A Brief History of I-Rock Through The Ages

Independence Rock or IRock as it is popularly known, has played a pivotal role in the development of the rock and metal scene in India.

It has always been a dream for every band in the country to play at one of the country’s most prestigious rock festivals.

Established in 1986 by Farhad Wadia, the festival was born out of spite for Malhaar, a local college festival that cancelled Farhad’s band Mirage a week before their performance.

Determined to perform Farhad decided to play at the venue across the road, which was none other than Rang Bhavan, the iconic venue which helped shaped Independence Rock into what it is today.

Independence Rock has had a rich roster of a wide variety of artists over the years, from national rock and metal heroes like Pentagram, Millenium, Demonic Resurrection, Indus Creed, and Parikrama to renowned Bollywood musicians like AR Rahman, Shiamak Davar, and KK.

In 2011 Irock did the unthinkable, this time the festival was spread out in 5 different cities with each performance being broadcasted live on television simultaneously.

A first for any rock/metal festival in the country, a milestone for the history of independent music in India.

Independence Rock is set to make a comeback this year, even though a lot has changed, as big music festivals like NH7 and Ziro become the order of the day, the fans are just as excited today as they were back then.

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