Electro pop band Laxmi Bomb performs at Kala Ghoda

The contest was organised as part of the Pepe Jeans music section of the Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, and saw about 250 bands compete in an online contest for a chance to perform.

Electro pop band Laxmi Bomb, the winners of the Pepe Jeans Wild Card Entry contest, performed outside the Asiatic Library on Saturday.

Laxmi-Bomb-band-performs-at-HT-Kala-Ghoda-Arts-Festival-in-Mumbai-Pratham-Gokhale-HT-photo

The contest was organised as part of the Pepe Jeans music section of the Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, and saw about 250 bands compete in an online contest for a chance to perform.

Each contender had to send in a song in keeping with the Pepe Jeans tagline, ‘Made for Mischief’.

Laxmi Bomb won thanks to their edgy sound, which they credited to influences as varied as Boney M and international indie band Panda Bear.

“The fact that we incorporate such different sounds helps us create a new sound,” said Ruell Barreto, 32, bassist with the band. In addition to Barreto, Laxmi Bomb has Levin Mendes, 30, on drums, Keegan Pereira, 35, for vocals and Joaquin Fernandes, 23, on keyboard.

The band is releasing a new album this year and is hoping for a good reception. “The crowd was great today. We played in the evening and so many people turned up and were very appreciative,” said Mendes.

On Saturday, the group had the Valentine’s Day crowd clapping along as they took the stage.

“I am going to go home and buy their music on iTunes,” said Neha Juneja, 25, a social worker, from Thane. Added Eklavya Gupta, 29, a sales executive from Goregaon: “It’s so good to hear international-sounding bands in India who have their own unique sound. I wish there were many more like them.”