Thermal and a quarter’s full circle

Thermal and a quarter, a Bengaluru-based band, is back in Chennai to perform at Bay 146 and meet its 'alligator fans'.

Bruce Lee Mani and his band Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) have been performing in Chennai for years. The frontman’s reference to an early gig in the city dates back to 2002 or 2003 when he performed inMuseum Theatre, Egmore.

The four-member band back will be back in the city at Bay 146 on November 24 at 9pm, performing a four-piece set from their portfolio of originals and re-imagined covers.

Mani says that the commitment to the rock and roll lifestyle is now a habit. “It is so hardwired in what we are and what we do. It does not matter whether there are a hundred thousand people in the crowd or if it is a hundred. There is no better time than when we are in a jam room, performing whether on a small Bay 146 stage or a large Bandland stage,” he says.

The band will soon be performing alongside iconic bands Deep Purple, Goo Goo Dolls and The War on Drugs at Bengaluru’s Bandland festival happening between December 16 and 17. “We call the time on stage ‘flying time’ because all the grunt work is invisible and behind the scenes. At the end of the day, it is just another gig,” says Bruce.

Bruce says that it felt like Bengaluru was slipping off the ‘rock map’ of the country because international bands briefly ignored the city but events like this have reiterated its position. It feels good to still be part of the scene,” he adds.

Is there a tradition since 1996 that the band continues to follow? Rudy David, TAAQ’s former bass player from Chennai would mutter a quick ‘Keep in touch’ after the members gather in a huddle before stepping on stage. That is something they continue to do.

TAAQ is gearing up to meet fellow musicians and its ‘alligator fans’ in Chennai who know trivial details about the band’s songs and facts about its members that they themselves have forgotten.