Blogs

Krunk Live BassCamp /  by Aman Sridhar

I remember one thursday evening, I get a call from the guy who I'm usually in touch with over any gigs. 

He's the go to guy for any and all good underground music events in the city, and in many ways is the guy who's my closest contact through all the gigs I've done over the past year plus. 

Thursdays for me usually are brutal. I'm home late the night before after covering a Boxout Wednesday gig; usually back around 1:30-2:00 am. By the time I'm ready for bed it's 2:30. 

The next morning (Thursday), I'm up round 9, and out the door latest by 10. It's a struggle. I have a cup of coffee in hand, jump into the car and drive off for work. 

My day job is very different to my night one. In many ways, it's very ordinary, but when you're handling two or three different jobs like I often do, it's extremely taxing. 

Thursdays for me feel like fridays for everyone else. It's just a day I have to get through. Usually fridays are reserved for editing and the gym, both of which I can do on my own time. 

Regardless, it's a thursday night, and I get a call from this guy saying that there's an event that's looking for a photographer. I considered how tired I was. 

My face felt broken, I was wheezing from all the pollutants that I inhaled the night before, and my brain was barely functioning. 

But without a thought I said yes. 

Begrudgingly, I got into a taxi and went over to the venue, unable to imagine what the gig would be like and constantly worrying about how long it would be on for. 

As soon as I stepped in though, it felt like I had been reborn. I remember being at ease at the bar; I just had to play a waiting game. As soon as the drunk folk hit the dancefloor, I would swoop in unnoticed, do my thing, and then dip.

I'm like Batman of the club. 

The night turned out to be a lot of fun - music a lot heavier than my brain could handle - and I was able to swoop in and get some good shots. 

Working with Krunk was fun, and would definitely do it again...maybe, when I'm slightly better functioning, though. 

Check out the shots here - 

Boxout Wednesdays 051 /  by Aman Sridhar

It's always the same when Boxout Soundsystem hit the booth. This collective of some of India's best DJs know how to throw a party, and so far everytime they've been at the head of one, the night's been great. 

I really enjoy shooting them because there's a guarantee I'm going to get some great shots. 

Check the highlights out here - 

Boxout Wednesdays 050 /  by Aman Sridhar

Even though week 50 was a good 6 months in the past, I remember it being one of the craziest gigs I ever covered. 

The hype surrounding it was very real, and by this time there were a fair few regulars who helped with the energy levels and crowd chaos. 

Check out the pictures here: 

Boxout Wednesdays 049 /  by Aman Sridhar

As the 50th week of Boxout Wednesdays got closer, the crew at Boxout FM pulled out all the stops. 

There were some frighteningly good gigs around this time, and 49 was no different. Check out the shots below:

Auster Wip Launch Party /  by Aman Sridhar

Auster e-juice's launch party in Delhi was one of the first big parties I covered after I started with Boxout Wednesdays, and it was really nothing I could have expected. 

The warehouse was ridiculously stacked with stalls sampling out vapes. The art installations varied from experimental to straight up in your face, but the decorations were tasteful. 

For me, it was all about the music though. I had semi-hustled my way into one of the craziest parties I had ever worked. I was there for the bass tearing into every fibre of my body; the light show so trippy it would trick you into thinking you were on DMT; and the chance of capturing some of the greatest pictures I could possibly imagine. 

To my large sequences of the night were simply a blur. Obviously, the booze was flowing, but almost always when I'm working, I stay off the alcohol until the very end of the night when I've done my job. Despite having access to almost unlimited supplies of alcohol, I didn't need any. It was the environment, the people the music and the dance floor that was so ridiculously adrenaline pumping, I couldn't wrap my head around it. 

In my mind, despite being the new kid on the block with a shitty camera and a semi-complete vision, I had achieved something I had dreamed about. 

In hindsight, I can say that the party was a great opportunity that subsequently led to numerous more gigs of a similar nature, but in the moment all I could think about was the colours, the frame and the light (or lack thereof). Eventually, I got some shots I was insanely pleased with; you can check them out below.