‘We can’t wait to come to India’

...says Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson, as the Brit band readies for its first concert in Mumbai tomorrow.

It is the first major international act to come to India post the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai last year. And Grammy-nominated British progressive rock band, Porcupine Tree “can’t wait” to take stage in Mumbai.

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“We have a feeling that the atmosphere in India is going to be great, similar to what we experienced in Mexico and Israel, where rock isn’t the predominant music community, but people are appreciative and passionate about it,” says the band’s frontman Steven Wilson, from London.

He says, “All of us are eagerly looking forward to this trip. Ideally, we would have liked to spend at least two weeks in India. But it’s so close to Christmas, so we won’t be able to stay for more than three days. It’s such a fascinating country. I hope this is first of our many trips!”

A big fan of Pandit Ravi Shankar and sitar, Wilson says, “In the UK, it’s usually the Bollywood/pop kind of music. I love to hear that, but I hope people in India give me some CDs to listen, so I can discover newer stuff too. But yes, I love Ravi Shankar’s recordings. I have his vinyl records from the ’60s and I really enjoy them.”

Wilson has his wishlist ready. “I intend to buy a sitar in India. I love the way it’s been associated with psychedelic rock, like that of the late ’60s when the world embraced Indian culture. There’s definitely space for something exciting musically in PT, and I’d love to use the sitar in our music one day.”

He’s also looking forward to sampling the Indian curry here. “It is the national dish of UK. No one even eats British food anymore. I can’t live without it.”

And that’s not all. He says, “Indian woman is the most beautiful in the world! When I saw Freida Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire, my jaw dropped to the floor. She is so stunning! I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful women in India.”