Their Last Gig at Some Place Else

After a sumptuous meal, I was charged up and there was no way we were going home, especially when it was just 9pm and it was a Friday night. So we drove in the general direction of Park Street, my wife guessing exactly where we would end up and so we did; Some Place Else, the Mecca of live music. It was along wait of nearly an hour before Hip Pocket took the stage a little after 10.30pm. In the meanwhile we downed a couple of beers and were quite amused by a shutterbug from one of the dailies clicking pictures of Parno (upcoming Bengali movie actress) & Ranadeb Bose (Cricketer from Bengal). I was more taken up with the fact that he was clicking pictures of the Band members and especially of Rishi & Samidh. Only when hey had gone up to the stage did one of Barmen tell me that this was their farewell gig, Rishi & Samidh were leaving Hip Pocket after being with the band for 14 years. They were going out on their own to pursue a new duo venture.

So we stayed for the entire show and though Sumit Ramachandran nursing a bandaged hand after going through surgery wasn’t on stage for their last gig together, Dabbu filled in on the lead and they played to a full house. I made sure I’d catch the last renditions of their gig together which I noted down and is below:

Lay down sally.
Wild horses.
Come together.
Let it be.
Blowin in the wind.
Bad moon rising.
Black magic woman.
Walk of life.
Who'll stop the rain.
Money for nothing.
Feelin alright.
Coming back to life.
Take me down.
Day tripper.
Roadhouse blues.
Break on through to the other side.
Wish you were here.
I want to break free.
Crazy little thing called love.
Jump.

Hip Pocket’s new line up is already in place and hope they live up to the legacy left behind by two of Kolkata’s leading musicians.

So for the last time they are:

Band: Hip Pocket
Samidh Mukherjee – Bass / Vocals
Dabbu – Guitar (filling in for Sumit Ramachandran)
Rishi Chanda – Guitar / Vocals
Shom – Keyboard
Nondon Bagchi – Drums / Vocals