Strawberry Fields: Your Chin, Black Letters among bands set to perform at National Law School's annual music fest

Strawberry Fields, the National Law School of India University, Bangalore’s annual music festival is set to kick off on 4 January 2019, welcoming the new year with a three-day long spectacle of music and melody.

The festival aims to provide a platform for new talent in varied musical genres to compete with other semi-professional artists and showcase their talent to a crowd of some 3,000 odd people that would come together for the event. Bands such as Thermal and a Quarter, Pentagram to Motherjane, have contested for the ultimate prize in the previous editions.

Strawberry Fields first hosted a competition for upcoming Indian bands in 1996. John Simte, the convener of the event, recalls how Strawberry Fields started out as an initiative by a bunch of Beatles’ fans who decided to name the festival as such after the popular Beatles song. Over a period of time, the fest has become one of the biggest platforms for budding artists looking for an opportunity to put themselves on the national music scene.

Jazz Kidding, an upcoming band, said of the music scene in India, “Compared to a lot of other countries, the music scene hasn’t reached its peak yet, but it has been developing over the past few years due to the appreciation and recognition of home-grown bands.” Of Strawberry Fields, the band had to say that it will be important for the development of the Indian music scene as it provides the support that local bands need to showcase their talent.

The 2019 edition boasts of bands such as the alternative/indie rock band Inner Sanctum, Your Chin and Black Letters among others who will be performing at the event. With free entry to audiences across the country, the event promises to be a gathering of around 40 amateur bands from around India competing in a three-day long battle.

Shorthand, one of the bands that will be participating in the 2019 edition said, “Strawberry Fields is a great launch pad for bands who truly desire and deserve to play professionally, full time.”

Strawberry Fields will go on from 4 January to 6 January at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. More about the event here .