces and the Government of Pakistan ... we were still shut down for "Law & Order & Sound Pollution" I shudder to think what they will come up with next.

In spite of all the initial support we got from the Media... The Cancellation has become yesterday's news as we live in the ERA of the 24 Hours News Cycle where the media will jump to the next big Story.... No one can fault them for this as this is just how Desensitized & Fatalistic we as the Citizens of India have become in our "chalta Hai " approach to Babudom !!!

So I feel its best to quit, while there is still a vestige of Credibility left in the event!!!

We are currently Struggling to get Advertising, Funds, a Reasonable Venue , etc BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY the very thought of getting those 15 Govt permissions once again from Scratch is just getting to be too much of a strain for me ....

The fun has gone out of this event vis a vis, the bands, the friends, the music!!! The good times are but a distant memory. To continue will be a slight to those good times, unless there is a miracle.

Thus I Request all of you ... your Friends & their friends & so on ... To Spread the word.... & to join me ONE Last Time on the 1st & 2nd of October to celebrate:

TWO DECADES OF INDIAN ROCK - INDEPENDENCE ROCK XX!!


Take Care, & Keep Rocking - FARHAD K. WADIA

 

too bad ...

too sad ...

taht is India ... Live it or Leave it

 

damn..........those son of a bitches......govt ass holes,, mutherfckers........bhenchaods....fatherfcking lowdoos!..........lemme get my hands on them .....i will turn into a super saiyan n pick them apart!

@farhad wadia - mein aapke bawanaon ko samaj sakta hoon!

 

Fcuk the govt asho le s and letz keep all these stuff to ourselfs..hells got no fury..but metal does..v neva get bored of even if the water getz ova our heads...v all r still eagerly waitin to bang at irock.

 

hmmmmmmm......are u serious.......who are you gonna bang ?:grin:.......this is da last i rock we are going there and gonna rock the hell outta this world.....independence rock has lkost its name for the last 2 yrs by postpones!.........now! now it has gone toooo far!.....we are gonna blow the sound like anything and tie up govt officials and connect headphones to their heads!
yeah yeah!:rock: