Deaddiction

I still remember the days when I (along with my friends from the hospital) had to take Vinokur to a deaddiction center (a hospital). The two weeks or so that I spent with Vinokur there were the toughest days of my life.

Tonight, one of my friends called me and said that he had just had a fight with his family and didn’t have a place to stay. He asked me if he could stay over for the night at my apartment. I didn’t know what to say to him.

I asked him to see if he can find someone else, failing which, he can come over. I told him this because I know how I can appear unfriendly to people who are staying over with whom I’m not that comfortable in the first place. I had to be honest with him.

Well, later I found that he was drunk and was out of his mind when he called me. In sobriety, he apologized for the way he behaved but he also asked me if I can suggest him a way to get him out of alcoholism.

I offered him the same option – the same hospital. Of course, he has to help himself first and be motivated to quit the addiction. However, I feel that it’s my responsibility to get him out of this.

The question is why do I feel responsible to help people get rid of their addictions? Jerry (back from my hometown) wanted to quit cigarettes, Xander wanted to get rid of his alcoholism, and Vinokur had to get deaddicted from his soporifics. And now this.

The only person that I was successful with was Vinokur. I hope my friend will become a second.

The Banana Bar experience

After many months, I ventured out to the open - to the world of socializing in gay-friendly venues. As usual, my friend Vik, who organizes a monthly party at the Banana Bar, sent me an SMS invite. I politely responded saying that I had a rehearsal and hence could not attend. Vik playfully replied saying that I could make it after the rehearsal. Honestly, I was not expecting any reply, certainly not such a spontaneous one.

Suddenly, I felt like taking the plunge. I asked him if he could arrange some daddies for me. He replied saying that some older men are always there at the party. My curiosity was completely aroused - a new venue and the prospect of using my highly polished skills of flirting were too tempting. But I still did not have a date. I tried asking my dear friend Shruts, but she wasn't sure of making it.

I decided to delay the decision until after the rehearsal, which was a boring affair without the drummer. I messaged Shruts to ask if she was making it while waiting for her reply decided to head to the party. Sharing the share rickshaw to Malad station with three other smelly men was the worst part of the evening and made me wonder if I was smelling alright - remember that I was going to party not dressed appropriately after 12 hours of work + rehearsals.

I reached the venue relatively late and was pleased to see Vik come up to me to greet me as I placed an order for a beer. He said I looked more like 'Krishna' because I was dressed in a kurta and had my hair tied up in a ponytail. I replied saying that I was 'Kris' tonight and let my hair loose.

Soon I spotted a couple of friends at the terrace and I walked across the dance floor to meet them. On the way, I ran into a friend who had a very special message for me - I can't divulge the information now, wait for it! Then, the first surprise of the evening came to hug me. Sandy, my friend, whose Dad had rented his apartment to me and Vinokur when he visited me, was there to celebrate her wonderful sister Susie's birthday!

I spent about half an hour catching up with Sandy, Susie, and their gang of friends. Sandy and I go back 5 years, back when I was jamming with Xander and S - that long back, yes! We were so happy to catch up with each other. We reminisced the wonderful days when we would jam with me on the guitar and Sandy on vocals - we used to cover Jason Wade from Lifehouse then!

After that, I set out on my Daddy hunt. I went back to Vik and asked him he had seen any come in. He said he had spotted a few but was not sure where they were. I looked around and all I could see was the one guy that I had already met at a personals site a few months back. But he was busy with his friends.

Thankfully, they were showing the highlights of the Test match between India and South Africa on a big screen. I grabbed another beer and started watching the match. And then, all of a sudden, entered a white daddy with his relatively older-looking Indian friend.

It didn't take me much long me to go over to him and start a conversation. And he turned out to be a great guy! So, Vik kept his promise! And I met a lot of my friends. All in all, it was fun. Looking forward to being there, next time around, hopefully with Shruts!

As for the environment and the ambience, I liked the place better than 'Karma' or 'Let's Scream', where GayBombay parties usually take place. The terrace is a welcome relief to people like me who hate dancing and love conversations. Plus, this place is visited by a bunch of very sexy lesbian girls! So, thumbs up for Banana Bar!

2 becomes 3

Yesterday, I hope, would be marked as a day in my life where something changed it forever. Amongst the two major events that were scheduled to take place, only one did. And it went well. Confused? Cut to a couple of weeks back...

