COVID-19 tales: ‘Audience was slightly on edge’, says first band to perform live in Mumbai post lockdown

The Chennai-based quintet comprises Vikram Yesudas, Abhinav Krishnaswamy, Harshan Radhakrishnan, Sashank Manohar and Joshua Fernandez. The band began its journey in 2012. Pic courtesy/Antisocial

First Band To Perform Live In Mumbai Post Lockdown

The F16s, Chennai
An alternative band with catchy pop vocals

TO be honest, when we got the call to perform live at antiSOCIAL on November 18, 2020, it came as a surprise. Up until then, there were no gigs and, we thought there would be no development on this front till 2021. It was the first live gig to be held after the lockdown, we were told. Funnily, we have always been a ‘litmus test band' where event companies call us when they are experimenting with something new. All the mistakes that can be made, are made with us.

This show, however, turned out fine. There were markings on the floor for guests to maintain social distancing. We were obviously not expecting a full house. The venue had capped it at 100 tickets for a place that would otherwise accommodate at least 500. We could tell from the crowd that they were into it, but not to a point where they were going nuts. Collectively, they were on the edge. I understand, because going outdoors can be an antsy affair after being asked to stay indoors for months. But, that feeling wore off as the night progressed. The one thing that we were worried about was that our show should not spiral into a superspreader event. If that would happen, we'd be put on the sword, hence all precautions were taken.

It felt good to perform. Our songs have an online presence, but at the very core, we are a live music band. Rehearsing was fun and so was the experience of hopping onto to a flight and travelling for a gig; we sorely missed the routine. A month later, we had bagged another show.