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Posted by carpediem on Feb 07, 2006 - 09:59 PM
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This story appeared in Emirates Today,
a daily in Dubai on January 7, 2006. (Orignally here: http://213.132.44.184/emiratestoday/)
In Bollywood mad Bangalore, it can be hard for an honest rocker to
make ends meet. David Tusing on the trials and tribulations of India’s
rock bands and musicians.
On a Wednesday evening in India’s bustling Bangalore, four young men
gather in a small flat in one of the city's suburbs. Like thousands
of other 20-somethings the world over, they have formed a rock band,
writing their own music, which they describe as “ambient guitar soundscapes
combined with grunge distortion layered on top of a tight drum and
bass unit”.
Judging by their enthusiasm, one might think they were on the brink
of making it big.
But the members of rock band Lounge Piranha have no such aspirations;
not really. The general feeling among them and their contemporaries
is that it's all right to be a rock musician – as long as you have
a day job.
For many rock musicians and rock bands across India, the situation
is all too familiar. In a recording industry dominated by Hindi film
music and its affiliate Indipop – Hindi popular music – rock music
is still largely overlooked by the powers-that-be and a breakthrough
into the mainstream remains next to impossible. Rock music in India,
it seems, is still enjoyed only by a select few – a niche that seems
too small to invest large amounts of money in, given the lack of take-up
by major recording companies.
“Where is the market for rock music?” asks George Mathen, the 26-year-old
drummer of Lounge Piranha. “We need to survive and support ourselves.
Playing rock music is not enough sustenance.” By day, George is an
artist and designs freelance for advertising firms in the city. Band
member and guitarist Kamal Singh, 25, is a media analyst, while bassist
Rohan Ramesh, 22, is studying to be a doctor. The band’s vocalist
Abhijit, 29, runs a private studio.
“We have no choice, because we do not know when our next paid gig
is going to come,” says Singh.
It is no different for the members of Old Jungle Saying, another Bangalore-based
band serving up “sumptuous slabs of psychedelic funk” influenced by
bands such as Primus, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More.
According to drummer Greg Hamra, 44, rock music is a: “full-time passion,
but a part-time activity”.
When not underpining the rhythm of his band, Hamra is a communications
trainer for various multinational companies; the other members are
also professionals in various fields. According to Hamra, it is a
fantasy to want to be a rock star. “Very few make it,” he says.
There is no support system for Indian rock bands as in the West, says
Old Jungle Saying bass guitarist, Sandeep Madhavan.
"No record companies are interested in Indian rock, because the
numbers aren't huge and they'd rather promote an Indipop album that
sells a few million copies with a little promotion," he says.
"The ones that are interested have realised that crossover dance-rock
make more business sense." Most bands therefore release albums
on their own, selling them through word of mouth and their websites,
or even giving them away, he reports.
Music City
Bangalore has often been labeled a music lover's favourite haunt.
Major international artists perform in the city on a regular basis,
and aficionados from all over the country have repeatedly converged
ion the metropolis to watch artists such as Joe Satriani, Mark Knoffler
and rock band Deep Purple perform live. This month has already seen
performances by Jethro Tull and Bryan Adams – the later playing his
third concert in the city- while Uriah Heep is scheduled to play tomorrow
night.
But as 25-year-old rock musician Rajesh Mehar points out, the story
of struggling rock musicians is not unique to India – the story is
the same everywhere, he says. "
“Though the rock music scene maybe more organised in other countries,
most musicians are still on the fringes of a workable commercial model
of music as a profession. I don't suppose that every musician is a
full-time professional musician even in the USA or Scandinavia, or
wherever else," he says.
"Maybe a big part of being a musician is being an out-of-work
musician," he adds.
And like struggling artists everywhere, Bangalore’s rockers would
like to see more support. Besides the internationals artists, Old
Jungle Saying's Hamra feels that sponsors of local rock festivals
and contests should be willing to experiment with new bands and music.
“Sometimes you hear the same band and the same music over and over.
You wonder if there is any growth at all,” he says.
An Awakening
Val Moraes, 42, agrees – and he should know. The building contractor
and construction supervisor has played the circuit for over 20 years,
and calls the music he plays 'retro'.
