In a quick meeting with the Oasis English Press, Keshav Sharma, the coordinator of Gurukul, explained the working of his club during the fest.

Gurukul is responsible for three events—Free Jam, Drums Duel and Ecstasy.

Drums Duel is an opportunity for drummers to showcase their refined skills in a face-off, where two participants play until one is eliminated. Eliminations happen after two rounds of evaluation—one by Gurukul members, and another by professional judges. Ecstasy is a competition for guitarists, where the participants compete in a tournament-style elimination until the best musician prevails. Ecstasy and Drums Duel are both conducted in collaboration with ARBITS.

Free Jam, Gurukul’s most popular event, takes place on every night of Oasis, on a stage near the food stalls at M-lawns. It is open for anybody who wants to perform or jam and is meant to let participants bring out their inner musician. A sizeable crowd is usually seen enjoying the music whilst munching on food at the stalls.

The three events organised by Gurukul require only minimal preparatory work, so before the fest, Gurukul practices for Tarang, Oasis’ Indian music competition. This takes up most of the club’s time and energy, as the musical standards of the competition are high, and an up-to-the-mark performance requires plenty of practice.

When asked about this years theme—Neon Noir—Keshav conveyed his liking for the theme, since it is “Retro” compared to previous years. He said that the different theme this time around will be something the participants can relate to. To integrate the theme in Ecstasy and Drums Duel, Gurukul plans on using tracks with beats or baselines from old bands like the Beatles and Nirvana.

Keshav said that being the coordinator has taught him a lot about event organisation and management. He added that it has been a great experience and that he has learnt many things. To wrap up his interview, Keshav gave a final few words for the attendees of the fest. “I would like not only the members of BITS, but everybody to go out and enjoy the fest instead of sitting in their rooms. Every club and department has great events”.