Bacardi NH7 Weekender: Mix of desi-videshi acts dominates Day 1

But without a doubt, one of the biggest crowd pullers remained the desi acts.

From Krishna who took charge of things with his brand of activism mixed with music, to Ahmedabad/Pune-based modern post-rock band, Aswekeepsearching, who kept the pulse of the crowd firmly under check with their eccentric mix of the electric violin and the tabla, to the stand-up comedians from newbie Urooj Ashfaq to acts like Aisi Taisi Democracy, who for the first time had a dedicated stage to themselves at the festival, the festival offered a variety of performances. But the star among the Indian artistes was the final act by Ankur and the Ghalat family, led by frontman singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari.

A band that takes it name after a bank robber John Dillinger, American metal core band The Dillinger Escape Plan, stole hearts as the band in equal parts conversed and performed with the crowds. On their final performance leg — the two-decade-old band is disbanding at the end of 2017 — they showed they are still at the top of the game. Among the other international acts that stood out were The Magnets, a six-piece British acapella act that performed cover versions of pop favourites.

But it wasn’t until they started ‘Aaya Dilli Waali Girlfriend’ in the middle of a cover of ‘Tonight I’m loving You’ that they had the crowd rooting for them.

From Belfast, Northern Ireland, came Girls Names, a four member act performing for the first time in India. Belting out guitar solos by the dozen, they were reminiscent of the alternative rock scene of the 90s. Dutch progressive metal band, Textures, who are said to have inspired a generation of rockers and are playing their Last Miles to the Moon tour, were the final act for the night — the final performance for the band too.

And while music is the mainstay of the festival, it’s not all that makes up the ‘vibe’. There was a wide variety of food, a ferris wheel for rides, photobooths and even a dating app corner.

Around the entire festival grounds were art installations with the theme ‘Your happy place’. Quirky design and bright colours was the idea behind these installations. ‘A cube studio’ based out of Pune showcased ‘Lucid’, which was a display of optical illusions. Aachal Tandon, a 23-year-old from Delhi, introduced Lola’s Crosby with colourful windmills while Research Office from Mumbai curated their Social Media playground aimed to initiate conversation among visitors.