Review: Escape Summer Vibe

As a run-up to Naukuchiatal’s Escape Festival, a pre-cursor of sorts, was organized to give Escape veterans a bite of the real shindig with a one-day mini-fest called Escape Summer Vibe. Here’s what went down.

The three-day, by-the-lake festival set in the hills of Naukuchiatal, Uttarakand, has seen five celebratory editions in the past with its verdant charm and constantly evolving presentation of the music platter. In fact, to keep up with the tradition, this year the festival is looking to insert a techno-heavy set of performances by Indian DJs, besides the comforting aura of indie bands of the soul-reggae-alternative-rock varieties.

We know this because we caught a glimpse of the techno spark dominating the Escape Summer Vibe on the main stage (called Dance Arena) by the glimmering pool, which was held on May 17 at The Seasons Hotel, Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort, Gurgaon. A second stage (Chill Zone or Fountain Lawns) hosted ambient electronica artists at the other end of the resort, by a pleasant fountain, literally so.

With a total of twelve artists on the line-up sheet (see here), the event kicked off at around 8 pm, much later than the scheduled time, at a moderate pace with deep house DJs from Delhi Tech Panda and Guy Called Sid Sal spinning beats of the techno-order, which was then ratcheted up as soon as jazz-soul act Soul’d Out dished out their Dave Matthews Band-like tunes. But Fuzz Culture’s deep bass-lines teamed with their urgent-paced rock riffs had the adrenaline rushing, despite one half of the duo, Srijan Mahajan, missing in action. That was when we knew the party had just begun.

When the techno experience was beginning to get memorable, we decided to glide across in eager anticipation to The Chill Zone that started by around 10 pm and held a promise of ambient electronica artists. Unfortunately, it resulted in a not-so-uplifting experience. The fountain lawn, where it was held was perhaps the only serene facet that drew crowds in. Call it the fault of the listener or the artist, the arena could have done with more takers and a much more proactive vibe.

While Escape Festival of 2013 was remembered for The Ska Vengers’s live act histrionics and Thermal and a Quarter’s throttling showmanship among various other acts, this year’s edition is currently in the pipeline. Festival manager L Tochhawng aka Mama tells us he is staying tight-lipped about the details of the actual dates. For Mama, a musician himself, who programs the whole festival, the festival is all about the venue – the open air, the unhindered ecstasy of music pulsing through the air, without being bound by walls. Much like a Woodstock experience, we’d presume. Not to fret if you’ve missed out on this one, because Naukuchiatal will be a far grander affair.

Photos By Payel Majumdar