PCRC dropped new songs and played their evergreen hits to an auditorium bursting with enthusiasts
Peter Cat Recording Co. (PCRC) performed in front of a jam-packed audience on Sunday, 7 June at the capital’s new performance space – Bianco in South Ex II. The band from Delhi delivered a homecoming concert that some in the crowd told this author was “unforgettable” and a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for them to have witnessed live. The energy was electric as a big audience waited for the band to begin late until 1030 PM.
The band began with their hit from Beta (2024), “Flowers R. Blooming” to a roaring crowd. Lead singer Suryakant Sawhney’s brilliant, expressive voice brought the entire club to a standstill. His bandmates, Karan Singh, Dhruv Bhola, Rohit Gupta and Kartik Sundareshan Pillai all sonically contributed immensely, but Sawhney carried through with main character energy.
The band then entertained audiences with some of their most popular and decorated songs, such as “People Never Change”, “Where the Money Flows”, “Shit I’m Dreaming”, “Foolmuse”, that had audiences humming to the tunes and singing along on top of their lungs. The gig’s strongest moment and a high point arrived at the very end. With a climactic cheer, sing-along, and wild dance with arguably their most popular song, “Memory Box”.
New music
The real treat, though, were the new songs that the band played. Melodies like “Namonia”, “Syncing”, “Seasons”, and “Collided”, were a mix of powerful dance-y tunes with disco and jazz influences and slow, mellow love songs that evoke a lot of emotions. One could also see a refreshing change in the ensemble’s instrumentation, but in keeping with the band’s signature jazzy, vibrant and ever-changing sound.
Audience reactions
The energy wasn’t just from the band; it was from the crowd as well. The audience was representative of the band’s appeal among generations, with a heady mix of Gen Z and millennials filling up the venue. I spoke with several fans as they left, and their responses were unanimous. Arnav and Kishore, recently graduated students attending their first PCRC concert, felt a great energy at the gig. “For the first time in our lives, we have the money to attend the artists we want to attend. It was our first PCRC concert, and we absolutely loved it. Even the songs that I knew I sang along, and the songs that I didn’t know, I could vibe along with them very well,” Arnav said. “I haven’t felt this much live energy in many artists… But this was insane. It’s one of my top concerts up till now,” said Kishore.
“I had a blast attending a gig of a group I discovered here in India. I was dumbstruck by the duo performance of the trumpeter and the lead singer”, said Tiphaine, a French concertgoer.
For Tanay Gupta, a communications professional, who hadn’t been exposed to the band before, an introduction into PCRC’s discography via a live show was “mesmerising.” “ The entire concert felt hypnotic and transported me to another realm. It was an experience that will stay with me until long after”, he said.
PCRC has grown from Delhi’s underground to the world stage, but this gig was a testament to them not having forgotten their indie roots. The new music is in keeping with their tradition of being better and feeling more urgent than the stuff released earlier. The band gave hungry fans a treat that came unexpectedly and raw.
Pictures courtesy of Siddhant Vashistha
