The sound of music festivals
Live music programmes in India are now immersive events where music can not only be heard but also experienced
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Last Updated: Nov 24, 2018, 11:20 IST8 min
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But despite the burgeoning indie pop scene in the 1990s, what remained elusive were live music festivals where these artistes and audiences could come together for an entirely different experience. Live performances remained limited to college festivals, and a handful of venues, such as nightclubs, in the metros.
“When we started off, there was no infrastructure to support and sustain rock music or live bands. It was very hard to get good instruments and even if you did, they were very expensive. But things are better now, more professional with better technicians and sound engineers,” says Uday Benegal, the lead singer of Indus Creed, which was formed as Rock Machine in 1984.
Not only have these festivals grown to include different genres, they have become platforms for Indian and foreign artistes to find new audiences who are willing to spend money, time and effort to listen to them. While season passes cost between ₹2,500 and ₹12,000, individual festival tickets cost between ₹2,500 and ₹5,000, with Magnetic Fields priced at ₹12,000 for a three-day event. Large-format festivals, such as Bacardi NH7 Weekender, are attended by 25,000 to 45,000 people over three days, while about 4,000 people attend Magnetic Fields, and smaller, boutique festivals like Nariyal Paani attract 800 to 1,000 attendees. “The audience is hungry to absorb different genres of music and are open to more alternative sounds,” says Supreet Kaur (28), festival director, Bacardi NH7 Weekender. “Audiences are being spoiled for choice today, with more than 70 to 80 international acts touring in India every year 10 years ago that number was just three to four.” Weekender was started in 2010 as a platform for indie artistes, and since its first event at Pune, it has grown to nine venues, with audience size increasing from 3,500 to 45,000. Having performed at festivals all over the country, Ashish Jose, a DJ who goes by the stage name of Tarqeeb, says, “Festival organisers have the ability to groom their audiences and elevate their taste in music by exposing them to music they would otherwise not hear.”
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With about 30 to 35 festivals now being held within a short season that lasts from October to February—the rest of the year is too hot or too wet to have outdoor performances—festivals are vying with each other to be unique in their own way. With a limited number of large outdoor venues with capacities to hold several thousand people, organisers are finding spaces that make festivals more immersive, not just for the audience but also for artistes.
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For instance, Munbir Chawla and Sarah Fatemi, founders of Magnetic Fields, wanted to offer more than a great artiste line-up. “For us a music festival is all about getting away from your routine and becoming a part of a community for three whole days,” says Chawla. “This is why we don’t sell day passes.” Magnetic Fields, which was launched in 2013, takes place at Alsisar Mahal, in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, where attendees can stay at rooms in Alsisar Mahal, tents, or their own camps. The festival has multiple performance stages at various locations through the palace, but only one is active at a time.
But despite the challenges, each of these festivals provides a memorable experience, not only for the audience but also the artistes. Benegal, who has performed at Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh, says, “In terms of travel, it’s really difficult getting there. But the view from around there is beautiful. Playing there, in the middle of so much natural beauty, was outstanding. The organisers do a really good job of providing artistes with everything we need to perform.”
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Music festivals are also no longer just about the music, with some of them including workshops, installation art, and food. At Magnetic Fields for instance, there are revitalising workshops for the body, soul and mind, and gathering around storytellers from various fields. At Nariyal Paani, there are activities such as star gazing, community painting, and treasure hunts.
Chaitanya Bhalla, guitarist with the band Ska Vengers, finds it a lot easier to perform in India than travel to other countries: “Internationally, a band has to carry a lot of equipment, which is not the case in India. Especially in the UK, a lot of these festivals happen in the middle of forests, where carrying our gear can get tough.” He, however, adds that, “international organisers have years of a head start over us. Indian organisers are very good in terms of hospitality and production value.” Ska Vengers has performed at Glastonbury, Bestival, Secret Garden Party and Boomtown Fair in the UK, and Indian festivals such as Magnetic Fields, Nariyal Paani, VH1 Supersonic and Bacardi NH7 Weekender. Aditya Ashok, a drummer, music producer and DJ, feels there is a clear difference between more mature festivals and those in India. “Foreign festivals are a little more streamlined, as they have been going on for much longer than Indian festivals. So they have ironed out most of the snags that are inevitable while organising such big events.” Having performed at festivals such as Glastonbury, Euroblast (Germany), Groezerock (Belgium), Sakifo (Reunion Island), and most of the Indian ones, he adds, “The most striking difference is the punctuality. International festivals and club shows almost always run on schedule down to the minute.”Despite the challenges that music festivals in India must overcome as the industry grows, the enthusiasm of audiences and organisers alike seems to be undaunted. For music can be heard, and can also be experienced. The former is something India has done for long the latter is what we are just waking up to.
First Published: Nov 24, 2018, 11:20
Subscribe NowNaini Thaker is an Assistant Editor at Forbes India, where she has been reporting and writing for over seven years. Her editorial focus spans technology, startups, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing.
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