Rock'n'Roll Renegade

Biography

Indus Creed holds the distinction of long being India's premier rock band. The trailblazing group was formed in 1984, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, and was then known as "Rock Machine". The line-up featured Mahesh Tinaikar (lead guitar), Mark Selwyn (bass), Uday Benegal (vocals), Jayesh Gandhi (rhythm and lead guitar), Mark Menzes (drums) and Zubin Balaporia (keyboard). Rock Machine's first made their mark by bucking the cover-band trend in India. They are considered one of the principal force...

Indus Creed holds the distinction of long being India's premier rock band. The trailblazing group was formed in 1984, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, and was then known as "Rock Machine". The line-up featured Mahesh Tinaikar (lead guitar), Mark Selwyn (bass), Uday Benegal (vocals), Jayesh Gandhi (rhythm and lead guitar), Mark Menzes (drums) and Zubin Balaporia (keyboard).

Rock Machine's first made their mark by bucking the cover-band trend in India. They are considered one of the principal forces responsible for overcoming the bias against original music by bands in India. Based in Bombay (now known as Mumbai), Rock Machine was one of the first Indian rock bands to develop an extensive fan base across the country, a region they toured relentlessly.

In 1988, the band released "Rock 'n' Roll Renegade", India's first all-original rock album. The album was hugely successful among Indian rock fans and Rock Machine's touring made them very popular among college audiences. The band stood out for their slick, well-produced and highly dynamic live performances.

The early 1990s saw a major shift in the entertainment landscape in India. The arrival of MTV made new American and British music more accessible to Indian rock listeners. Rock Machine became a favorite on MTV when their first video "Top of the Rock" became a spectacular hit. Their Seeking to shed their college-band name and image, as well as mould their sound into a more mature and evolved one, the band decided to change their name—a radical move considering that by this time Rock Machine was the first name on practically every Indian rock fan's lips.

Indus Creed came into existence in 1993. Gone were the 80s-style clothes and songs. The band adopted a name that signalled a more global and hip image. Their sound changed, with the band incorporating softer, more acoustic instruments, including a tabla player. Their third album, titled Indus Creed, was promoted extensively on MTV and Channel V, which gave heavy airplay to each of their artistically shot videos, including "Pretty Child", "Trapped" and "Sleep". "Pretty Child" created history by winning an Asia-wide MTV Video Music Award (Asian Viewer's Choice) in 1994. Indus Creed had truly arrived.

Other notable achievements of the pioneering band included touring the USSR, the UK and the Middle East; playing to over 50,000 people in Bombay when they opened for Bon Jovi; and being invited to jam onstage with GN'R guitar player Slash for MTV India's launch in Bangalore.

Mark Menezes left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Bobby Duggal, who left in 1995 and was replaced by Adrian Fernandes. Indus Creed disbanded in 1999, when Uday Benegal and Jayesh Gandhi moved to New York City with their new Indo-rock band Alms For Shanti. Alms For Shanti released two albums—the first one was self-titled; the follow-up, a Hindi-language version called "Kashmakash".

Uday Benegal moved back to Bombay in 2008. He regrouped with Mahesh Tinaikar and Zubin Balaporia in 2010 to relaunch Indus Creed along with two new recruits—Rushad Mistry (bass) and Jai Row Kavi (drums). The reunion was met by fans and the media with massive enthusiasm, which was quickly followed by a tour called "The Reboot Tour."

Indus Creed are currently working on a new album which they plan to release sometime in 2011. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.