The entire last month till the first week of July, the world was caught up in the Football World Cup 2010 matches. The situation was no different in Karachi as one came across match screenings arranged in various restaurants as the tournament drew towards a close. Getting in on the act, a local cellular services provider held a short format football competition amongst local teams, followed by a performance by the Lahore-based rock band Call and finally, the screening of the moment for glory — the World Cup Final 2010.The competition named FUTSAL is internationally recognised. It is a variant of football that is played on a surface delimited by lines and between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper and is played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regulation football. This name is derived from Portuguese and Spanish words which can be translated as “hall football.” It was a success as people in large numbers turned up to cheer for their local boys. The tournament was won by ZUFC beating Mavericks 3-0 in the finals. KCFA and Freaky were the other two semi-finalists.
By late evening, a pleasant breeze was blowing and surprisingly the Call performance commenced on time. A reason could have been the screening of the final. After soundcheck the band kicked off with Pukar. Lead singer Junaid, dressed casually in a black T-shirt and faded jeans, played with the crowd in his trademark manner and switched to English with a cover of We Will Rock You. On Laree Chottee, Xulfi joined in the vocals with the lead singer. Surprisingly, Call sounded different on the live rendition. The track, although a pop-rock number, was performed in pure rocked-up mode.
Calling it an interactive concert would be correct as Call sang all the songs which were demanded by the somewhat large audience. On the Bon Jovi cover, It's My Life, Junaid's versatility as a singer shone through. He flawlessly delivered the vocals while Xulfi, Sultan and Farhan portrayed their aptitude on their musical instruments. Since the concert was dedicated to youth, an inspirational number was a must and the crowds joined the band on Badal Do Zamane Ko. During the performance Junaid also threw gift hampers into the crowd.
The crowd screamed for a bhangra number — an unusual request in a rock concert — and Call obliged with a bhangra version of Ho Jaane De. The evening calmed down with Sab Bhula Kay, which brought out the best in Junaid's vocals. The song was made even more eventful with his funky comments regarding love and romance. Another mellow track was Dharkay Jiya which was impeccably sung by Xulfi. On Jilawatan, Junaid went all out with the crowd screaming the lyrics in an electrifying thrill. The concert came to an end with a medley of Laree Chotee.
Talking to Images on Sunday post-concert, Junaid said that he supported Spain against the Netherlands and was very excited to see them win that night.
