Revolutionising the music scene

Elite platform

Music in India, with the arrival of global trends, is evolving and revolutionising. And Bengaluru, with its cosmopolitan culture, is providing the best platform for many artistes — local and international — to explore their talent.

Termed as the ‘International capital of music in India’, the City is welcoming a number of international DJs and music producers who are making music afficionados groove to their beats with an energetic vibe. From techno to psychedelic, EDM and underground trance, renowned international DJs look forward to playing at City gigs as these concerts are all a sellout.

Now, with the countdown for New Year on, the occasional visits of these international artistes have become more frequent. ‘Above and Beyond’, Skazi, Dust and Ajja — there is an outburst in the number of international artistes flying into the City and these concerts are a hit among the music lovers. The recent concert by Skazi and ‘Above and Beyond’ had music lovers already bidding farewell to 2015 and looking forward to grooving at many more concerts that are scheduled for the closing days of this year.

Padmini Prabhu, a regular at all the international concerts, in the City, loves the energy levels at these events. She says, “I attended the concerts of all my favourite and semi-favourite artistes and it is an experience in itself. The decor, the artiste, the crowd; all of them give a different feel to the event that makes them sought-after.” She recalls one of her favourite concerts by Skrillex and says, “This happened on the eve of my birthday. We bought tickets at the last minute, which proved to be a little expensive. Nevertheless, I loved the experience and it was worth the money. There were so many illustrations and we got to witness fireworks and other interesting stuff. Each time the DJ spun his best jam, the fireworks blew up and it was thrilling every single time.” She adds that the best part about these concerts is the vibe that is present among the crowd and the feeling of ecstacy that one gets when watching the artiste perform live.

However, Suraj Sampath, a professional who used to enjoy attending concerts a couple of years back, feels that they have become a bit commercialised in recent times. “These international concerts are becoming too expensive, overrated, frequent and commercial. It is in a way losing its novelty and there is less enthusiasm seen among true music lovers. Most of the artistes for some reason feel that underground music will not work with the City crowd, which is disappointing,” he says. He adds that he prefers going to smaller concerts in the clubs and lounges where music is the only focus rather than “getting high and fooling around”.

While the crowd in these concerts can be a bit too much to take in, Pranav, a professional, says, “The first 10 rows from the dais can be chaotic, with no space left, to even breathe. But one can find a not-so-crowded corner at the back and enjoy the music. There is room for everyone, with a little bit of adjustment.”

 These international artistes come each year, nearly at the same time. So how different are they from year to year? Pranav explains, “I have been a regular to all the ‘Above and Beyond’ concerts that happen in the City and they have a different charm each year. This time, the artistes released their new album and the concert gave us a chance to listen to its tunes. Also, the production team makes sure to give a new feel to the same venue every year. This year, it was the game of lasers and the decor was neatly done. They might have played for a limited time, but that limited time was power-packed.”

The tickets to these concerts go up to Rs 2,000, which the youngsters feel is worth the experience. “A few concerts have exorbitant ticket prices that go up till Rs 4,000, which can be a waste,” Pranav opines.

   Nevertheless, the music lovers in the City are considerate about the money that goes into organising such large scale international concerts and wholeheartedly pay for tickets, making the City, a prime target for such talent.