Pepsi ‘Battle of the Bands’- Episode 1

‘Battle of the Bands’ kicked off with a blast, bringing in music lovers from all over the country together to watch the competition between the bands. The 3 hosts were well known names in the industry; Fawad Khan in the band Entity Paradigm, Meesha Shafi in the band Overload, and Farooq in the band Aaroh. Interestingly, they all competed in the same show, with Aaroh who won that year.

The first episode of this season brought in a lot of talented artists, making viewers definitely anticipate the future episodes and seeing who ends up taking the prize. This episode focused on auditions by many bands; some were accepted straight away, some were shortlisted, and some were flat out rejected. Despite this, all the bands possessed definite talent, and we can certainly await further performances by them in the future even if it isn’t in the ‘Battle of the Bands’.

1. Naksh

This was the first band to audition, bringing in great reviews from the judges. They presented a good stage performance, and their raw energy captivated their audiences. They were one of the two bands who had a lead female singer which added something different and uniquely positive to their song.

2. Positive

The next band to audition was the only band to have a tabla player, which really brought in a local and organic sound which wasn’t as present in other bands. Their performance was more relaxed, with a soulful tone, taking the audience to another place. They were also in the previous ‘Battle of the Bands’ and were in the top 10.

3. Jasim and the Pindi Boys

Jasim used to be a solo artist, who’s first song was actually called ‘Pindi Boys’. After this went viral, he formed a band in 2014, and named them after his first band. They had a wonderful stage presence with interesting and unique styles which made them stand out.

4. Kashmir

This band performed a cover song, which was definitely engaging. Their stage presence was one of the best, especially due to how all the members were enjoying themselves rather than focusing on not making mistakes. This raw energy definitely made their performance a hit with the audience.

5. Bari the Band

This is a two-member band which performed Yaarah by Aaroh, which was Farooq’s band, and the two were unquestionably excited to play the song.

6. Madlock

A three-person band who sang an original known as Aarzoo which was very enjoyable and interesting. They created a big and complete sound which was surprising considering how little people there were in the band.

7. Shajr

The second band who contained a female lead singer, this band stood out due to their different and outgoing performance. Their unique sound was unlike no other and created for a distinct piece.

8. Soul Anesthetics

As the name suggests, this group had a very soulful performance using elements from old time songs which made them stand out against the other bands. However, the more prominent elements from the old time songs cut off the unique edge they could have had.

9. Aura

This band performed an original song known as ‘Main Hoon’, where they took inspiration from different bands, focusing on Coldplay. Their song was very well thought out, and the slight similarities to Coldplay added an edge to their song which was very intriguing.

10. OB Positive

The final band performed ‘Vital Signs’ which was a relaxed but upbeat performance. The three-piece band created a beautiful and complete performance, simple yet deep. They were definitely sure of their sounds and the depth of the song showed how less is definitely more.