The 5th episode of Pepsi Battle of the Bands was all about the showcase of patriotism and love for the nation. We saw the Top 4 bands battle it out with their mesmerizing renditions of some of Pakistan’s most patriotic songs. This was also preceded by a comeback from one of the platforms most beloved acts, Jasim and the Pindi boys, who collaborated with the 4 vocalists of the Top 4 bands, namely, Bayaan, Xarb, Tamaasha and 21 the Band.
The episode kicked off at a high note where Jasim and the Pindi Boys opened the Independence Day celebrations alongside the vocalists of each of the Top 4 bands. The band did a wonderful rendition of the Strings, Junaid Jamshed and Haroon classic “Tu Hai Kahan” alongside the talented vocalists’ of the Top 4 bands. This indeed got us excited as we got a little taste of what was to come.
We saw Bayaan up first with a soulful performance of “Yeh Watan”. The judges loved their rendition and gave them appreciation for listening to their feedback of the last performances and coming out strong after implementing the criticism that they received. Bayaan’s rendition stayed true to the feel of the song and yet added a flavor of the bands dramatic yet intense sound.
The second band to come rule the stage was 21 The Band with their rock infused rendition of Vital Sign’s pop classic “Hum Hain Pakistani”. The band tried to do something different with their sound and it backfired as the judges felt it was a rather lack luster performance lacking conviction and feel from the band. Judge Fawad Khan went on to call it an “audition level” performance.
However when one band disappoints another quickly jumps up to come out on top. The next band to showcase their musical exploit in the form of a powerful rendition of Nayaara Noor’s classic “Watan Ki Mitti” was Xarb. Their performance garnered mixed reviews from the judges. Whereas the performance was not criticized technically, they were criticized for not trying something out of the box and the arrangement was also criticized for not following the melody. It was also criticized for lacking feel.
The sound indeed did not come up to the mark of the level of the competition that we are at in this season. The last band to showcase their fiery rendition of Nayyara Noor’s “Iss Parcham Ke Saaye Tallay” was Tamaasha. With expectations set high, the performance was kind of a letdown for the judges, who had mixed feelings regarding the rendition. Bilal the vocalist was criticized for his vocal accent as it was hindering a lot of the words being said in the song.
The band was also criticized for tempo issues towards the end of the song. They tried something new with a classic track and we feel that it was a rather rejuvenating experience listening to this rendition. Despite these issues, Meesha Shafi called it the best performance out of the four performances.
After such a nail-biting contest, it came down the eliminations. Bayaan was the first band to stay safe. After two consecutive trips to the danger zone, this might have definitely come out as a sigh of relief for the band. While Bayaan was granted safety 21 The Band was the first to go to the danger zone.
Tamaasha was also granted safety while Xarb was also put in the danger zone. Both bands came to the stage full throttle giving it their all. Xarb was the first to perform with a beautiful rendition of Shehnaz Begum’s “Sohni Dharti”. 21 The Band came to the stage with a powerful rendition of Junoon’s classic “Jazba Junoon”. However, there was an interesting turn of events- none of the two bands were eliminated, due to Independence Day celebrations. This was not only a sigh of relief for the bands but also all their fans and viewers who now anxiously waiting as to how this intense battle will shape up in the coming weeks.
Watch Pepsi Battle of the Bands Episode 5 from season 3: