Disparaging Looks

Indian rock going places

0 Comments | DNA. Sunday; Mumbai, Jun 27, 2010 | by Dutt, Apoorva

The Indian rock scene is an overnight success decades in the making. The concerts and festivals that are now a regular feature in your weekend plans are a culmination of years of work by a handful of mavericks who were previously doctors, lawyers, students of microbiology and in one case, a seller of bathroom fixtures (“Family business,” this particular musician explains). Now however, Indian musicians are going beyond the subcontinent, assisted by internet connections. With concerts at Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in small fishing towns near Oslo and pubs in Liverpool, Indian rock is finally partying with the cool kids.

You wouldn’t expect the vocalist of an extreme metal band to pepper his conversation with words like ‘proactive’ and ‘networking’, but Sahil Makhija, the vocalist of Demonic Resurrection, is as much a businessman as a hardcore metalhead. He just performed at Blue Frog for India’s first ever metal awards (free Converse coupons were thrown into the mosh pit). His band also just won the Metal Hammer Award in London, an honour bestowed in the past upon legends like Iron Maiden and Slipknot. He also just performed at the Inferno Metal Festival in Norway, where the Def Leppard vocalist told him in passing that Demonic Resurrection is a “cool band name”. Needless to say, Sahil is one optimistic metalhead. “It was an amazing experience,” he says in an awed tone.

Think Global, Act Local

Rock in India is nich, an imported art form that caters to a relatively minuscule audience composed of angsty teenagers, the rock enthusiast and friends of the band. As much as the music is gaining in popularity and originality, it is a slow process. “I can’t go to a village in India and expect them to appreciate the music,” says Sahil. “That’s an unfortunate reality. A musician just wants an audience at the end of the day. And India is not yet financially viable for a rock or metal band. Performing internationally is not only validating as an artist, it also gives me a reason to charge more for local college festival performances. It’s all about what you do with the recognition.”

Sahil notes that in India, rock music tends to be an adolescent phase most kids grow out of. “You hit twenty-five, your parents will make you cut your hair and become a doctor,” he says. “Whereas abroad, it’s a lifestyle choice. Venues are usually only for those above eighteen years of age. That automatically ensures a wider audience.” Jitin, a Mumbai bassist doesn’t mind his audiences. “A rock fan is a rock fan, whether it’s in Mumbai or London. And a lot of rock music is about being angry, and Indians have a lot to be pissed off about.”

“There are no venues for a rock band to perform in the metros, beyond a Blue Frog or a Hard Rock Cafe,” says Bhaskar Pushpal, a Mumbai-based band manager. “A restaurant owner knows his money is coming in from the food and alcohol bill. If a rock band will perform, the audience is going to be broke teenagers. So a venue will only book a band out of love for the music.”

Local bands are unfazed by the lack of funding or audience; they take up every role and promote themselves tirelessly. “It’s always been a subculture, a DIY movement,” says Naveen Deshpande, who has managed bands like Pentagram and Shaa’ir and Func.

The Internet has been the life support of aspiring Indian rockstars. Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Reverbnation connect a musician directly to his fans. CDs are now a relic and no longer a viable source of income.

Radiohead shocked the music industry by letting fans download their last CD and paying as much as they felt it deserved, but still profiting more from it than from their previous CD ‘Hail To The Thief’.

A new financial model is emerging for music, and Indian artistes are not being left behind. “Through the internet, a band can catch new audiences irrespective of geographical distance,” says Vishwesh, vocalist of metal band Scribe. “We can contact booking agents, managers, festival organisers, fellow musicians and international record label executives. We can set up a tour with venues in London and Glasgow
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