Underground Authority
Encyclopedia
Underground Authority [abbreviated as UA] is an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

/rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....

 band from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 formed in 2010. Their music is flavoured by a blend of protest poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

, rap
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....

, and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

. They are noted for their compositions which address corrupt politicians and political systems.
The current lineup includes Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer (lead vocals), Adil Rashid (lead guitar), Kuntal De (rhythm guitar), Soumyadeep Bhattacharya (bass guitar) and Sourish Kumar (drums).

Formation / early years / pre India's Got Talent

Underground Authority was formed in early 2010, when two of the previously existing acts from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, !Banned and Skydive collaborated to start a new band. They primarily performed in the premier pubs of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 and participated in major music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 events, including the Closed Mic / Best of open mic at Someplace Else
Someplace Else (Kolkata)
Someplace Else , [abbreviated as SPE] is a pub at the Park Street, Kolkata. The pub offers various kinds of drinks and food for its customers. Ever since it opened on 19 August 1994, Someplace Else, the British style pub at The Park Kolkata has dominated pub culture in the city...

 and Tuborg Unseen Underground Pub Rock festival. They were also the runners up at a national rock band competition, Yamaha Asian Beat 2010, held at Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...

 in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

.

On May 17, 2010 - They had performed at a concert in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 organized by Power 107.8 FM to help promote mass awareness on the extinction on Tigers in the country.
On July 16, 2010 - They had also been a part of a special night organized by popular city bands and individuals to offer a tribute to the Indian film music directors at the pub, 'Basement' at 'Samilton Hotel' in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

. They performed A.R.Rahman directed songs, 'Rukmini' and 'Humma Humma' in their own versions as a tribute to the former.

!Banned

!Banned was a rap-metal band from the city, comprising of Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer on the vocals, Kuntal De on the rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...

, Roheet Mukhejee on the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 and Anup Hela on the drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

.

They were mostly active from time period January 2009- March 2010 and had won many rock band competitions
held at the cultural festivals of colleges. Some of the notable are named below,
  • 'Outlawed/Rivet 2010' - NUJS (The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences), Annual cultural festival - Battle of bands winners.

  • 'Srijan 2010' - Indian School of Mines Dhanbad, Cultural Festival - 'Avalanche 2010' (Band competition) winners.

  • 'Rockophonix 2010' - National Institute of Technology, Durgapur
    National Institute of Technology, Durgapur
    The National Institute of Technology, Durgapur , formerly the Regional Engineering College , Durgapur, was established under an Act of the Parliament of India in 1960 as one of the eight RECs...

    , Annual Cultural Festival - Battle of bands winners.

  • 'Irock 2010'- Institute of Engineering and Management, Kolkata, Annual Cultural Festival - Band competition winners.

  • 'Integration 2010' ISI (Indian Statistical Institute
    Indian Statistical Institute
    Indian Statistical Institute is a public research institute and university in Kolkata's northern outskirt of Baranagar, India founded by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1931...

    , Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

    ), Cultural-tech Festival - Band competition winners.

  • 'Sanskriti 2010' - Jadavpur university
    Jadavpur University
    Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...

    , Cultural Festival organized by the students of the Engineering Department- Band competition Winners.

  • 'Spunkz' 2010 - Pailan College of Management and Technology, Annual Cultural Festival - Band competition winners.

  • 'Sanskriti 2010' - Jadavpur university
    Jadavpur University
    Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...

    , Cultural Festival organized by the students of the Arts Department - Band Competition winners.

  • 'Cacophony 2010' - Calcutta Institute of Engineering and Management
    Calcutta Institute of Engineering and Management
    Calcutta Institute of Engineering and Management is a Tertiary institution in Tollygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.The Institute was founded in 2003 with an aim to develop a “Center for Excellence”, by eminent educationalists, social workers and most importantly the Government of West Bengal...

    , Annual Cultural Festival - Battle of Bands winners.

  • 'Springfest 2010' - IIT KGP (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
    Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
    The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is an autonomous engineering, technology and management oriented institute of higher education established by the government of India in 1951...

    ), Annual Cultural Festival - 'Wildfire' battle of bands runners up.

