Outrage 2024 Delhi Report (Indian metal festival)
There was a 45-minute delay in the entry because of a power cut they faced in the morning. The first performance started at 4 PM but was supposed to start at 3 PM.
I’m sure they tried their best not to cut short the acts by a few minutes, but the delay resulted in a huge line at the band collection counter and security, which also caused some issues with the mall’s walkway. They could have at least issued the wristbands and informed people in some way via a common broadcast message — I mean, even the Insta page could have been used — but there was no communication from the organizers. The crew and Karan came in front of the crowd, apologizing for the delay and saying they would start the entry in about 10 minutes (but yeah ofc this msg didn’t reach everybody). Also, both stages had no Outrage branding.
Demonic Resurrection was pretty sure supposed to perform, but they didn’t. This wasn’t communicated either (I noticed their songs were also removed from the Outrage playlist).
The DLF Avenue Saket venue was quite nice and accessible (to and from the Malviya Nagar metro station). I think it was apt for the number of people who attended. There were nice food options, but very limited beer options. Lonewolf was the only beer available, with three variants, but only two were at the concert, and they also ran out of their lager by around 7 PM, so I had to make do with the witbier. For food and drinks, you had to issue the Skillbox Pay card, which came with a ₹100 activation fee. Charges for food and drinks were reasonable, as you’d expect at any concert. Water was available at ₹50/500 ml and ₹100/1 liter. However, I didn’t encounter any stalls selling 500 ml bottles and had to purchase the 1-liter one (which is a lot for one person to finish, and then you’ve got to carry it for some time until you finish, which interferes with enjoying the live acts). Nice merch stall as well, but could be managed well if they had an online list of inventory, as after the concert ended it was very messy and crowded there.
The weather was nice — it did get smoggy in the evening, but nothing uncomfortable. Also, it wasn’t like the next day I woke up coughing or experiencing any respiratory issues, considering how much Delhi has been in the news for pollution. By the time it ended and people were exiting, it was quite chilly, and a jacket was definitely required.
All the bands did really, really well, and I enjoyed all the performances. There were two stages. Godless deserved the bigger stage considering how well they performed, but since their set was sandwiched between two other acts, they got the smaller stage.
I was there in the moshpits and next to them for pretty much all the acts. During Amorphia and the first half of Godless, I was catching my breath and hydrating myself. Joint Family had a very theatrical and grand performance with superb energy — it was massive. Arenlong and Jatin were the guitarists, and they were great. It was my second time watching Pacifist after the recent I-Rock — they did amazing. Kasck from Pune also killed it. The opening act was by Jahnvi — pretty good stuff and a great start to set the vibe for the rest of the day. Bloodywood, as always, absolutely nailed it.
Moshpit Review:
I would say the moshpits were just as energetic (read: violent) as what I had experienced at I-Rock. They were also comparatively much less crowded. There were 2–4 folks who were entertaining the whole time in the moshpits, like a guy who went shirtless with shoes in his hand and carrying a backpack. One guy was also full of energy the entire time. People were supportive. At least twice, we carried some people in the air and got them to the front of the stage. We even did pushups in the middle of the sets. The shirtless guy wore a yellow construction helmet and sat down while we used the helmet as drums/dholak/tabla, depending on your POV. I didn’t see anyone breaking moshpit etiquette.
I actually had tickets to another concert in Gurgaon but decided to attend this instead. I’m so glad I did. It was a really, really fun time. No doubt I’ll attend again. Kudos to everyone at Outrage ’24 — it was a memorable experience. 🤟
