Meet Moe, he may be rusty, but he can rock

Ten years ago, within the hallowed walls of the Madras Christian College (MCC), a dream was born. Four people played together as a classic rock band at the freshers’ auditions, and found that they had what it takes to make an impact on Chennai’s already-bustling music scene.

But then, life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to. Divyan ‘Blind Moe’ George, the drummer, went off to the US to pursue a course in counselling, and vocalist Sujan ‘Sweaty Moe’ Daniel started his own fish farm, while bassist Jonathan ‘Spotty Moe’ Tillich and guitarist Timmy ‘Jealous Moe’ Elliot remained in the city pursuing their interests in the fields of ITeS and leather machinery. And just when it looked like everybody would end up going their separate ways, Divyan came back from his Indianapolis college with renewed resolve and a name for the band.

“Rusty Moe,” he told his friends, “our group should be called Rusty Moe.” And thus was born a band that would soon become one of the most promising in southern India. And no, this one didn’t believe in rap metal or industrial rock.

Says Divyan, “With newer kinds of rock taking over the music scene, we felt that classic rock was not getting the recognition it deserved. Through our performances, we want to give our audience a taste of rock – the way it used to be played in the 70s.”

Quite understandably, Rusty Moe’s international inspirations range from Ronnie James Dio to Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Let’s see,” Divyan mumbles, as if he were counting the number of bands they like on his fingers, “There’s Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd [with Roger in it, of course], The Doors, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Mr Big, Audioslave, Alice Cooper, Peter Frampton....” There is a slight pause before he looks up in mock confusion, “Wait! Did I mention Britney already?”

So, nearly a year after Rusty Moe was born, what does it recall as its most memorable performance? “Well,” says Divyan, “We have played at many venues across Chennai and Bangalore. I even recall going on a tour to Dharamsala with Brothers in Arms. But I enjoyed it the most when I played with Rusty Moe for Octavia 2008 at Bishop Heber Hall in MCC. Really, there is nothing like going back and playing at the place that started it all.”

But where does Rusty Moe rate itself before the Galeej Gurus and Parikramas of the Indian rock arena? “Can’t say,” says Divyan with a wry smirk, “Can’t blow our trumpet, mostly because we only have guitars and drums.”