  • 'AGON 2009' - Calcutta National Medical College
    Calcutta National Medical College
    Out of the six medical colleges in Kolkata , Calcutta National Medical College has its origin in the then founded National Medical Institute or "Jatiya Ayurbigyan Vidyalaya" on 1st of Baisakh in 1921. This institute is a product of the historical Non-cooperation movement. It was inaugurated by...

    , Annual Cultural Festival - Battle of bands winners.

  • 'MITALI 2009' - Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital
    Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital
    Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital is a medical teaching institution and hospital in Kolkata , the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It was previously known as Campbell Hospital.-History:...

    , Annual Cultural Festival - Battle of bands winners.

  • Calcutta Medical College (Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata) - Battle of bands, Winners, 2009.

  • 'Eclecia 2009' - Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata
    Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata
    Heritage Institute of Technology, popularly known as HITK is a renowned private engineering college as well as a top management college, located in Anandapur, Kolkata near the East Kolkata Township, in West Bengal, India.. It is affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata...

    , Annual Cultural Festival - 'On the rocks' band competition, third place winners.


On January 23, 2010, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, they had opened for Krishnakumar Kunnath, a famous Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...

 and were also awarded by him on stage, as the band had won the 'Times of Youth Challenge 2010' rock band competition organised by the Times of India and the Times group.

The band discontinued in April 2010, as the bass guitarist, Roheet Mukherjee left the band to join another city band Five Little Indians
Five little indians
Five Little Indians , is an alternative rock band based in Kolkata. The band was formed in January 2007. Five Little Indians merges melodic rock and a heavier sound with singer-songwriter sensibilities...

.

Skydive

Skydive started as a rap-rock side project that included Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer on the vocals/rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...

, Adil Rashid on the lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

, Soumyadeep Bhattacharya on the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, Bhaveen Juthani on the rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...

 and Sourish Kumar on the drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

.

Though the activity of the band didn't span for more than three months, from January to March 2010, the band had an unbeatable record of winning all the band competitions it had took part in at cultural festivals of colleges. The following are the competitions they took part in,
  • 'Oorja 2010' - Indian School of Mines Dhanbad, Cultural festival - Battle of bands winners.
  • 'Kritansh 2010' - KIIT University, Annual cultural festival, 'Holocaust 2010' - Band competition winners.
  • 'Almafiesta 2010' - Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Annual cultural festival, 'Euphony 2010' - Band competition winners.
  • 'Srijan 2010' - Shri Shikshayatan College
    Shri Shikshayatan College
    Shri Shikshayatan College its an undergraduate women's liberal arts college in Kolkata, India. It is affiliated with the University of Calcutta.-Notable alumnae:*Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal* Usha Ganguly, theatre director...

    , Annual cultural festival - Battle of bands winners.

On January 28, 2010, they took part and had won the band competition event at 'Caledonia 2010' - the annual cultural fest of Scottish Church College, Calcutta
Scottish Church College, Calcutta
The Scottish Church College is the oldest continuously running Christian liberal arts and sciences college in India. It is affiliated with the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education , the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education for the awarding of baccalaureate and post baccalaureate...

. Their original composition Private investigation of a microphone in Jerusalem was an instant hit among the audience and the judge, Radio Jockey Vineet of Red FM
Red FM (India)
Red FM is an Indian FM radio brand, with stations broadcasting at 93.5 megahertz in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Kanpur in addition to Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Gulbarga, Kochi, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Kannur,...

 93.5.

Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer (lead vocals)

Also known as E.P.R (emcee/ poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

/rapper), Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer is the frontman / emcee of the band, he's one of the first emcees / rappers in the city to make a mark. He is noted for his stage presence and passionate delivery of vocals. He's also the lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...

 of the band and is a follower of Anarchist Communism
Anarchist communism
Anarchist communism is a theory of anarchism which advocates the abolition of the state, markets, money, private property, and capitalism in favor of common ownership of the means of production, direct democracy and a horizontal network of voluntary associations and workers' councils with...

, which can be seen in his works.
Previously he used to often rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...

