Interview with The Dirty Strikes
Club Muzik's ARTISIA - voice of the stars

Club Muzik *

The Dirty Strikes

The Dirty Strikes is a Post-Punk, Indie Rock Band from Manipur.

Club Muzik: Q1. How do you relate the word meaning of The Dirty Strikes to the band?
TDS - Quite a question everytime we give our answer to interview, this is the very fast question we have to face all the time Why the name The Dirty Strikes Well as we came from all different background we share a common thing at the end and thats the music. Being a youth of Imphal we wanna do something different from others which no one had experienced. Here we want people to hear something new so back in 2010 Jan we come out in this name The Dirty Strikes an Indie, post-punk band and not to forget we love and respect dirty people they are very original.

Club Muzik: Q2. Where does the band usually hang out? Tell us some of the best places you usually hang out here in Manipur with band mates?
TDS - Most of the time we hang out at Chumthang Studio, Nagamapal where we usually jam and apart from this we hang out in this awesome place called A2Z, Kwakeithel what a place people are really energetic there, good vibes , tasty food, delicious tea and yes the ower Tamo Donald he is such a music lover and we connect easily . Do visit sometime if you haven’t touched your feet there. All smile!!!

Club Muzik: Q3. What were the responses from fans to your debut music video, Good Damaged Girl?
TDS - When we started performing as a band the music scene that time was kind of down but we never stop we believed in ourselves and our music, we hold our ground and as a reason of that we made this video Good Damaged Girl we don’t wana take the credit alone we like this thanks our fans, family, manager and everyone and yes it was quite a success oh and thanks to you (ClubMuzik) for hosting the released show at Classic hotel.

Club Muzik: Q4. To get the perfect taste of the musical sound we need to the right musical equipment’s. Tell us about the best things you would wanted to give the perfect touches to your type of music or share us if you already have what you need the best?
TDS - It depend on modern sound equipments. Every now and then new equipment’s are emerging. The dexterity of the sound engineer is also a factor to determine the perfectness of the performance. In case of Studio recording also novelty of the studio equipment’s are also a factor.

Club Muzik: Q5. A part of the band but not seen on frontlines, share us about behind the scene functioning and operations of the band?
TDS - Well this day we are staying low as our drummer is at Delhi so we are just preparing yourself for some big fest this year outside Manipur. But we feel good to see some new Indie's band from Imphal now we can say we are not alone.

Club Muzik: Q6. From the band's point of view what is indie music and how is the indie fans in the country as you experience at various gigs you participated in the country?
TDS - Indie as we all know stand for Independent it’s started at 80's and came to limelight in the 90's. Well many musicians have their own expression of Indie and when it comes to us we would like to say Indie music is very raw and honest music and it quite an experimental and lyrically it gives us something which can’t be express anyway try listening some www.Reverbnation.com/thedirtystrikes. Thanks you Since the day we first hit the stage we are getting positive vibes yeah negative vibes too truth to be told and yes performing outside our state has a different taste recently we played at Bombay now (Mumbai) for Vans fresh off the wall you won't believe us folks what a crowd dancing, singing our songs, trying to get fotos with us and lots of interview. We were welcome like anything wherever we played we smile we connect we get new fans. And lastly once we played for a Radio in Chennai F.M radio damn when the RJ keeping saying these boys from Manipur is awesome we were all like you know damn.

Club Muzik: Q7. What are the fames you enjoy being in a band from the rest of your friends who don't in schools and institutions you all attended?
TDS - Fames sounds cool really cool for your kind information we are still the regular kids hanging with our folks talking, laughing and so on and on but its our fans who thought we are famous we are but as you know we are very down to earth and got lots of sense of humour people thought we got lotsa ego's and false pride and the truth is we dint/don’t got anyway know us and you will know people. Tell you an episode when we were watching Hoobastank at Shillong some folks ( Manipuri's ) came to us and was bowing to us saying respect and we were ordinary people we hug each other and thanks them for supporting us through up's and down's .

Club Muzik: Q8. The band had played and attended some of the best music events in the country. How do you prepare and set yourselves for these gigs?
TDS - Each and every gigs big or small got thier own taste as we know thanks to Chumthang Studio for their times with us the most important thing for every gigs is how we fix out set list and how we delivered that to the particular crowd till now we are doing our best D.A.M fest at Pondicherry was really tuff playing in front of NIFT, Chennai student but at the end of the gigs we all enjoy and got to meet so many beautiful fans and people.

Club Muzik: Q9. What do each one of you wanted to be in your professional life or what do you do apart from music?
TDS - Well if we aren't wrong we are doing professional work so far thought we dint get enough still we can buy bread for ourselves butter is on the way. (Laugh). Everyone is studying now Kendy doing LLB 4sem, Naoba, Bom and Tom studying BA in different stream and yes Uma is in Delhi doing videography once he is done we are thinking of making a home video let’s see how far we can kick the ball.

Club Muzik: Q10. How independent is the band in terms of composing, looks, getting gigs, decision making, management and the likes?
TDS - Composing songs isn’t easy tell you something we fight for the better of our band and its quite effective lyrically we used to keep as simple as possible so that everyone can enjoy and dance it’s kind of friendly music . The most important part is the look and outfits yeah we look skinny jeans, chucks shoes, leather jacket, messy hair these is how we represent The Dirty Strikes and everyone love our simple style and who we are. Getting gigs wasn’t that much tough to us thanks to our Manager Nirjeet Chakpram (7streetwalkers), Rishu Singh (Mumbai); Ennui.bomb and Bode (Chumthang). Meantime, sometimes we played from our friend's circle or relatives too so far enjoying. Decision making is the worse part we face so many different opinion so many issues but we come with the right and good decision all the time

Club Muzik: Q11. Apart from The Dirty Strikes what all are you good at musically?
TDS - Yeah everyone is musically sounds in their owe way and style. Everyone in our band can play Guitar, drums and some other instrument except our Vox he only play guitar and Tamborine.

Club Muzik: Q12. Share us those dreams you all have achieved till now by playing or being a part of the band before you all started?
TDS - Playing in a band sharing the same ideas is the biggest achievement apart from this yeah releasing an EP (first band to release an EP in Manipur) and for a band from Imphal featuring in RSJ and Rollingstone is one of those achievements. And the most amazing thing is giving an autograph in our photo in Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh was dream comes truth. Like to shorten here.

Club Muzik: Q13. What do you give a s**t to?
TDS -We give a s**t to ourselves, our music, the way we play, the way we write/sing/perform, our fans, family, friends and managers rest hellodogs bark. Lastly thanks to so much Club Muzik for your time keep doing the good works The Dirty Strikes love you all.

Questions & Revised by
Lukhendro Keisham
Co-ordinator
Ithoiba Potshangbam

E-pao Yellout :: The Dirty Strikes