However, he also feels that the audience is partly to blame.
“When you are playing for a public, you need to give in to their demands.
The majority of song requests in my performances are covers of well-known
songs,” he says.
“Let's be realistic, Indians will never buy an album by an Indian
rock band,” he says adamantly when asked if he will ever come up with
a recording of his own songs. Nevertheless, the veteran is optimistic
that things will change. “Things are a little different compared to
five years ago,” he says.
Fittingly given their city’s status as India’s home of technology,
the Bangalore-based bands all have their own websites, where they
post dates and directions for gigs, list their lyrics and invite feedback
from fans. Greg, an Old Jungle Saying fan, is waiting for more, he
informs the band through its ‘junglebook’ forum, where followers can
also download MP3 files. “When ya gonna make a CD?” he demands.
With globalisation and the advent of satellite television, urban India
is on the throes of an awakening of sorts. As youngsters gradually
become aware of global trends and cultures, will this have an effect
on how rock is perceived? And if so, will this pave new opportunities
for rock bands?
“Yes. Absolutely,” says Lounge Piranha's Singh. “New avenues are opening
up where we can showcase our talents and make some money.”
The Times Media Group recently concluded the preliminary rounds of
its Times of Youth rock contest in the city. The contest, in its third
year, is a platform for fledgling rock bands to compete on a national
level. Unmaad, the annual cultural festival of Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore, has also seen its fair share of rock bands
making a name for themselves, while radio stations are also opening
up to rock bands. One popular radio station in the city broadcasts
live performances of rock bands every week.
Matthew Harris, 26, is the lead guitarist of Galeej Gurus, the first
band to perform for Radio City's rock show. The group, which describes
itself as one that “enjoys inculcating the sounds that they were brought
up on, all the while remaining open to the possibility of experimenting
with new ideas” formed in 2001. An event manager for Rave Magazine,
Harris feels that things are slowly beginning to change for rock musicians
and bands.
“Earlier, you would have to wait eight months after your last gig
to be invited again for a performance. Now you have bigger banners
and sponsors involved with cultural fests and events,” he reports.
While more opportunities and bigger venues to play is a good thing
for rock musicians and bands, is making enough money the yardstick
for a rock band's success?
"If you want to sell 500 CDs and participate in a dozen semi-professional
competitions, then I suppose yes," says Mehar, "but to sell
100,000 copies, the options are still the same – you need record companies."
Getting major music labels in India to share the musicians' enthusiasm
for rock is not easy.
"In spite of Indian being considered a huge market for music
in general, the genre of rock music never was - and the case remains
the same even today - a viable position in terms of returns to investment,
and hence, the record labels have not been interested in recording
rock bands and rock musicians. Even in the past, acts such as Gary
Lawyer, Remo Fernandes and Indus Creed have not been able to cross
the 100, 000 units mark in sales," says CP Joseph, chief executive
officer of Raga to Rock Records, a division of Spotlight Promotions
and Management in Mumbai.
"However, the tide is slowly turning," he says
"Of late, there has been a steady growth of local talent trying
to promote their music via the live gig scene as well as making their
own CDs and trying to generate sales at their concerts and events.
This has enabled them to build a strong fan base.
"The passion of this generation of musicians of going through
the grind of wanting their original music to be heard by an audience
is slowly building towards a musical movement," Joseph says.
Raga to Rock Records has helped in this endeavour by providing a platform
for these local musical talents with their album releases, such as
Sleeping Buddha's Web of Life, with more releases in the pipeline
for 2006.
Bangalore's rock musicians are not giving up just yet. Galeej Gurus'
Matthew Harris hopes the day of recognition will not be too far off.
"Self produced albums can get you only so far. So the real thing
is a major record company to back you," he says.
Like secret societies, members of bands across cities and towns will
continue to huddle in their flats, composing breakthrough lyrics and
practicing gorgeous riffs. But the reality is far from romantic, and
they know it all too well.
"It might be easy to spread your music around,” reflects Mehar.
“But to make people pay for it – so you can earn a living off it –
is a whole different story."
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