 / perform at Open Mic Sessions at Someplace Else
Someplace Else (Kolkata)
Someplace Else , [abbreviated as SPE] is a pub at the Park Street, Kolkata. The pub offers various kinds of drinks and food for its customers. Ever since it opened on 19 August 1994, Someplace Else, the British style pub at The Park Kolkata has dominated pub culture in the city...

, Park Hotel
The Park Hotels
The Park Hotels is a chain of five star hotels in India. The Park Hotels belong to the Apeejay Surrendra Group, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India...

, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 and was a very popular performer since then. His interactions with the audience are powerful and he frequently crowd surfs / stage dives at his performances.

Adil Rashid (lead guitar)

He is the Lead Guitarist of the band and is endorsed by Gibson Guitar Corporation
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...

. He specializes in playing different styles of music which include jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 and metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

. He's also the grandson of Mohammed Salim, who was one of the finest footballers of India at the time of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...

.

Kuntal De (rhythm guitar)

Kuntal is the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...

 guitarist in the band and is inspired by un-coventional styles of guitar playing.
He specializes in giving effects and states Tom morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...

 of Rage against the machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

 to be his idol. He is the son of Amritlal De, one of the renowned astrologers of the city.
After the death of his father in 2009, he took all the responsibilities of his father's office and started working as professional Astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...

.

During his '!Banned' days, he had also been a part of another mainstream Indian television reality show, MTV Rock On
MTV Rock On
MTV Rock On or Kukure Desi Beats Rock On with MTV is a show hosted on Mtv India.This show is a platform for musicians in India.-Hosts:The first season was hosted by VJ's Ayushmann and Anusha Dandekar.and the second season by Lisa Haydon and VJ Ayushmann....

, season one.

Soumyadeep Bhattacharya (bass guitar)

Soumyadeep Bhattacharya alias 'Bubla' is the bassist in the band. He states that he fell in love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...

 with the instrument called the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 when he first saw it in a shop.

Sourish Kumar (drummer)

Sourish is the drummer of the band and his style of playing is somewhat similar to likes of Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...

 and Jojo Mayer
Jojo Mayer
Jojo Mayer is a highly acclaimed Swiss drummer born in Zurich and currently resides in New York City.Mayer is the son of a touring musician and began his career as a drummer at an early age, receiving his first drum set at the age of two...

.

Musical influences

Underground Authority is known for its original compositions, which always tend to portray a political message which they term it as "Protest Poetry". Some of their popular original songs include,
  • "Microphone" (a tribute to the song Handlebars
    Handlebars (song)
    "Handlebars" is a song by Flobots. It was released as the first single from their debut album, Fight with Tools and is the group's largest success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in just less than three weeks after the single's release....

     by Flobots
    Flobots
    The Flobots are a political rock and hip hop musical group from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2000 by Jamie Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut Fight with Tools , featuring the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio in April 2008.-Early...

    )
  • "Realize" (a song which is completely based on the establishment of a classless society and Communism
    Communism
    Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

    ),
  • "You Can't Stop Us" (a song which speaks against Racism
    Racism
    Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...

    ),
  • "We Kill G.I. Joes" (a song which addresses the stereotypical society being dominated by the ideals of materialism
    Materialism
    In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...

    )


Apart from their originals their acts also include the rap-rock remixed versions of A R Rahman's songs -
  • "Urvashi"
  • "Humma Humma"
  • "Rukmani"
  • "Kabhi Kabhi Aditi"
  • "Maa Tujhe Salam
    Vande Mataram (album)
    Vande Mataram is a 1997 studio album by Indian musician A. R. Rahman. It is the largest selling Indian non-film album to date. It released on December 9, 1997 by Columbia Records, a music label under Sony Music...

    "


The band cites Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

, KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...

, Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

, Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...

, Public Enemy and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...

 as their biggest musical influences.

India's Got Talent - Khoj -2

Underground Authority tried their luck at the auditions of the second season of India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent (season 2)
The second season of India’s Got Talent started from July 30, 2010. It will air every Friday and Saturday at 9 pm on Colors.-Judges:Indian actress Sonali Bendre, Bollywood Director/Anchor Sajid Khan, and actress Kiron Kher are the season 2 judges.-Winners:...

