The only way to thrive in creative madness is to be persistent. I learned this over years of being a musician, and the anecdotal accounts perfectly encapsulate my crazy journey. My top three favourite music bands are Tool, Porcupine Tree, and Meshuggah, and I was fortunate to witness their artistry
in person.
Gavin Made Me Do It!
In 2008, I met Gavin Harrison, the drummer of Porcupine Tree, my idol. I went to London to attend their concert and stalked them to tell Gavin he was my hero. In 2009, they performed at IIT Bombay, where I was a drum teacher, giving me backstage access. I found out where they were staying and got them to sign my CDs before they disbanded.
In 2022, when Porcupine Tree got back together, I flew to Europe to watch four shows and met him again on a flight. This time, he knew who I was. When my wife questioned me about the flight coincidence, I said Gavin made me do it!
DVD Fan Feature!
My passion landed me in obscure situations, but my drive has directed me toward crazy moments – when Meshuggah toured India in December 2010, I followed them through the tour!
Being a student, my finances were tight, but my zeal made me go to Pune without hotel bookings, planning to sleep inside the airport. I spent the night on a marble bench outside the airport in the cold as it was closed.
However, my efforts came to fruition because the band was on the same flight as me! Also, the tour was managed by my friend, who asked me to help him. I jumped at the opportunity to help Tomas Haake set up and tune his drum kit. To my surprise, I ended up on the tour DVD, including a very emotional moment where Tomas hugged and thanked me for helping.
From Fan To Guest!
Tool, the progressive metal band, was the reason I wanted to be a musician in 2001. In 2013, I dragged my family to Japan to attend their show, a life-changing experience! In 2018, I performed in San Jose with Armaan and Amaal, then bought the most expensive domestic ticket to get to Columbus, Ohio, for a very exclusive clinic by the band. I narrated the Japan story to them and received a signed setlist of that show by the bassist Justin Chancellor.
In 2019, after my performance in San Diego, I travelled by Uber for two hours to see Danny Carey play at a small jazz club in LA. When the club manager heard this, he said to me, “You must be crazy and you must be a drummer!” That night, after I helped Danny dismantle his kit, I slept like a happy kid at the station, with no buses to commute!
Later that year, I convinced my wife to go on our honeymoon to Europe to catch three Tool shows, the last of which had us on the guest list for the after-party with the band. The feeling of ‘nerding out’ with your hero is something words can’t do justice to!
Funnily enough, as I write this article, I’m on yet another crazy Tool trip. This time I was on Danny’s guest list along with Tomas from Meshuggah, and I got to hang with not one but TWO of my idols!
These experiences taught me about the unshackled human resilience one possesses and how it can be channelled to chase seemingly impossible dreams. This repository of stories is a testament to how perseverance can help one achieve anything in life.
