JOIN USAll plans go haywire
Bangalore is known for its rock concerts and high-voltage performances. In fact, youngsters from across the country make a beeline for the City for the many international acts that take place here. However, on the rare occasions that these performances are postponed, fans from out of town end up facing many problems.
As most of them are either students or young professionals, changes in the schedule of a concert can cause a huge financial loss for them.
For instance, when the performance by popular Electronic Dance Music (EDM) trio, ‘Swedish House Mafia’ was put off, many youngsters were left dejected, angry and confounded as they did not know whether to stay back or return home due to the sudden shift in the date.
Vikram, who had come all the way from Chennai for the concert, was disappointed that he lost so much money and time due to the change in the schedule.
“It’s not a small matter for people like us, who come from different cities to attend these concerts. A slight change in the schedule can cause huge problems. We came with a lot of expectations — when we found out that the event was postponed, it caused our entire planning to go haywire,” he informs.
Roshini, who had come from Hyderabad for the concert, adds that she had planned her entire weekend around the event. “Some of my friends and I had travelled from Hyderabad to watch ‘Swedish House Mafia’ perform. Initially, there was a lot of confusion regarding whether the concert would be held on schedule. Finally, when it was shifted to the next day, we were quite let down as we had only applied for a day’s leave from college. Losing another day was not an option. It was a waste of time as well as money. We had spent a lot of money on the travel and stay — all for nothing,” she complains. Many a time, students and professionals from outside Bangalore plan to take late-night buses home so that they can report to work or college the next day.
Fans feel that bands should consider the problems that people coming in from different cities have to face, before shifting their performances to a later date. Those who don’t have a place to stay in the City face even larger problems. “We pooled in some money and managed to get to Bangalore. The next thing we knew, the concert was postponed. Even if we wanted to stay on for the show, we couldn’t — because we had to find a place to stay,” says Surjit, a student.