, which is a large-scale televised entertainment variety show created by Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...

 and Syco TV. The show presents India's best unknown acts and talents, and made their maiden appearance on national television through Colors TV.
During the nationwide talent competition, the band covered A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...

's hits in their own style, which secured their position as one of the nine finalists in the show, earning them a huge fan following. During the competition, the band performed a song from the soundtrack of the Hindi action film Dabangg
Dabangg
Dabangg is a 2010 Hindi action film, directed by Abhinav Kashyap in his directorial debut and produced by Arbaaz Khan under the Arbaaz Khan Productions. The lead actors in the film include Arbaaz's elder brother, Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha...

, which starred guest judge Salman Khan
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...

.

The band received an overwhelming response from the Indian audience, winning the hearts of Indian celebrities, including Salman Khan, Sonali Bendre
Sonali Bendre
Sonali Bendre is an Indian actress and model. She has mostly starred in Bollywood films but has acted in many Telugu films as well as a number of Marathi, Tamil and Kannada films. She was also one of the four judges in the fourth season of Indian Idol and India's Got Talent...

, Nikhil Chinapa, Ayushmann Khurrana
Ayushmann Khurrana
Ayushmann Khurrana : Former Radio Jockey and now a Video Jockey and Television Anchor and soon to become Actor, Ayushmann Khurrana began as a contestant of the reality show MTV Roadies Season 2 which catapulted him to fame and he moved on to become a VJ on MTV as well as anchoring popular shows and...

 and Kiron Kher. Salman Khan requested them to remix the whole Dabangg soundtrack album, in their own unique style. After India's Got Talent, the band became known for twisting Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...

 songs and presenting them in their own style of music.

During the television shoot for the auditions of India's Got Talent (season 2)
India's Got Talent (season 2)
The second season of India’s Got Talent started from July 30, 2010. It will air every Friday and Saturday at 9 pm on Colors.-Judges:Indian actress Sonali Bendre, Bollywood Director/Anchor Sajid Khan, and actress Kiron Kher are the season 2 judges.-Winners:...

, in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, Nikhil Chinapa had liked their performance so much that he had instantly uploaded a status message on them on his account on the social networking site, Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

.

Side projects

After performing well in India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent is the Indian franchise of the Got Talent series, and is a cooperative effort between India's TV channel Colors and Britain's FremantleMedia. The first episode of India's Got Talent premiered on June 27, 2009. India's Got Talent follows the global Got Talent format, in which...

the band has started gaining fame. The band is currently working on their first album and are also recording the Dabbang Remix as a side project. The band has already released a Dabangg (Scratch Demo) and will releasing the whole album soon. The band is also working on stage shows.

Professional career

The band has toured and performed at events across India, including college festivals and concerts. They have has also raised funds for charities and welfare projects on subjects like education, healthcare, livelihood, women empowerment, and advocacy.
  • In October 1, 2010, The band had signed with Sony BMG Artist Management Group and they are currently working on their major label debut album, with a double disc album set to release in the latter part of 2011.

  • On October 29, 2010, They were invited to pay a visit to the office branch of 'Smile Foundation India' in Delhi
    Delhi
    Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

     a national level NGO of India. They spent a lot of time with the kids there, interacting with them and also gave motivating lectures to help improve their lives.
  • On October 30, 2010, the band had headlined, 'Kritva 2010' - which is the annual cultural festival for International Management Institute, Delhi
    Delhi
    Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

    .
  • On December 12, 2010 In 2010, they were honored with an award in recognition and appreciation for their talent by the deputy CM of Jharkhand
    Jharkhand
    Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...

     at a performance in Salt Lake, Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

    .
  • On 19 December 2010, Underground Authority headlined The Great TTIS Challenge, a seven days longing music and arts festival organised by The Telegraph (Kolkata)
    The Telegraph (Kolkata)
    The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...

    .
  • On December 24, 2010, they performed at Tata Docomo Rock er Thek, marking the highest number of individuals in attendance at an Underground Authority concert. the audience was reported by the organisers to be over 30,000 persons.
  • On December 31, 2010, they performed at 'Bhavishya 2010' - a rock concert, in Guwahati
    Guwahati
    Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...

