It is indeed a small world that five music enthusiasts from Vizag meet at an IIT Kharagpur fest. This resulted in their first band performance back home, at GITAM University. After many hangouts at Express Owl, Bean Board, and jam sessions at the Narrow Road jam pad, came along their first original song. The magic was created on Road no. 9, at Yendada in Vizag and thus came the name of the band, Road no. 9, based on the location.
With their newfound identity, there was no stopping for these budding musicians. Engineers by profession, most of them self trained in music, faced a lot to create their own niche in Visakhapatnam. Despite initial reluctance from their parents, they set out to pursue music as their career full time.
Eventually, the Road no 9 band became a brand in Vizag. They play in the popular resto-bar Somaa and other star hotels such as Novotel, Welcomhotel by ITC Grand Bay and The Park. Building a strong network along the way, they also did private shows in Kakinada, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pondicherry. They play for all kinds of occasions, corporate events and weddings.
Rohit Kiran, the lead vocalist, who completed his Grade 5 in Western vocals from Trinity College of London, says, “When Chai Met Toast and The Yellow Diary are the band’s inspiration.” When asked about their favourite band based out of Vizag, Rohit was quick to name their own. But on a serious note, he mentioned that the metal band ‘Against Evil’ is severely underrated.
In a deeper conversation with the gang, Rohit’s ‘Maayya’ (a very Vizagite way of saying ‘bro’) Nandith Mishra, the lead guitarist, believes that the understanding they share as a group is the glue that keeps the band together. He is a self-taught, talented guitarist hailing from Orissa who finds his well-wishers in this band. Yet another lead guitarist, Solomon, although not an active part of the band in recent times, is the cornerstone of the group.
The drummer, John Mark, is super talented and makes headbanging a mandate even if we are in a posh restaurant. Running in the genes, the talented bass guitarist Rashwant Adari is an indispensable part of the band. He happens to be Rohit’s cousin.
As the band keeps performing their renditions of songs brilliantly, let us all tune in and groove to the beats. Their covers are grabbing attention on social media and sweeping the listeners off their feet. There is something melodious yet dynamic about the band that deserved its own feature.
One ought to catch this young, energetic bunch soon in Vizag before they leave on an international tour!
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