Rishu Singh: The Man Who Shaped The Alternative Scene In India

One cannot talk about the history of independent music in India without mentioning acts like Indus Creed, Scribe, Pentagram, Demonic Resurrection, Something Relevant, Madboy/Mink, and Zero.

While there have been many who have played a pivotal role in establishing this scene, when it comes to alternative music there is only one name that comes to mind.

Tribute to Rishu Singh at CAD 12 through a mural by graffiti artist Zake.

Rishu Singh started his career in the early 2000s when he created his company ennui.BOMB, which regularly booked bands and hosted gigs at venues like Razzberry Rhinoceros, while also releasing compilation albums like We Are The Scene (2004) and Stupid Ditties (2006) which featured some of the finest acts in the country such as The Superfuzz, Medusa, Split and The Supersonics.

In his later years, Rishu created the New Wave Asia festival, which was headlined by the legendary Japanese punk band Shonen Knife, while also creating Control Alt Delete (CAD), a fully crowdfunded multistage music festival by the fans, for the fans.

Rishu Singh has played a pivotal role in creating and popularizing the indie/alternative scene. A scene that started with only a few people at shows, has now become a part of the mainstream with festivals like NH7 weekender.

Sadly, Rishu Singh passed away in 2019 after his short illness. His legacy will never be forgotten.

Also read: The Punks of India

Agosh: India's First major pop-punk band.

Browse through The Revolver Club - Rock Collection