    .
  • On January 16, 2011 they headlined the annual cultural fest of Shri Ram Group of Colleges, 'Sanskriti 2011' in Gwalior.
  • On January 18, 2011, they headlined the annual cultural fest of Disha Institute of Management and Technology, Raipur, Chattisgarh.
  • On January 20, 2011, they were invited by JPR events and AIE creations to perform in a concert at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
    Madhya Pradesh
    Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

    .
  • On January 21, 2011, they were invited to perform as celebrity / guest performers at 'Mecca 2011' - the annual cultural festival for Hindu College, University of Delhi
    Hindu College, University of Delhi
    Hindu College, Delhi is one of the oldest and well-known colleges in India, that was set up in 1899. It is under the affiliation of University of Delhi.It has seen enviable growth over the years. It offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses in Science, Humanities and Commerce...

    . Other celebrity acts also included, Daler Mehndi
    Daler Mehndi
    Daler Mehndi , born August 18, 1967, is an Indian Bhangra pop singer.Mehndi was a student of traditional Punjabi music and his first album broke sales records in India. Since 1995 he has recorded several highly successful albums in India, and also sung as a playback singer for several Hindi movies...

    , a famous India
    India
    India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

    n bhangra pop
    Pop music
    Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

     singer.
  • On January 29, 2011, they headlined the annual cultural fest, 'Xavostav 2011' organised by St. Xavier's College, Calcutta
    St. Xavier's College, Calcutta
    St. Xavier's College is located in Kolkata, India, and is named after St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit saint of the 16th century, who travelled to India. It is an autonomous college affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It gained autonomy in July 2006, thus becoming the first autonomous college of...

    . 'Xavotsav' also happens to be one the biggest college fests in India. The fest also had Torsha Sarkar of Indian Idol 4
    Indian Idol 4
    Registration for season 4 began on April 1, 2008. The winner of the show for this season was announced on 1 March 2009. The fourth season have Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar on the hot seats as they take judges' chair once again for the show...

     and Remo Fernandes
    Remo Fernandes
    Luís Remo de Maria Bernardo Fernandes, more popularly known as Remo Fernandes is a pop/rock/Indian fusion artist and playback singer from the state of Goa, India. His musical work is a fusion of many different cultures and styles he's been exposed to as a child in Goa and in his later travels...

     along with Underground Authority as the list of special acts for the same.
  • On February 14, 2011, they headlined as the guest performers of 'Rubaab 2011' - a state level rock band competition organised by Radio Choklate 104 FM, Bhubaneshwar. The other acts, also included the dancer Harihar Dash, who's also one of the finalist of India's Got Talent
    India's Got Talent
    India's Got Talent is the Indian franchise of the Got Talent series, and is a cooperative effort between India's TV channel Colors and Britain's FremantleMedia. The first episode of India's Got Talent premiered on June 27, 2009. India's Got Talent follows the global Got Talent format, in which...

    , season 2.
  • On March 13, 2011, the band headlined the annual cultural fest - 'Glockenspaniel 2011' organised by Seacom Engineering College at Nazrul Manch, Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

    . Other performing acts at the event also included Cactus (Indian band)
    Cactus (Indian band)
    Cactus is an Indian Bangla rock band from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Since inception they have played on over 2500 stages.-History:Cactus was formed in 1992...

     and Sumedha Karmahe of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007
    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007
    Hero Honda – Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 is an Indian Television singing competition that premiered on 4 May 2007 and ran until 13 October 2007. It is the 2nd instalment of the "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge" series and the 4th public voting competition in the "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" series...

    .
  • On March 23, 2011, the band had headlined the annual cultural fest - 'Vibgyor 2011' organised by Geethanjali college of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad.
  • On March 28, 2011, the band had headlined the annual cultural fest - 'Spoculit 2011' organised by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University
    Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University
    Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University is a university in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one of the autonomous law schools in India....

    , Lucknow
    Lucknow
    Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....

    .
  • On April 1, 2011 the band had headlined the annual cultural fest - 'Sangamam 2011' organised by Maturi Venkata Subba Rao Engineering college, Hyderabad.
  • On April 12, 2011, the band had headlined the annual cultural fest of National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur
    National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur
    National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur , formerly Regional Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, is a technology higher education institute located at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India...

