Hey hey, my my / Rock and roll can never die...,” sang Canadian American artiste Neil Young many years back. These words ring true in today’s India too. With a twist of course.
Rock music, a staple of campus and club scenes, has slowly lost out to more contemporary genres. But as Young goes on to sing, “There’s more to the picture than meets the eye.” The notion that rock music is dead in India is a misconception. It may not be kicking and headbanging, but it is not dead and buried either.
"Independence Rock [a two-day music festival in Mumbai] has been a huge success, fuelled by people’s nostalgia. It's celebrating its 30th anniversary on November 16–17, and it is sold out. The success of I-Rock led to Bandland [a rock festival in Bengaluru], and now, because of both, more festivals are emerging," says Subir Malik, founder and organist of Parikrama, one of India’s biggest rock acts.
According to him, even with techno and electronic dance music ruling the airwaves, Bandland last year still managed to draw nearly 10,000 fans with international bands such as Deep Purple and Goo Goo Dolls headlining the shows.
The iconic I-Rock festival made a comeback in 2022 after a nine-year hiatus, with founder Farhad Wadia partnering with Hyperlink Brand Solutions as co-organiser and the Mahindra Group as the title sponsor. I-Rock was launched in 1986 and is renowned as the longest-running and most popular rock festival in the country.
“It is fair to say that there has been more rock music at festivals. There are not necessarily more festivals dedicated to rock, but the genre is inching back to claim more space on multigenre festival lineups,” says Anurag Tagat, a music journalist.
Hitting a Sour Note
Denne historien er fra October 2024-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 2024-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Automation is Redefining Efficiency and Precision in Jewellery Manufacturing'
Increasing brand consciousness and awareness among consumers is helping expand the organised jewellery retail industry. MP Ahammed, chairman of Malabar Group, discusses prominent trends in the jewellery industry
BATTLE TO WIN THE AI RACE
In Supremacy, Parmy Olson tells the astonishing and behind-the-scenes story of the battle between the world’s two leading artificial intelligence firms, OpenAl and DeepMind and the continuing rivalry of its founders Sam Altman and Demis Hassabis respectively
A LEADER WHO EMPOWERS
Anshul Arzare, MD and CEO of YES SECURITIES, wants to ensure a workplace where employees not only contribute to the company's vision but also feel content
EV Unplugged
Electric vehicles are crucial to India’s climate change plan. But reliance on China for imports and technology constraints remain hurdles the sector needs to overcome
Every Lamborghini Owner is a Brand Ambassador
Regional director of Automobili Lamborghini, Francesco Scardaoni, talks to Prachi Khanna about the brand’s approach to fostering a sense of community among its vehicle owners. Edited excerpts
NO ZEST FOR ZED
A government initiative to green MSMEs is not finding enough takers
SMALL PLANTS, BIG TROUBLE
Climate-triggered stress is placing an unprecedented burden on small businesses. But a lack of access to climate aid hinders the sector's ability to adopt greener methods
'We Think About the Rider More Than Any Other Company
Rapido co-founder Aravind Sanka talks to Neeraj Thakur and Deepsekhar Choudhury about how flexibility and fair pay helped his company disrupt the Ola-Uber duopoly. Edited excerpts
LABOUR PANGS
Rising cost of living in a fast-growing economy is making workers restless
'Hustle is No Virtue'
It has become fashionable to talk about the verb “hustle” these days, especially in professional settings.
