Indus Creed’s Mahesh Tinaikar, Zubin Balaporia and Uday Benegal (from left to right).
It’s been just a week since Swedish rock band Europe have been announced as headliners at Me:Gong Festival in Meghalaya, performing on Nov. 30, 2024. It marks “The Final Countdown” hitmakers’ return to India after 36 years, last performing in Mumbai in 1988.
Whether by coincidence or curation, Europe’s return to India has another thing in common – that they’re sharing the stage with Indian rock veterans Indus Creed, just like they did at their 1988 show at Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. What’s more, Me:Gong Festival takes place on Nov. 29 and 30, 2024 and Europe’s debut show in India reportedly took place on Nov. 26, 1988, marking their return down to the same week, three decades apart.
Indus Creed became not just the first Indian band to open for a big international act in 1988, but went on to share the stage with the likes of Guns N’ Roses axeman Slash and plenty more.
In an interview with Pune Mirror in 2018, the band’s keyboard player Zubin Balaporia spoke about how opening for Europe changed Indus Creed’s outlook, especially when it came to the rock band aesthetic. “There was no mistaking who the band members were when we saw these tall men with long blonde hair. They made a strong impression and we realized that we can’t go up on stage in our torn jeans and chappals,” Balaporia said.
While Europe’s 1988 Mumbai show with Indus Creed also brought in Scottish hard rock band Nazareth (who, incidentally, returned to India as well, performing at ShiRock Festival in Manipur in 2019), their 2024 performance at Me:Gong comes alongside fusion veterans Euphoria, Kerala band Shanka Tribe and several local bands from Meghalaya. The Me:Gong lineup is rounded out by folk-fusion and rock band Da Suraka, rock act Haystack Ladies, folk-fusion act Summersalt and more across two days.
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