PLAYING to angry young teenagers with viciously loud music and, a few hours later, cradling the I-Rock XXII title, the journey for Scribe has been heady from the moment they wore their we-play-to-please attitude.

Perplexity prevailed over the five as their name resounded over Chitrakoot Grounds, Andheri, on September 8. The shortsighted Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy almost stepped on his glasses, Srinivas Sunderrajan nursed a headache in disbelief, Prashant Shah thought they could’ve performed better, Niraj Trivedi rummaged for a victory speech and Akshay Rajpurohit jumped around like a pogo stick.

When the encore subsides, the boys find their tongues. Some are old friends with the I-Rock stage. “Four years and running. Can’t get enough of this energy,” copywriter Krishnamoorthy declares. “Hand him a lifetime achievement award for doing it so long,” jokes guitarist Shah.

For all, it’s a platform to let loose. “It’s the longest running rock fest in Asia and, for me, a big finger to the establishment,” says Trivedi, a TV show producer. “There’s been heavy talent on this stage in the past. Pin Drop Violence, Brahma, Indus Creed, Pentagram and Agni. It’s a kick-ass platform to be heard,” says Sunderrajan, a freelance filmmaker.

Scribe’s sound is hardcore with progressive influences. Heavy and dissonant are synonymous with their music. “We tamper a lot with the sound. It’s an inventive experience that comes through in our OCs,” says 19-year-old student, Rajpurohit.

Ask them about their winning streak and they feign modesty. But fans vouch that it’s their OCs, One wing pencil, Analyse this and Bookie love song, that are crowd pullers. “The win is a paradox. Fans head to I-Rock to waste themselves in mosh pits, in head banging huddles and screaming revelry. We give them the same on stage,” lead vocalist Krishnamoorthy conjectures. “We were the only heavy band and the Mumbai audience loves tearing itself apart, it must’ve clicked,” says Shah.

Comfortable shoes, old-school cartoons and Bluetooth phones brought the band together in 2005. But post I-Rock, cutting an album and doing more gigs, tops their list. “We’re putting all we got into the album,” says guitarist Rajpurohit.

Despite stiff competition from Half Step Down and Boomarang, their band dynamics and incredible vibe got them through in the first ever national level I-Rock. “Must be physics; we’re known for ‘emitting high energy levels’,” proposes 23-year-old bass player Sunderrajan. Drummer Trivedi offers chemistry. “A simple 1:4 equation; we have conflicts for days and chill for the rest. Joke more, jam less. Subject wise and lyrically, even a squirrel climbing a tree gives us ideas.”