Most of us spent our growing up years listening to iconic bands such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Mr. Big, Michael Learns To Rock and Cannibal Corpse among other legends on our walkmans and CD players. Much of our time went into memorising the lyrics and for the aspiring musician in us, learning and practising the riffs and beats. But none of us would have ever imagined getting to watch these childhood heroes perform live in our own country.
Today, international bands are not only pulling in massive crowds to their gigs but also opening doors to discovering new audiences. India, particularly Bengaluru, has turned into a must-visit destination for international bands and in the last decade alone, a plethora of international acts have ticked India on their bucket list, some more than once. Here is what some of the country’s musicians have to say about the trend.
What set it offTony Das from ‘Peepal Tree’ says one thing that played a pivotal role in this rush of bands is that we were starved of them for quite a while.
“So when the time came, the fans of the slightly older bands that were around for a long time, jumped at the opportunity. Until recently, shows by international acts were random, erratic and rare. I guess they found a way to make it profitable especially with fans waiting for so long. Also, over time, people have developed a slightly more serious taste for music. People really love their music here and are willing to pay any amount to attend shows. My dream band to perform in India is American rock band Extreme since I’m a huge fan of frontman and lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.” Rajeev Rajagopal from ‘Thermal And A Quarter’ agrees that it is no surprise international bands head to India, and specially metro cities.
Role of language“Among most metros, English is quite widely used. Also, the people in the country have developed a taste for international music from the Brit hangover here. It’s an international language and the audiences here listened to a lot of music. Hence, the reputation of a place really picks up. International bands know they will get an audience here. My dream band is American jazz band Steely Dan.”
Freelance musician and principal of Wings School of Music Ashley Joseph admits that India has always been a potential market for big bands with its big festivals. “The festivals are not only specific to one genre and there are a lot of blues and jazz artistes who also come down. There is an audience for everything here. India, in general, caters a wide range of audiences across genres. Artistes from here also have a significant audience abroad. My favourite band that must visit India is Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave.
Salman U. Syed, the promoter of the Bangalore Open Air metal festival, says India is also a new market since bands have been touring the States and Europe from the 80s itself. “Asia and India have always been a new market for these bands since they are a newer audience. My dream band that definitely needs to make a pit-stop iin India is British heavy metal band Judas Priest.”
Nathan Lee Harris from ‘Galeej Gurus’ points out that a lot of bands are now aware that there is an audience for their music. “These are mainly the newer bands, exploring third world countries before their music fizzles out. But I don’t have the same opinion for older bands. I believe that when they come to the Indian market, which they avoided 20-30 years ago, it is only to make a quick buck and go back. It’s quite obvious. Also on the flip side, these bands are now slightly more affordable. At the peak of their careers, we could not have afforded to bring them down. Now, since they are not at the peak of their careers, it’s easier to raise a sponsorship without feeling the pinch. My dream band, and most other musicians will also approve, is legendary Irish rock band U2.”
Jagadeesh M.R from ‘Moonarra’ says: “For bands from Europe and the States, India is affordable and has rapidly turned into a hotspot. The audience are quite varied and awareness of international music happens all the time through social media and the Internet. Musically, we are much more eclectic and even though Bollywood has a strong presence, other forms of music also survive and thrive, especially with alternate music culture. My dream artist will be Stevie Wonder.”
