<p>Bengaluru has a huge fan following for rock music and musicians from this genre are no less than superstars.<br />The passing away of rock band members, musicians, and childhood friends Joshua Alexander and Steven has left a void that is hard to fill in the city’s rock music scene.</p>.<p>“Both of them had great personalities and knew how to lighten up the mood in a room. Never the ones to seek attention, they had an unmatched aura. People usually gravitate towards personalities with in-depth knowledge of their chosen field. Such was the presence my dad and uncle Steven had,” says Jaya, daughter of Joshua.</p>.<p>Joshua, a hypertension patient, had a fall while taking a bath on July 5 last year, which put him in a state of coma for the following four months. Just when the family started seeing signs of improvement, a urinary infection turned out to be fatal. And on January 25 this year, he passed away.</p>.<p>Exactly a week later, after a show in Hassan, when Steven’s band members were out for dinner, he lost his life due to a massive heart attack. The inseparable bond they shared proved to be true even in death. </p>.<p>The two guitarists started out their musical journey as band members of the ‘The Unknowns’. The band, with Steven as one of the founding members, performed across Southern India. </p>.<p>Joshua started performing independently after a few years, but always looked up to Steven for inspiration while being supported unconditionally by the latter. </p>.<p>Apart from practising together, they have many original compositions to their credit. Their songs were a mix of genres, for example, their fusions of Carnatic and rock music were a big hit amongst the crowd. </p>.<p>“As a professional musician all his life, he (Joshua) was a part of the first blues band in Bengaluru called ‘The Chronic Blues’, as well as a Hindi pop group called ‘Retrospect’. Not only did he perform at gigs but dad also taught music at Sarla Birla Academy. He was a regular judge at many music competitions including the ones at Bishop Cotton School. Uncle Steven, on the other hand, was a true performer who was an expert in getting the crowd on to their feet. His tricks, like playing the guitar by placing it on his shoulder, were crowd-pullers. Though many musicians struggle after a while, both of them stayed at the top throughout their lives and left this world without any regrets,” says Jaya. </p>.<p>Some of the hit songs performed by them, that were almost similar to their respective original bands, were ‘Hotel California’, ‘Highway to hell’, and songs of the band ‘Deep Purple’.</p>.<p>“As a kid, going to rock concerts, especially in Palace Grounds, with both of them playing these classics is a memory I will live with forever,” she said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru has a huge fan following for rock music and musicians from this genre are no less than superstars.<br />The passing away of rock band members, musicians, and childhood friends Joshua Alexander and Steven has left a void that is hard to fill in the city’s rock music scene.</p>.<p>“Both of them had great personalities and knew how to lighten up the mood in a room. Never the ones to seek attention, they had an unmatched aura. People usually gravitate towards personalities with in-depth knowledge of their chosen field. Such was the presence my dad and uncle Steven had,” says Jaya, daughter of Joshua.</p>.<p>Joshua, a hypertension patient, had a fall while taking a bath on July 5 last year, which put him in a state of coma for the following four months. Just when the family started seeing signs of improvement, a urinary infection turned out to be fatal. And on January 25 this year, he passed away.</p>.<p>Exactly a week later, after a show in Hassan, when Steven’s band members were out for dinner, he lost his life due to a massive heart attack. The inseparable bond they shared proved to be true even in death. </p>.<p>The two guitarists started out their musical journey as band members of the ‘The Unknowns’. The band, with Steven as one of the founding members, performed across Southern India. </p>.<p>Joshua started performing independently after a few years, but always looked up to Steven for inspiration while being supported unconditionally by the latter. </p>.<p>Apart from practising together, they have many original compositions to their credit. Their songs were a mix of genres, for example, their fusions of Carnatic and rock music were a big hit amongst the crowd. </p>.<p>“As a professional musician all his life, he (Joshua) was a part of the first blues band in Bengaluru called ‘The Chronic Blues’, as well as a Hindi pop group called ‘Retrospect’. Not only did he perform at gigs but dad also taught music at Sarla Birla Academy. He was a regular judge at many music competitions including the ones at Bishop Cotton School. Uncle Steven, on the other hand, was a true performer who was an expert in getting the crowd on to their feet. His tricks, like playing the guitar by placing it on his shoulder, were crowd-pullers. Though many musicians struggle after a while, both of them stayed at the top throughout their lives and left this world without any regrets,” says Jaya. </p>.<p>Some of the hit songs performed by them, that were almost similar to their respective original bands, were ‘Hotel California’, ‘Highway to hell’, and songs of the band ‘Deep Purple’.</p>.<p>“As a kid, going to rock concerts, especially in Palace Grounds, with both of them playing these classics is a memory I will live with forever,” she said.</p>