What: Performing waiters from Sound Spirit, call Jigar on 9820746266 or visit www.soundspirit.in, price on request.

Why: Backed by a scriptwriter, choreographer and director, expect this theatrical waiter trio to break into a surprise song and dance routine in between courses. Beau ties! Sound Spirit can also dish out flying bands, sand animation storytellers and an all-Brit brass band for your baraat.

When: You want a maître Glee.  

What: Vinyl wall stickers from Stimuleye, to order call Ramona on 9833688820/ 26870488 or visit the Facebook group here, start at Rs 100 per square foot.

Why: bpb sniffed (out) this glue especially for you: made-to-order vinyl wall stickers that feature your favourite print, movie poster, photograph or illustration, and are crafted from super cool translucent and opaque materials.

When: You need a wall wisher.

What: Say you’re sorry with Ahmed Khattal, calligraphy artist extraordinaire, 8 Killedar Mansion, Killedar Street, Jacob Circle, Byculla, call 9821499747 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , start at Rs 10 per line.

Why: Take the sting out of your words with a handwritten note lovingly laboured over by Khattal, one of the city’s best calligraphy artists. Bring him your apology message and a sheet of pretty paper, and let him take care of the rest – you’ve done enough already!

When: You want to write your wrongs.

What: The Entertainment Design Co, Turner Road, next to Crossword Bookstores, Bandra (W), call 9833003999 for an appointment, email mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.edc.co.in, price on request.

Why: You are cordially invited to an opulent new Bandra store where Reita Singh designs elaborate party invites for the rich and famous, including Manish Arora’s Paris fashion week pass and Abhishek and Aishwary’s wedding card. Ask to see the engagement notice rolled up like a wedding ring and the faux champagne case. Remember, you must RSVP first!

When: You want to look good on paper.

What: Rap 101: Lessons in freestyle rap, call 9890532996 or visit www.mcsid.in, start at Rs 2,000 for basic two-hour course.

Why: bpb Invent! Let rapper M.C. Sid – he opened for Akon in Mumbai – help you pick up hos with your prose. At his basic workshop, you’ll get a lesson in grammar and poetry through Eminem and Jay Z tracks, followed up by practical sessions in freestyle battles, dissing and improv verses. Curses encouraged.

When: You need to develop a new sintax.

What: Chicness Is My Weakness personal trunk service, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , pay per purchase.

Why: Imagine opening the door to a trunk full of clothes and accessories from hard-to-find designers (Frock NYC, James Ferreira, Denim Story), especially tailored to your taste by New York stylist and jewelry designer Anita Vaswani. Browse through these while lounging on your bed, laughing at all those suckers out in the rain. What you like, you leave hanging in your closet; the rest you return. It’s (gar)ment to be!

When: You want a flat rate.

CD Joint?

From today onwards, when Juhu’s beach bar Aurus calls it a night, you’ll still hear the music in the air: faint vocals backed by catchy guitar riffs and mean drum beats, sometimes punctuated by a metallic scream.  Follow the rhythm down the street to Rajput Bakery, and behind will be rock bands practising for their next gig; groupies quoting Dylan and Morrison; and amateurs pretending to know which guitar pick to buy.

This is 3rd Step, a 24 hour music quarters that houses an instrument and rock accessory store (3rd Step Music), a jam room (The Jam Room) and a record company (3rd Step Records). Take note: It makes its musical debut this evening.

Menage a Trois

3rd Step is run by the Veigas brothers (Jordan is the bassist for Channel [V] Launch Pad winning band Reverrse Polarity and Caleb plays for Oktober Soil) and Kaamna Rajput, who knew that they wanted to run three different music businesses ever since they were in college. “So we each took one step – Kaamna towards the music store, Caleb headed for the jam room, and  I, for the record company. Together we made three steps, hence the name of our venture,” explains Jordan.

Selling the Band

While musical instruments from brands like Ibanez, ESP, Parker, Godin and Sabien will dominate the store space, 3rd Step Music will also feature rock band tees, Goth neck pieces, box pack CDs, cables and guitar picks. What’s cool is that the merchandise won’t just feature foreign bands, but also Indian ones like Demonic Resurrection and Reverrse Polarity. Also, If you’ve been pining for a guitar that you can’t find anywhere in the city, chances are these guys can locate and order it for you.

Practise What They Preach

The music store exits into a fully tricked out 350 square feet jam room (creatively titled The Jam Room), complete with 150 watt stack amps, a mean eight-piece double bass Tama drum set and enough space for a nine-member band to get comfortably strummed. The idea behind the large space - Jordan claims it is the biggest jam room in the city – is to allow bands to feel like they are performing on stage, with lighting and acoustics designed accordingly.

With heavyweight bands like Pentagram and SHKABANG already practising at the Veigas brothers’ Bandra jam room, we ‘re pretty sure you’ll get to rub drum sticks and guitar picks with some talented musicians here.

Music Rights

In addition to running a jam room and store, Jordan also works with sound engineers and producers to record tunes and make demo CDs for bands, even if they’re fresh out of college. A few weeks down the line, the Veigas brothers also plan to start Sunday school at their new establishment , with one day music workshops, professional three month courses and even lectures by big names in the music industry.

Viva Las Veigas!

Getting there: 3rd Step, lane opposite Sea Princess Hotel, Kishore Kumar Ganguly Road, behind Rajput Bakery, Juhu, view the Facebook group here, Rs 200 an hour for the jam room, opens this evening.

What: Chromosome portraits by DNA11, visit www.dna11.com or call Qadir at 9820337065, starts at approximately Rs 10,000.

Why: Day 1 – Order prototype: canvas, paper or glass. Day 2 - Forensic kit arrives. Use collection swab to gather saliva sample, preserve and ship back. Day 3 – Lock down colour sequence. Day 30 – The easel has landed. 

Congratulations! You are now the owner of uber-cool art that proudly displays your superior genetic structure from Canada-based DNA11, recently featured on CSI NY! They work with lip impressions and fingerprints as well. 

When: You want to see and be gene.

What: Single in the city? Let Big Help organise your life, call 9619484383 or log on to http://www.bighelp.in, Rs 5,000 a month.

Why: This service is like a magic lamp with a genie who grants more than three wishes. Designed for people who live alone (or not) in Mumbai, Big Help’s bright aides can find you a roommate, do your groceries, round up the best sales, walk your dog, locate a plumber, score passes to a sold out music gig.
(Task) master, your wish is their command.

When: To err(and) is human, to get an assistant, divine.

What: Wishberry gift registry service, visit www.wishberry.in, registration free. 

Why: Because your friends have no gifting imagination and you really don’t need another striped shirt. This brand new online registry lets you pick presents from their expanding catalogue (rafting trips, foosball tables, Blackberry, clothes from Mango and Promod) or start a fund for your dream purchase for which they’ll send you a cheque. Your friends can buy individually, or gang up to chip in for a single product. 

When: You want present perfect.