Hindi rock is thriving as a result of a reality show Channel V Launchpad which strives to find the next big Indian rock band that has the power and charisma to belt out original and unique performances that can win over the judges and the hearts of all rock lovers in India. The process of the entire competition is quite long and quite difficult as rock bands from all over India strive to beat each other in order to be crowned the best rock band of the year. The competition started in the year 2005 and is held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mumbai where rock bands usually perform to please a crowd of rock lovers.
The judges comprise of prominent Indian musicians headed by Vishal Dadlani the front man of the rock group Pentagram. The participating bands bring out their musical axes so that they can be the best and carry the torch of Hindi rock forward. The bands that wish to apply can find all details on the Launchpad site where they are required to fill in a registration form. They are also required to upload an original composition of theirs (‘their best one’ – specifically mentioned in the site) and the file should not go beyond 10 megabytes in size.
Apart from the original song they should also send in a brief biography, giving details of the band or a practice session that was previously recorded just so that the band can make a better impression on the viewing panel. The bands can also send in artwork, the band logo as well as the band picture and also a list of the accomplishments that would hold them in good stead. The entries which pile up by the minute are then reviewed and thoroughly scrutinized by an assessment panel which is given the hard task of selecting only those bands which are good and are worth the time. Thus hours of scrutiny yields a handful of bands that compete till a winner is chosen.