The Aristocrats clarifies they are not a ‘supergroup’: We’re just a band, maybe a strange band, but a real one

In an exclusive chat, pop band The Aristocrats talk about performing in India as they are set to perform in the country after Covid.

The rock/funk band The Aristocrats, composed of Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller, and Marco Minnemann, is excited to reunite with its fans in Asia as it tours the region after more than six years. The super-trio will embark on an India tour today -the first time since the pandemic-headlining the Oddball Music Festival for three straight days in various cities.

The band Aristocrat

Govan, the guitarist says, “There is no place in the world like India.” Multi- instrumentalist Minnemann adds, “We are here to play music and hopefully provide some enjoyment for the people after some difficult years.” Beller, chimes in, “It’s always amazing to us that we can play our strange music for people who live so far from our homelands. It’s really a kind of magic, the universal language of music.”

One quick glance at the band’s profile, which was formed in 2011, on the web makes the word “supergroup” stand out. A supergroup is ‘a musical group whose members are successful as solo artists or as members of other successful groups’. However, bassist Beller clarifies, “We hope this does not sound arrogant, but we think we are different from that - we are a true band of three like-minded people who just happen to have played with a lot of other people. That’s why from the very beginning we did not call the band “Govan/Beller/Minnemann”. The choice to be The Aristocrats came from a desire to be more than just three “name” players doing a project, and we hope our work reflects that shared intention.”

Govan adds, “Perhaps the biggest difficulty is people assuming we are a supergroup in the first place. We’re just a band. Maybe a strange band, but a real band nonetheless.”

Catch it Live:

What: Oddball Festival India 2023

When: February 17

Where: Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla

Time: 3pm onwards