The Hindu Business Line : Far from rocking

Well into its sixth decade, the rock movement in India is still grappling with legitimacy, considering its moneybags older cousin, Bollywood, has earned it. The Indian rock music scene has evolved from live performances to record labels to streamin g via Internet. But it is yet to get a foothold on the international stage or earn the kind of money many Bollywood musicians do. Lack of interest among investors is one of the main reasons behind this, believe many musicians.

“There are investors, but not many would like to invest in bands when compared with Bollywood. You tell me, where is the return on investments? Abroad musicians earn as much as Hollywood stars. Can our musicians do that?” asks Farhad Wadia, Chief Executive Officer, E18, a Network 18 Group Co. Farhad founded Independence Rock, an annual music concert that travels through various cities and endorses upcoming bands, providing them with a platform.

“It grew out of a necessity nearly 24 years ago, when a father from St Xaviers College banned us from performing at their cultural festival Malhar. So our band decided to perform right opposite the college grounds and thus started I-Rock.”

Rock shows mostly thrive on the generosity of sponsors such as telecom companies and liquor or lifestyle brands, says Avinash Chordia, drummer with The Supersonics, a band from Kolkata that prefers performing originals against covers at shows.

“To be honest, there is very little money coming in and brand penetration in India is next to nothing as compared to the West where entire bands are managed by companies.” The Supersonics try to tour as much as possible and derive revenues from album sales. It is open to exploring the alternative of earning revenue through online streaming of its music.

They say there are only two kinds of music scenes in India: Simply, Bollywood and non-Bollywood. This hackneyed categorisation of clubbing everything that is not from Bollywood under one umbrella annoys musicians. Wadia says that in order to reduce this gap and pep up the live music scene, some of the bands would have to break through to the other side and into the international music circuit.

Two years ago, the popular band Parikrama performed at the prestigious Download Festival in Leicestershire, England, alongside Iron Maiden, Linkin Park and Evanescence, creating history of sorts.

“It was a grand experience sharing the stage with the giants of the industry, but it did not guarantee money. Something concrete can come of an overseas tour only if you go there regularly, not otherwise,” says Subir Malik, keyboardist.

The band is happy performing in the country where it has a fairly big fan base and is exploring revenue streams from merchandising T-shirts and other products through retailers. Unlike in the West, where business is largely driven by ticket sales, in India, attendance is at throwaway prices or even free at times.

The limited options as far as venues are concerned also cripple a band’s ability to earn more revenues. The music scene is largely restricted to Mumbai and Delhi, and though Kolkata and Bangalore have seen the emergence of many talented musicians, the scene is, at best, lukewarm.

“In Kolkata, there are a couple of clubs and pubs that let us play, but what is there beyond that? All the business deals happen in Mumbai or Delhi and we feel that it does affect us since we are located elsewhere,” says Ritoban, drummer with Cassini’s Division. But shifting is not an option for the band as all its infrastructure is in Kolkata.

The Bangalore police last year banned the 30-odd pubs and discotheques in the city from hosting live musical performances which threatened to shut down the music scene that was already mellow with the 11 pm deadline, says a music enthusiast.

When Troubador Events organised Rock Rebelution in Ahmedabad, the fact that Gujarat is a dry State acted as a real dampener, says Malav Parekh of Troubador. “Most bands perform at pubs and because Ahmedabad does not have any pubs, a healthy music scene has failed to develop, even though from time to time Indian Ocean and others have made an appearance,” he says.

But he and his team are determined to bring a change and in their first show, invited October and Rampazze from Delhi and Manefus from Baroda to perform.

The Western music scene in India also suffers from similar impediments and is hence restricted to a few big cities.

While bands swear by the live performance, Wadia hints that it is not enough. “In order to make it big, one cannot keep doing concerts attended by 5,000 college kids. You have to get into reality TV or Bollywood.”

In the past, many band members have quit and ventured into Bollywood lured by the big bucks. “But that would be defeating the purpose, wouldn’t it?” says Ritoban.

Wadia, meanwhile, applauds a film like Rock On that introduced rock music to many Indians. “One needs to tap Bollywood or reality TV to explore new options,” he says.

Cassini’s Division, that recently appeared on Channel V’s Launchpad, believes the show gave it great exposure but did nothing for their revenue stream. “It gave us huge leverage in terms of publicity and we were able to reach the audience which otherwise we could not have done” says Ritoban. So one might hope that there will be offers later but obviously the gestation period is long.

Blue Frog in Mumbai is an example of what India requires at this stage. This music production house which has it own sound labs and an independent record label as well, helps build a scene that is primarily non-Bollywood yet profitable. One cannot depend on companies to come forward forever, he adds. Though there have been instances of international brands showing interest in the Indian music scene, it is limited.

Sonam Sherpa of Parikrama was one of the first to receive a guitar from Gibson, the famed guitar maker, and has continued to play it ever since, says Subir. “But bands are sometimes wary of it because it might come with strings attached,” says Dias Madhan, Producer of October, Delhi. The biggest setback for the scene might be that it is in English, the language of the classes, and not the masses. “After all, our audience is 0.001 per cent of the entire potential audience of the country,” says Parikrama’s Subir. Regional bands have been known to attract more brands, such as in Kolkata where a band such as Fossils enjoys near iconic status, adds Cassini’s Ritoban.