    .
  • On April 15, 2011, the band had headlined the annual cultural fest - 'Zeal-2011' organized by B.C.Roy Engineering College, Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

    .

  • On April 23, 2011 the band had headlined at 'Mesmerizer 2011' - the annual cultural fest of Netaji Subhas Engineering College, Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

    . The other acts in the event also include Javed Ali
    Javed Ali
    Javed Ali is an Indian playback singer. He has been singing in Hindi movies from 2000 but shot to fame in 2007 when he sang the song "Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein" from the movie Naqaab and thereafter another big hit "Jashn-e-Bahaaraan" from the movie Jodhaa Akbar . He is currently one of the leading...

    , a famous Indian playback singer.
  • On June 17, 2011, the band performed at 'BJ beats 2011' - the annual cultural fest organised by BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad
    Ahmedabad
    Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...

    .
  • On June 18, 2011, the band had performed at Live In Concert Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

    , organised by Bickram Ghosh
    Bickram Ghosh
    Bickram Ghosh is an Indian tabla player performing in Hindustani classical music as well as Fusion music....

    , Siddha, and little-eye group, to help uplift the standards of music in the city. The other acts during the concert also included the Cavatina Duo from Bosnia.
  • On July 17, 2011, they performed at 'Someplace Else
    Someplace Else (Kolkata)
    Someplace Else , [abbreviated as SPE] is a pub at the Park Street, Kolkata. The pub offers various kinds of drinks and food for its customers. Ever since it opened on 19 August 1994, Someplace Else, the British style pub at The Park Kolkata has dominated pub culture in the city...

    ', Park Hotel
    The Park Hotels
    The Park Hotels is a chain of five star hotels in India. The Park Hotels belong to the Apeejay Surrendra Group, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India...

    , Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

     on the occasion of a special musical week where popular city acts like Cassini's Division
    Cassini's Division
    Cassini's Division are an alternative rock band from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Formed in 2001, they are named after the Cassini Division, the largest gap in the Rings of Saturn.- Testing Times and Change :...

     had also performed.
  • On August, 8, 2011, They were featured on an interview for 'Curry Smugglers' with Salman Ahmed of Junoon.
  • On mid August, 2011, They were also a part of NDTV
    NDTV
    NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...

     marks for sports, which is a mass awareness campaign and that intends to get sports as a compulsory subject in the educational system of schools and colleges. They were called to make a guest performance at St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School
    St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School
    St. John's Diocesan Girls' H S School, , is situated in the city of Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was established in 1894. Standing on the crossing of Sarat Bose Road and Elgin Road in South Kolkata.-Overview:The school is one of the oldest girl's schools of Kolkata...

     and also to motivate students towards sports. The other notable guests who were called at the Kolkata
    Kolkata
    Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

     campaign are Rohan Gavaskar
    Rohan Gavaskar
    Rohan Sunil Gavaskar is an Indian cricketer who has played in 11 One Day Internationals. He is a specialist middle-order left-handed batsman and an occasional slow left arm orthodox bowler. He studied at St...

     and Kunal Kapoor
    Kunal Kapoor
    Kunal Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi cinema.-Career:Kapoor began his career as an assistant director on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Aks. He began his acting career training under theatre legend Barry John. He continued his theatre career with Motley, a theater group run by...

    . The whole performance was shown on NDTV
    NDTV
    NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...

     24X7, in the month of September, 2011.


  • On September, 1, 2011, They were invited to perform at 'Elixir 2011' - The annual cultural fest of B.P.Poddar Institute of Management and Technology. Other acts like Jal (band)
    Jal (band)
    Jal is a pop rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The band originally consisted of song writer, vocalist and lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz and vocalist, Atif Aslam...

     and Fossils (band)
    Fossils (band)
    Fossils is a Bangla Rock band formed in Kolkata, West Bengal, India in 1998.The group is considered one of the pioneering rock acts in Kolkata's Bangla music scene....

     were on the performing list of the fest.
  • On September, 9, 2011, They were invited to perform at 'Agon 2011' - The annual cultural fest of Calcutta National Medical College
    Calcutta National Medical College
    Out of the six medical colleges in Kolkata , Calcutta National Medical College has its origin in the then founded National Medical Institute or "Jatiya Ayurbigyan Vidyalaya" on 1st of Baisakh in 1921. This institute is a product of the historical Non-cooperation movement. It was inaugurated by...

