It is not often that independent rock bands in the State get paid for anything more than transporting their instruments for performing in various shows. So, the news of the State government deciding to pay Rs.2 crore to actor Mohanlal’s newly formed band ‘Lalisom’ for performing at the opening ceremony of the National Games, was welcomed with wide-mouthed bewilderment by most of these musicians this past week.
Questions are now being asked on how a band which has no prior experience of performance can be selected to perform at such a big stage, at such huge costs. The promo song of the band, with the superstar himself crooning a song, has evoked negative reactions, except from his fan club.
“Kerala has bands with decades of experience and several classic albums to their name, who still find it hard to get decently paid for their shows.
“Even the biggest of the bands get paid around Rs.2 lakh. The rest of them are paid meagrely and these musicians are forced to find a second job to survive.
“And, here is a band which has not released even an album or performed anywhere being hired using tax payers’ money, thanks to one person’s star value, that too in an entirely different field,” says Nikhil N.R., guitarist of metal band ‘Chaos,’ formed in 2004 and much feted outside the State for its debut album last year.
These musicians feel that rock bands becoming a ‘trend’ has much to do with this scenario. The rock music scene here is not similar to the one we grew up with. Now, it is part of the trend, as evident from reality shows based on bands.
“This has also given a wrong impression to the public on what a rock band really means. Even when the biggest international bands like ‘Iron Maiden’ or ‘Lamb of God’ comes to Bangalore, they are paid around Rs.20 to 30 lakh. Here, the transportation cost itself amounts to that,” says Munz, vocalist of the band ‘The Down Troddenz,’ which swept the Rolling Stone Metal awards last year.
(Reporting by
S.R. Praveen)
