Indian hard rock band Girish and the Chronicles delivered one of the most talked-about performances of America’s Got Talent by transforming Adele’s emotional hit song Set Fire to the Rain into a high-energy rock anthem.
Led by vocalist Girish Pradhan, the band appeared during the auditions of AGT 2025 and instantly captured the audience’s attention with their classic 1980s-inspired hard rock style. The group traveled from Sikkim, India, to the United States for what they described as “the biggest opportunity of their lives.”
Their performance stood out because it blended powerful guitar riffs, soaring vocals, and theatrical stage presence with Adele’s soulful ballad. As the audience gradually recognized the song, the theater erupted with applause and cheers. Judges including Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, and Mel B gave the band a standing ovation.
NBC described the act as making “Adele heavy metal,” highlighting how the band successfully reinvented a globally recognized pop ballad into a stadium-style rock performance.
The performance quickly went viral online, earning millions of views on YouTube and drawing praise from rock fans worldwide. Many viewers on Reddit compared the band’s sound to classic hard rock acts like Guns N’ Roses, while others praised the group for bringing Indian rock music to an international stage.
According to reports, the band had recently opened for Guns N’ Roses in Mumbai before appearing on AGT, further boosting their international recognition.
Although Girish and the Chronicles were eventually eliminated in the quarterfinals of AGT Season 20, their audition performance remains one of the standout rock moments of the season.
You can watch the official AGT performance here: