New Delhi: Hot air balloon and giant wheel rides, art installations for a good cause, shiny, happy festival goers all wrapped up in their winter best, and, of course, some truly epic sets by everyone from Swedish metal giants Meshuggah and festival favourite Nucleya to Mumbai hardcore band Scribe and the Soundclash - a battle between reggae stars Reggae Rajahs and BASSFoundation. Day One of Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Delhi was everything it had promised to be.
Highlights - Bacardi NH7 Weekender Delhi - Day One
Visible from kilometres away, the giant wheel sitting smack in the middle of the Bazaar area on the festival grounds was easily one of the most popular destinations at the festival on day one. Children, parents, youths thronged the area, waiting for their turn on the ride.
The hot air balloon took some festival goers up, up and away, for a truly spectacular bird's eye view of the festival ground.
Having quickly become a festival favourite after playing incredible sets at the Bangalore and Pune editions of the festival, local boy Nucleya once again played a stellar set, reading the crowd to perfection, so that by minutes in, there wasn't a person standing still.
Swedish metal giants Meshuggah were possibly the most eagerly awaited band on the lineup at the Delhi edition of the festival, and they delivered in style. Droves of black t-shirt clad men and women descended on the venue, for a close to an hour and a half long set at the Bacardi Arena on day one.
Young Australian audio visual DJ and producer Sampology amazed audiences at the Bangalore edition of the festival with his stunning visuals, and continued to do so in Delhi. Among the terrific visuals for this set was a collection of clips from cult Bollywood films - featuring the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty - cut up and interestingly sampled. Needless to say, that won him the crowd's love.
Hip hop/drum 'n' bass outfit Bombay Bassment started the party early over at the Red Bull Tour Bus, with a high energy set that shook people out of their afternoon slumber. Among these was a head clad in a rather fascinating elephant hat, and several others in equally funky head-gear.
Among the other memorable performances were Noori, at The Dewarists, whose more contemporary Pakistani pop-rock sound was highly agreeable; Irish post-rock band And So I Watch You From Afar, at the Bacardi Arena, who proceeded to decimate Delhi after doing so in Bangalore and Mumbai: Lucky Ali, at The Dewarists, who played right after Noori and resulted in a continuing influx of people in the Dewarists area; star British dubstep DJ and producer Benga who, during his excellent set, dropped Smells Like Teen Spirit and tunes by Kanye West; and local comedy-rock favourites Vir Das' Alien Chutney, who played a brand new set with so many more funnies.
What to look forward to on day 2:
More epic sets by the likes of Mutemath, The Ska Vengers, Kill Paris, Michal Menert, The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel, Kailasa and, to close what promises to be another spectacular day, the Karsh Kale Collective + The NH7 All Stars, at the Bacardi Arena. And, needless to say, more Ferris wheel rides and that possible hot air balloon trip.