I had just made the Ideat Savant page for showcasing my own music. I had invited a bunch of people and bands that I know to become my friends on MySpace. Amongst them was a big band, somebody who I respected. After adding me as a friend, their front man gave me a message if I was interested in auditioning for them as a bassist. I had only awe for them as a band (they cover Alice In Chains) and I clarified that I am willing to give it a shot but I already had other projects. He said it was okay and asked me to turn up for an audition.

That audition was yesterday. And I'm happy to say that I passed the 'audition' and am part of the As Of Yet Untitled band. But don't get all excited! I'm not playing for the original band. They have decided to disband (this happened 3 days back) and start a new band. This band, as the front man (who also happens to be a Mallu) says is something experimental. We will jam over the period of 6 months or so to come up with a few tracks which we will record as an album and play live. I'm very happy and hopeful that this band can provide that hard edge that I'm missing in Noise Market and Shoonyas.

The major event that didn't take place was the re-union of the ex-Shade members. Well, don't drop your jaws yet. I and Xander have not yet reconciled in a way to accept each other as friends. E-boi's dream of him, Xander and me playing together in a band still shines bright inside him and he has talked to Xander and Vik (at whose place we used to jam at earlier) about a cover band. They had agreed and I had also agreed (despite the fact I vowed to not get involved with Xander again in music) because I think this might be a monetarily viable project. But as it always has been, the reunion never took place. I don't know for what reason, but just like the older days when everyone was so unprofessional and lazy, it didn't happen. I don't know what's coming up next in this front.

So, instead of 2 becoming 4 (if you consider Ideat Savant as well, it's 3 becoming 5), it just became 3 (or 4). I'm happy deep within.

Them Clones - unplugged - part 1

Today afternoon, as I wound up the last rites of my recordings, I remembered that one my favorite bands in India Them Clones are going to be performing on a double-header unplugged gig in town. I was all excited and after informing Vinokur that I had to leave for the gig, I left. Being the poor Mumbaikar that I am, I reached there about 2 hours earlier than the gig to avoid cover charges.

Understandably, I was alone without company without money to enjoy. I looked like a fool. There were hardly any people except those who were having their exorbitant meals. I envied them. To make me feel better, I decided to ring up Vinokur using the international calling card. We had a nice conversation despite the ambient music that was being played. I remembered what comfort meant with air-conditioning, easy music, a wonderful smell, good food and some ambience - something that Vinokur has grown used to, something that I can never get used to without feeling guilty of unaffordable luxury.

I happened to run into a friend of S./E-boil's colleague. But then, it was not that interesting and I spent a lot of time checking mail and blog entries of my blog roll. Soon I was bored again and I had talks with Professor X. and Vinokur. But by the next time, the music was a little louder and I found it difficult to listen to what they were saying. After hanging up with Vinokur for the second time in an hour, I settled into a high stool on a table in the middle to get the best sound possible. I happened to chat up with the vocalist from the band Scribe about jobs in the creative field.

Soon, the band started playing. It was simply super-fantabulastically-unreally-cool! They started with Jeremy (acoustic) which sounded even better than Pearl Jam's own 'unplugged' version excepting the lack of Vedder's vocals. My reason to go there was to listen to Alice In Chains being covered. They did cover three of their classics 'No Excuses', 'Would?' & 'Down in a Hole'. Apart from these they played 'Man who sold the World' by David Bowie/Nirvana, 'Pardon Me' by 'Incubus' etc. They were smart enough to play some of their own originals including the beaautiful Zephyretta twice!

There were inexplicable snags at the sound part of it with guitars going dead. But apart from that, the sound was amazing. The bass guitarist from the band was using a Washburn acoustic bass guitar which was sounding fabulous! Despite my hunger and craving to eat something there, I was able to enjoy the gig. At each and every moment during the set, I felt I belonged in the stage. If only the Xander, E-boi and me band had worked out.

On my way back I talked to Vinokur again on the phone. We were happy to realize that Vinokur sexual prowess was back to normalcy for the first time after the 'stroke' that he had sustained while he was in India. But all fun was spoilt after I came home when Vinokur took an unncessary 3 tylenol tablets for shoulder pain. He was being extremely careless again. Despite me asking him to not take anything other than what was required, he took something which could have been avoided. We hung up soon afterwards.

I am very pissed andy angry at him. I love him far too much to lose him to drugs. Again.