A row of amplifiers, guitars, pedals and a shiny seven-piece drum kit sit atop a mahogany wood stage at Panangad in Kochi. A blend of superior sound equipment with classic rock aesthetic lend the venue a mix of modern music tech with the charm of a simpler sonic era. 

The place comes alive as performers walk in, belt out music and lap up cheers. Pulse, the performance space founded by partners Lalith Roy, CT Varghese and Elvis Dcruz is the city’s latest mecca for musicians of all age groups and genres. 

“Music has always been my deep passion,” shares Lalith, who manifested his vision to create a space that encourages budding musicians. 

In the shadow of David Gilmour, Slash, and Michael Jackson posters, Lalith and CT recall their annual pilgrimages to New York’s Cafe Wha? as the inspiration behind creating a venue that could be Kochi’s birthing ground for the next Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan. Elvis, who was named after the King of Rock and Roll, shared his partners’ love for music and their vision. The trio runs a successful seafood export business and has now masterfully mixed business with pleasure to transform the terrace space of its office building into the platform it calls “the heart of art.”

As with most venues that support independent art, Pulse also faces challenges in generating revenue. But profitability is not on the horizon for these music lovers who have a much deeper purpose for their venture. “There’s a matter of luck in this whole thing,” says Lalith, who recognises the difficulty faced by independent artists trying to make it big. Pulse’s primary aim is to ease that difficulty by making exposure more accessible to artists. “This way, at least they are seen,” he shares. Unlike venues that promise pipe dreams, Pulse’s passion to support musicians is also built on practicality. “The aim is to ensure they earn money as well,” says Lalith, who, along with his partners, has formed a fund through which artists are compensated for their performances.

 So far, they’ve conducted gigs, stand-up comedy acts, dance workshops and book releases, including Arundhati Roy’s latest memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me. An open invitation for all artists has brought in regular acts and loyal audiences.

Kochi’s GC Groove has found a comfortable spot on the Pulse stage, returning for their third gig earlier in October. Band members Garry Lobo (keys and backing vocalist), Cindy Nandakumar (lead vocals) and Dennis Mathew (lead vocals) entered the Pulse roster with a memorable Ozzy Osbourne tribute and now regularly impress with classic rock covers. For some sessions, they expand their act and include Douglas Johnson on drums, Balu Moon on bass and Rony George on lead guitar.

For GC’s Cindy, the feeling at Pulse is entirely different to other venues she has frequented. Her band moved to perform here because the venue perfectly balances sound, ambience and audience to create an inviting and encouraging atmosphere for performers. Covering Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Eric Clapton and more, GC is on a mission to resurrect the love for traditional rock. “Bringing back the oldies into the new age is a big challenge,” shares Cindy, but she finds Pulse’s steady stream of old rock enthusiasts and young listeners to be the perfect mixture for nostalgia and new obsessions. “It’s a musical get-together here,” she says, describing the Pulse audience as the “cream of music lovers”. Singer-songwriter Georgina Mathew sees the venue’s buzzing social energy as the perfect place to expose oneself to different kinds of musicians and find potential collaborators. “I’ve seen my students react to the energy here”, says Cindy, who also works as a vocal trainer. “They’ve started to come here frequently, and they want to do more music.”

According to Lalith, the music scene has drastically changed over the years. “I always say that the 1960s, 70s and 80s were the days of skill and creation,” he shares, disappointed in the rise of career-focused session musicians over creativity-driven rock bands. But as the first step to building a culture of creativity, Lalith hopes to organise more gigs, workshops and karaoke sessions at Pulse so that those who might just be bathroom singers gain the confidence to step out of the shower and bring their talent to the stage. “There are so many people out there who can sing. They just need a little impetus, a little bit of a push.”

With an eye for art and an attitude for enterprise, Lalith, Elvis, and CT have opened the doors of Pulse as wide as they have opened their hearts to the cultural revolution of Kochi. As CT rightly put it, “this is where creativity meets opportunity.”