Varun Gupta

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Varun Gupta has been working as a freelance musician; more specifically as a professional tabla player and percussionist for the last seven years. He has helped various music groups and individuals from various colleges in Delhi University, as an accompanist. He has worked with accomplished artists like Ustad Kamal Sabri (son of Padmabhushan Ustad Sabri Khan), Suhail Yusuf Khan (grandson of Padmabhushan Ustad Sabri Khan), and popular bands like Advaita, Five8 etc. He has shared the stage with bands like Indian Ocean, Euphoria, Parikrama, Soulmate, and many more. He is also a member of a Delhi-based band called Fire Exit, now known as ‘Sage and the Comets’, which has been performing LIVE for the last seven years. Together, they have played multiple shows within and outside Delhi. They have also played numerous music festivals such as the Independence Rock Festival, Rocktober Festival, Pubrock Festival, and other college festivals. In 2010, they performed at the Jaipur Literature Festival where they also launched their first album called ‘OKBye’. In the year 2011, they performed at the NH7 Weekender Festival in Pune, alongside bands like Advaita, The Raghu Dixit Project and the Grammy-award-winner Imogen Heap. Achievements: FIRE EXIT The Friends of Music Concert, March 2014, organized by Teamworks Arts The Shri Music Festival, Shri Ram School, Moulsari (April 2013) NH7 Weekender pre-party show, The Media Café (October 2012) WYSIWYG Conference, Westin Hotel, Gurgaon (October 2012) Zee Café gig for World Environment Day, Hard Rock Café, New Delhi (June 2012) Subhadra – winner of the best female vocalist of the year, Jack Daniels Rock Awards, Mumbai, February 2012 Blue Frog, New Delhi (February 2012) Opening ceremony at the Channel V Spot Bar, Gurgaon (February 2012) Hard Rock Café, New Delhi (February 2012) New Years’ Eve at Circa 1193, New Delhi (December 2011) Christmas night at Tryst Musicafe, New Delhi (December 2011) Winners of Ray Ban Never Hide Sounds Challenge; winning leg concert with Pentagram and Something Relevant, Mumbai (December 2011) Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Pune (November 2011) Bacardi NH Weekender Pre launch gig at Bahi, Gurgaon (November 2011) Headlined Saturday Nights at The Stage, Manajsa (November 2011) Headlined Friday Nights at Ricks, Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi (September 2011) Tryst MusiCafe Saturday Nights, 4 Shows (September 2011) Headlined Friday Nights at The Stage, Manajsa, New Delhi (September 2011) Headlined Zook Friday Nights, New Delhi (September 2011) Mirchi Soundcheck with Indigo Children, Turquoise Cottage, New Delhi (September 2011) Headlined Striker Pub and Brewery Thursday Nights, Gurgaon (September 2011) Headlined Tryst MusiCafe Saturday Nights, New Delhi (August 2011) Headlined Friday Nights at The Stage, Manajsa, New Delhi (August 2011) Headlined opening show of The Gig Week, Turquoise Cottage, New Delhi (July 2011) Rolling Stone Magazine Night at the Living Room Café, New Delhi (June 2011) Acoustic Nights at The International Diner, New Delhi (April/May/June 2011) Album Launch Show at News Café, New Delhi (February 2011) Album Launch Show at Kyra Theatre, Bangalore (February 2011) Album-launch show at Jaipur Literature Festival, Jaipur (January 2011) RSJ Great Indian Rock build-up gig, TC, New Delhi (December 2010) Acoustic set at Cafe Oz, New Delhi (December 2010) Hard Rock Café Nights, New Delhi (October 2010) Played at the Carlsberg Oktober Fest, New Delhi/Gurgaon (September/October 2010) Acoustic set at Come Together Foundation’s annual conference, CJM (September 2010) RSJ Pubrockfest with Thermal and a Quarter at Attitude, Gurgaon (August 2010) RSJ Pubrockfest with Nicotine at On the Rocks, Indore (August 2010) Acoustic set at Clef Jam, The International Diner (August 2010) Hard Rock Café Nights, New Delhi (July 2010) Two-hour concert at Epicenter, Gurgaon (July 2010) RSJ Pubrockfest, The Rock, Jaipur (December 2009) Fire Exit’s ‘The Village Song’ featured on Stupid Ditties 3: a compilation of the best non-metal music in India! Acoustic Nights at Pizza Marzano (November 2009) RSJ Rocktoberfest, New Delhi (with Skinney Alley, MIDIval Punditz, Advaita, Thermal and a Quarter, Raghu Dixit Project, etc. Independence Rock XXIV North India finals (1st) Gurgaon (September 2009) Acoustic show-cum-interview with Fever 104FM (October 2009) Independence Rock XXIV Prelims, Café Morrison (September 2009) Acoustic set at Pizza Marzano, Ansal Plaza (September 2009) UTV Movies and Music gig at Mocha Bar, New Delhi (September 2009) Acoustic set at AI, The Jazz Lounge, MGF Metropolitan (September 2009) Acoustic set at Pizza Marzano, DLF Promenade (September 2009) Headlined Xtrme Futsol along with Five8, Under Siege, IIT Delhi (August 2009) Acoustic show on Radio Meow (May 2009) Breakfast Jam, HIT 95 FM (March 2009) RSJ LIVE Nites at Turquoise Cottage (February 2009) Channel V Launchpad 3, Mumbai (January 2009) Headlined Nexus 2008 at Venky, along with Euphoria (December 2008) Headlined Harmony 2008 at Hindu College (December 2008) Headlined Tempest 2008 at Miranda College, along with Soulmate (December 2008) Winners at Rockamania at IIFT, New Delhi (November 2008) Played at Tarang, Lady Shri Ram College (November 2008) Played at Pearl Academy of Fashion's annual festival, Hamsadhwani Theatre (October 2008) Played Independence Rock Winners Lap at Café Morrison (September 2008) Played Independence Rock Prelims at Blues, New Delhi (August 2008) Subhadra nominated in the best female vocalist category at Jack Daniels Music Awards, 2008 M M L selected to be on Stupid Ditties 2 (best non-metal music in India) album, released by Counter Culture Records (November 2008) Two-page story carried out by Time Out Delhi magazine (June 2008) M M L reviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine (rated 4 stars) ( June 2008) Selected to play at Fete de la Musique, Alliance Francaise, Chennai (June 2008) RSJ Pubrockfest, NCR (June 2008) Interview-cum-two-hour LIVE acoustic show, with HIT 95 FM (June 2008) Runners-up at Ultimate Santana Challenge (April 2008) Acoustic set interview with HIT 95 FM (April 2008); M M L featured on ‘Sound of the Indian Underground Music’ First runners-up at Amitech (2008) Played at Hindustan Times I LOVE DELHI, series of concerts (total 12 shows), along with Manthan Headlined concerts held at MGF Mega City (Gurgaon), TDI Paragon (Rajouri Garden), Shipra Mall (Ghaziabad), and Centrestage Mall (Noida) (March 2008) 1st Runners-up at Blizzard 2007, Matrieyi College, New Delhi (December 2007) Played at Nexus’2007 (Sri Venkateshwara College, New Delhi), with Indian Ocean and Advaita (December 2007) Headlined Tehelka Musical Evening with Mrigya (December 2007) Royal Challenge Rock Nites at Café Morrison (November 2007) Winners at ISBM Rock competition (November 2007) BITS Pilani Prelims (October 2007) IIT Delhi Prelims (September 2007) June Rock Out, Chennai (June 2007) – with BlackHole Theory [Mumbai], Hobos [Calcutta], Blood Covenant [Chennai], and Nerverek [Chennai] Headlined Joe Santana Jazz Festival at The Ashoka (May 2007) Winners of Rock competition at Amity Institute of Technology (March 2007) Winners at NIFT Rock Competition (Feb 2007) First runners-up at IMI Rock Competition (Feb 2007) Yamaha Roxx (Escape’07) at Chhattarpur (Feb 2007), with Them Clones and Frequency Yamaha Roxx at Chicane, Noida (January 2007), with Feedback and Prithvi Café Morrison, South Ex, Delhi (November/December 2006) WE2, GK, Delhi (October 2006), with Yagya The Killing Hours at Peppers, Bristol Hotel (Dec 2006), with The New Beginning and McPie Last Chance, Gurgaon (September 2006)   In 2013, Varun joined another band called ‘Susmit Sen Chronicles’, which has been formed by Susmit Sen, ex-lead guitarist of Indian Ocean. Few of the concerts that we have played together are listed below: United Unplugged Uttarakhand Concert at the Manhattan Brewery, Gurgaon (July 2013) The Virasat Festival’2013, at Ambedkar Stadium, Dehradun (October 2013) The SAARC (South Asian Bands Festival), at Purana Quila, New Delhi (December 2013) The Sounds of Freedom Concert organized by Teamworks Arts, at Okhla NSIC grounds (March 2014) The Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival’2014, organized by Genesis Foundation, Kasauli In January 2014, Varun also performed at the Canadian Embassy, New Delhi – with Kiran Ahluwalia, an Indo- Canadian singer/songwriter, and winner of the 2002 and 2012 Juno awards. In April 2014, he also performed with a musical called ‘Bollywood - A love story’ – produced by Teamworks Arts. It toured through Egypt, and did eight shows in three different cities – Cairo, Alexandria, and Hurghada.