Tripwire (band)
Tripwire is a pop punk/punk band based in the city of Mumbai in India.
Tripwire was formed around a time when the Indian rock scene was unaware of the sounds of punk rock. Formed in 2002, Tripwire comprises Ameya (Guitars/Vocals/Stand up comedy), Sagar (Bass/Vocals) and Aditya (aka Jack, Drums/Vocals). The band played their first gig at IIT Mumbai’s Livewire competition. Ameya recalls their first performance vividly. “As soon as we told the organizers that we are a ‘punk’ band, they gave us the first slot of the competition,” he reminisces.
So Tripwire played their first gig at 3 in the afternoon to an audience of two, and punk rock had arrived!
Tripwire continued playing their brand of “punk rock” music at venues such as a denim showroom launch, a fashion college festival, Tantra at Pune, a fresher’s night at an IT institute, Slap Pop - an alternative fest, a terrace gig, etc. opening for helpful bands like Psychomotor.
2004 saw Tripwire headlining their first proper show—the Smells Like Punk Spirit gig at Razz Rhino. Things changed for the better as Tripwire got professional management from ennui.BOMB. A blitzkrieg of gigs followed—Rock By The Beach, Alternative Nation, and the series of Punk-O-Ramas, creating a niche not only for themselves but the sounds of punk rock and emerging punk bands. Newer challenges followed. These included a two-hour set at Not Just Jazz By The Bay, an all-acoustic set at The Boat Club, Knife Party (where they played as P.A.O – Punkaj Art Orchestra!) and at RAM Fest in Pune. The band distributed copies of their EP freely to whoever cared at all their gigs, helping spread their sound.
It was around this time that the band got its major break. Tripwire took Indian punk rock to the next level by being the first punk band ever to be chosen to play at Mumbai’s prestigious Independence Rock (2004) competition.
Their single Norm The Guy Is Cool has been featured in ennui.BOMB’s compilation of Indian rock music called We ARE The Scene – Vol. One. Their live performance of the same track at Independence Rock 2004 has been featured in Enter-Exist-Exit, India’s first rock videos compilation. WATS 2 featured Tripwire’s single—That’s Not What I Want.credit
The band also released a VCD of their performance at GIR 9 in Delhi on front man Ameya’s newly formed record label—CT Records. By being selected for and having rocked Delhi at RSJ’s Great Indian Rock 2005, Tripwire has proved that having musical influences that range from Bad Religion and Black Flag to Green Day and The Ramones ain’t that bad after all.
The band has been rocking all of 2006 with a fresh sound. Playing prestigious shows like Bad Ideas, Rock Against Reservation and the Warzone series. The band recently played Calm Like A Bomb in Delhi and an all-original set at IIT Mumbai’s Livewire elims. The band also played at a pre-launch gig for the first ever JD Indian Rock Awards in Delhi recently.
The band currently has finished recording, mixing and mastering "StandBy" their debut album, at Dynamic Studios. Major part of the album is recorded by people who have no prior exposure to the rock scene, but experts in their own right, which ensures that the band has a different sound than what you have ever heard earlier. The album also has tracks recorded at the now defunct and once classic throatlatch studios and one track recorded at Over the top studios with Fali Damania(name says it all). Says Ameya, " We are pricing the album at Rs. 400, but that does not imply that we intend to sell it at that price. Its just what we feel is the worth of the album. A lot of promotional offers will be put up and we will make sure that the average rocker who gives a F**k for the band will not be ripped"
Currently Tripwire is working on their 2nd Album. Release expected in December 2007.
You can contact Tripwire through email here: tripwire@rediffmail.com / info@ennuidotbomb.com or through telephone at 98192 88798 (Rishu) 98691 10033 (jack) 98206 59605 (sagar)
Tripwire is managed by ennui.BOMB.