Girish and the Chronicles bring their hard rock power to Hyderabad

Girish and The Chronicles plays at Hard Rock Café Hyderabad on May 31

Mention Bengaluru-based Girish and the Chronicles (GATC) in a room full of rock fans and watch the mood shift — soaring vocals, powerful guitars, and memories of the band’s blistering live sets take centre stage. For over a decade, the four-piece band has been a driving force in India’s hard rock and melodic metal scene. Originally from Sikkim, GATC comprises Girish Pradhan (vocals), Nagen Mongranti (drums), Yogesh Pradhan (bass), and Suraz Karki (guitar).

Having shared stages with rock royalty — Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row, Nazareth, Alter Bridge, and Megadeth’s Chris Adler during his India tour — GATC’s resume reads like a metalhead’s dream. But speak to Girish and the conversation returns to Sikkim, where it all began.

“My brother and I were discovering music on our own,” Girish recalls. “We grew up in the cassette era, which forced us to really listen. Yogesh was playing around with guitars, and I started taking vocals seriously at around 14. Music was always around — our mum’s a singer and most of our cousins played guitar.”

That early exposure, thanks to cassettes and classic MTV, was formative. “Shows would play everything from Iron Maiden and Bon Jovi to Lenny Kravitz and Metallica. Songs like Jaded, It’s My Life, and Fly Away just blew our minds. Later we realised many of these bands were already legends from the ’80s!”

Girish credits their musical awakening to the rich, music-loving culture of the Northeast. “We were lucky to grow up in it.”

Their first band, Anarchy, formed when Girish was in Class 11 and Yogesh in Class 9. “I was on vocals and rhythm guitar. Yogesh started out on drums. Our dad, Shyam Pradhan, who was a football commentator, was incredibly supportive,” Girish says. Their breakout moment was at a school show in 2004 that drew over 5,000 people. “We were blown away,” said Girish.

Now, over two decades later, GATC is set to perform in Hyderabad on May 31 at Hard Rock Café. “It’s not our first time in the city, but we’re always excited to play. Every show feels new,” says Girish.