ARR Concert Dec 2012

Last minute decision to attend the ARR concert and i managed to. First of all i didnt have tickets and behold they were issuing 3000 Rs tickets for 500 bucks.
The organisation was very shoddy and poor. They didnt have chairs for about 40 % category of those who brought high priced tickets and obviously majority of them were agitated and a mini ruckus was going on and to add to the drama it was raining. But thankfully it stopped and when ARR arrived there was a deafening roar.Frankly never before have i seen this much craze, frenzy, hysteria and madness for anybody before. Rahman's popularity stake is still at an all time high and it was unimaginable. You would have to have seen it to believe it.

Coming to the songs in the concert , some of the medleys were nicely performed & enjoyable and ARR kept the energy throughout the concert. Also we had most of the kadal songs which received a raptourous response. The disappointments for me were there were some minus 1 songs, some of my favourite vintage rahman songs of 90s weren't performed. The thing i didn't like at all was having a different rock kind of feel for legendary songs like Kadhal Rojave, Nenjinile etc. which resulted in the essence of the song getting totally diluted and infact spoilt.

For me spending just rs 500 i thought i had my moneys worth, but those who had spent 3000 and above to sit through the event without a chair i felt was very unfair. The final song of the evening was the landmark Thaai Manne Vanakkam which the audience lapped up. Many of us were standing on the chairs and cheering. ARR s infectious smile was evident throughout. Overall was a decent experience but felt it cud have been much better with a well thought out selection of songs and a little extra care in organising the event.

List of songs that were performed in the concert.
Undhan Desathin Kural ( ARR Intro )
Elay Keechan
Arima Arima
Manoothu manthaile
Veerapandi Kotayile
Thilana Thilana
Kadhal Rojave
Enakoru Girl Friend
Omane Penne
July Maadham Vanthaaal
Aathangarai Marame
Endrendrum Punnagai
Mustafa Mustafa
Nila Kaaigirathu
Uyire Uyire
Kanamoochi yenada
Azhage Sugama
Engae Enathu Kavithai
Nenjinile Nenjinile
Nenjukulle
Adiye
Irumbile oru iruthayam
Hello Mr Ethirkatchi
Oorvasi
Magudi Magudi
Moongil Thotam
Jai Ho in Tamil
Thaai Manne Vanakam

Sachin the One Day International Batsman

Since 1994 when i started watching and enjoying cricket, one name has always been tied with the sport like a string attached to a guitar. There maybe cricketers who might match or even surpass your test records, but you are the one and only numero-uno when it comes to the original form of limited overs cricket - One Day Internationals. How can I forget waking up early in the morning watching you score a trailblazing 82 off a mere 49 deliveries in your new avatar of One Day Opener, how thrilled was I seeing you score your 1st One Day Century against the Australians at the Singer Cup 94, then your 96 WC exploits with that blitzkrieg 90 against the Aussies at Mumbai and then I was so gutted when you got out stumped and India fell short of the target eventually by 16 runs. That 137 vs the Lankans on a misty day at Delhi with only a run out averting you from getting to 150 - what fun it was seeing you and Azhar rip the Lankan bowling attack in the last 5 overs. What about that glorious 104 at Benoni vs Zimbabwe when you had to get the target within just about 40 overs or so to reach the final vs South Africa, then that 1998 back to back hundreds under the Desert Storm in Sharjah - ah those vivid memories of you coming down the wicket and tonking Fleming and Kasprowicz for 6 with Tony Greig going bazooka is epicness level of the highest order.

The year 1998 in entirety when you scored truckloads of centuries and officially assumed the status of God in the minds of millions of cricket fans, that unforgettable massacring of Henry Olonga at Sharjah when he thought he had the better of you hahahaha, that 186 not out vs the Kiwis on a field day when you were involved in the best ever partnership of 331 runs with Rahul Dravid, those pulverizing sixes hit off Shoaib Akhtar over third man on way to a destructive 98 off a mere 70 odd deliveries in a crucial World Cup Indo Pak clash at Centurion, the brilliant 175 when you almost single handedly snatched a famous win chasing 350 against the Aussies at Hyderabad, the first ever double hundred in ODIs at Gwalior where you treated the South African bowlers with utter disdain. Coming to the memorable WC 2011 where you showed your class yet again on the big stage by cracking hundreds against both England and South Africa, your 85 against the Pakis probably one of your worst innings, but nevertheless helped Ind to defeat its arch rivals in a do or die Semifinal at Mohali thus taking India to the final and making your lifetime dream of winning a word cup come true and finally your labored 100th international century which came against Bangladesh making you the first man on the planet to get to the coveted landmark. These are just a gist of evergreen glorious Sachin memories.

Sachin - you just didn't set benchmarks but you were a benchmark yourself. Thanks for all the moments, memories and entertainment. Your exploits on the cricketing field will be etched in the minds of millions of cricketing lovers forever. I still cant get over the fact that the next time i switch on my television to watch a ODI involving India, I won't be seeing the name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar on the scoreboard.

 
One Day International Cricket will never be the same without your larger than life persona!!