The charismatic frontman, Farhad Humayun on vocals and drums, Nasir Sain on Dhol & Aziz Ibrahim on guitars rocked out the band’s hit songs Jeet, Batti, Mahi, Neray Aah with a special Nimmi Nimmi that cast a melancholic spell over the audience, and a medley of the classic Sufi songs Ik Alif and Jindri Lutti at the Alchemy Festival 2015 on a Thursday night.
The crowd comprised an eclectic mix of English as well as an Asian presence, artists, and famous authors like William Dalrymple who described the band’s energetic performance as “FANTASTIC”. The legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain who was playing at the Royal Festival Hall next door to Overload expressed his disappointment at not being able to attend the Pakistani rhythm band’s show since they were both performing at the same time.
In an extraordinary coming together of people from the sub continent; Pakistanis and Indians in attendance sang enthusiastically with Farhad on Batti and Neray Aah while people watching the band for the first time picked up on the vibes of the music and danced throughout the 75 minute set.
Farhad attributed the popularity of the song Batti as evidence of Pakistani resilience and determination to move forward despite facing tough obstacles. Aziz’s guitars soared throughout the venue as he played a few runs with his teeth in the famous Hendrix style. Nasir Sain on dhol drove the beat of Overload’s signature Dhamaal while he whirled round like a carnival ride on fast forward. A true tribute to the band’s performance was the fact that everyone- from the Southbank management to the audio & lighting technicians danced, terming the band as the real ‘Organic Trance Band’. Overload has received major acclaim on the present tour, and is in talks for upcoming concerts throughout UK & Europe.
Following the London Alchemy show, the band is playing two nights at the Farsley Festival in Yorkshire and one night at the prestigious Rock n’ Roll club ‘Roadhouse’ in Manchester .