    . Other notable performances in the fest also included a performance by Javed Ali
    Javed Ali
    Javed Ali is an Indian playback singer. He has been singing in Hindi movies from 2000 but shot to fame in 2007 when he sang the song "Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein" from the movie Naqaab and thereafter another big hit "Jashn-e-Bahaaraan" from the movie Jodhaa Akbar . He is currently one of the leading...

    .
  • On September 22, 2011, They headlined 'Blitz 2011' - The annual cultural fest of NSHM Knowledge Campus, at Vidya Mandir, Kolkata. Other notable acts also included Anupam Roy
    Anupam Roy
    Anupam Roy is an Indian, Bengali lyricist, composer and singer who is best known for his song Amake amar moto thakte dao from Autograph . Anupam has written and composed more than 150 Bengali songs.-Early life:Born and brought up in Calcutta, Anupam completed his schooling from St...

     and band.
  • On November 20, 2011, They were invited to headline 'Vibes 2011' - The annual inter-school festival organized by The Statesman
    The Statesman
    The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...

    .
  • They were also invited to make a guest performance on an episode of the 4th season of Bigg Boss
    Bigg Boss (Season 4)
    Bigg Boss 4 in 2010 was the fourth season of Indian reality TV show Bigg Boss, which aired on Colors from October 3, 2010. This season was longer than its predecessor, Bigg Boss 3 and lasted for 14 weeks ending on January 8, 2011...

    , a Indian rendition of Big Brother
    Big Brother (TV series)
    Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...

    .

Guitars

  • Schecter
    Schecter Guitar Research
    Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known as simply as Schecter, is a US guitar manufacturer. The company was founded in 1976 by David Schecter and originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson...

     ATX Black Jack
  • Schecter
    Schecter Guitar Research
    Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known as simply as Schecter, is a US guitar manufacturer. The company was founded in 1976 by David Schecter and originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson...

     Hellraiser
  • ESP EC50
  • Gibson Les Paul
    Gibson Les Paul
    The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...

  • Hagström
    Hagström
    Hagström is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the sixties, the company started making electric guitars and later...

     Jazz
  • Parker Fly
    Parker Fly
    The Parker Fly is a type of electric guitar built by Parker Guitars. It was designed by Ken Parker and Larry Fishman, and first produced in 1993. The Fly is unique among electric guitars in the way it uses composite materials. It is notable for its light weight and resonance...


Pedals

  • Distortion Pedal
  • Digital Delay
    Delay (audio effect)
    Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...

     Pedal
  • Chorus
    Chorus effect
    In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...

     Pedal
  • Phaser Pedal
  • Flanger
    Flanger (music)
    The Flanger project was founded in 1997 by Uwe Schmidt and Bernd Friedmann , who have both been active in the music business since the early 1990s. The two musicians met up to program their first album Templates at Mira Musica, Santiago de Chile in 1997...

     Pedal
  • Volume Control Pedal

Tracks

Criticism

In spite of their huge success, the band has not been free of criticism. They were criticised by Sajid Khan
Sajid Khan
Sajid Khan is a former Indian actor. He is the adopted son of Indian film producer Mehboob Khan, founder of Mehboob Studios, in India.-Career:...

 and Kiron Kher for turning A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...

's hit "Humma Humma" into a rap rock song in one of the episodes of India's Got Talent. Many music lovers have criticized them for being trying to emulate the acts of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...

 and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

. In one act they were seen to bang the guitar on the stage. This act was highly criticized by many sections of the audience. Sajid Khan
Sajid Khan
Sajid Khan is a former Indian actor. He is the adopted son of Indian film producer Mehboob Khan, founder of Mehboob Studios, in India.-Career:...

 and Kiron Kher even criticized the band of trying to show aggression on the stage rather than letting the music do its job.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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