Louis Tomlinson sings One Direction’s Drag Me Down and Night Changes at maiden India gig at Lollapalooza

For many fans, the timing clashes of Hanumankind and Louis were a bummer; however, both the artistes saw large crowds at the stages. Louis, a former One Direction member, along with singers Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and late Liam Payne, took the stage in neon green pants and to chants of ‘Louis, Louis’. While the band never got a chance to tour the country, desi Directioners (the name for the band’s fans) got the opportunity to enjoy some of their songs. The 33-year-old performed Drag Me Down and Night Changes to a crowd that sang along to every word.

“You’re f****** amazing Mumbai, thank you,” said Louis, adding, “[While waiting in the pews], my views was there and I could see only these many people and i thought, ‘F****** hell, that’s a lot of people. Thank you for having me. Every single place I go, I feel this bout of thanks. This is going to be a good gig.”

The singer performed several of his songs from this solo albums, including Two of Us, Habit, Kill My Mind, and Face the Music, among others. With huge crowds comes the issue of unruly behaviour and during one of his songs, Louis took a pause to check in on some fans at the front of the page: “All okay down there? A lot of whoohaa happening.”

Feeling extremely “grateful” to be performing in India for the first time, Louis got candid with the crowd and said, “I am from a place called Doncaster in the North of London. Never in a million f****** years did I think i would be in India. I never thought this would happen. I just want to take this moment, this is yours. I don’t get to go on a stage without all of you f****** incredible people. I just feel really really fucking grateful. It is mindblowing. I can’t get my head around [the fact] that I am playing in India. For the first time in my life, I am a little bit lost of words.”

The former One Direction band member had been spotted arriving in Mumbai ahead of his performance and also at a radio studio. Here, his fans cheered for him and gave him a traditional welcome to dhol beats.

During Hanumankind’s set, he performed Big Dawgs to a roar of appreciation from the audience. The Indian rapper-songwriter also performed his new song Run it Up, which he had only released a day prior to his Lollapalooza performance. Since his breakout song showcased the culture of Indian entertainment as shot the video in the well of death, for this newest song, he focused on various martial arts and dance forms from all over the country. Bringing a similar vibe on stage, the 33-year-old brought the tradition of Kshetram vadyam with a group of drummers performing alongside.

Kshetram vadyam is the traditional music of Kerala and involves huge drums carried by the percussionist around their neck.

The highlight for the majority of concertgoers was Green Day, a punk rock band that began in 1987. Well into their 50s, the three-member group put on a spectacular show that was packed with energy and had the entire crowd jumping, swaying and head banging to the familiar lyrics. From their older classics like 21 Guns, American Idiot, and Boulevard of Broken Dreams, to songs from their new album Saviors, the band’s performance was high-octance from the get-go.

However, it had several sweet moments like the lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong bringing two audience members on stage. Sai, a young girl, took over the mike as she sang the chorus to Know Your Enemy. On the other hand, Billie asked a young man to play the guitar for their newer song Dilemma. He then signed and gave the lad the guitar in an exciting gesture.