Having attended a plethora of gigs over the past few months, we’ve noticed that live music is thriving more than ever in Mumbai. Even though actual live music shows (the ones where musicians play instruments and sing into a microphone) are usually given midweek slots, they are still able to pull in packed houses. Cases in point are the recent shows at the city’s premier live venue antiSOCIAL. Since the turn of the year, local artists such as brutal death metallers Gutslit, pop-rock band The Colour Compound, pop-punk outfit The Lightyears Explode, reggae-rockers Tough on Tobacco, hiphop collectives Wild Wild Women and Swadesi, and singer-songwriters Tejas and Aarifah Rebello as well as jazz/funk/blues group the Adil Manuel Collective, amongst others, have all enjoyed tremendous success playing to impressive turnouts at their gigs.
However, while everything may seem glossy from the outside, what is it like behind the scenes for the artists? In this post-COVID transition back to normalcy as well as the rise in rehearsal costs, gear and other essentials, are musicians able to profit from live shows? Gutslit’s bassist Gurdip Singh Narang says, “That’s a very logical and appropriate question in today’s time.” While his band is set to tour Europe next month, he adds, “Post-COVID, things have changed so much. Especially fuel costs and thus flight tickets have almost doubled. Because of this, touring has become so expensive. Earlier, where a landed deal would ensure us getting our flights, stay and food covered with a modest sum to save too, it’s now become difficult to even get the basics sorted for a show. Things have definitely become difficult to make ends meet when it comes to a tour.”
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Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av RollingStone India.
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Akshath Plots India Tour on the Back of Hit Song 'Nadaaniyan'
Mumbai artist's breezy love song took over streaming charts and short-video platforms
Aksh Baghla and 10CM Swap Languages in 'Spring Snow' Hindi Version
The Indian pop artist got the South Korean indie-pop artist to sing in Hindi on his hit song from the 'Lovely Runner, Part 8' soundtrack
Sukha Talks New EP '2003' and the Success of '8 Asle'
The Toronto-based Punjabi artist also looks back at hits like 'Sangdi' and the EP 'Undisputed'
Masrat Un Nisa on Channeling Raj Begum in Upcoming Film 'Songs of Paradise'
Inspired by the legendary Kashmiri voice Raj Begum, the singer talks about working with filmmaker Danish Renzu, who has also called on her for songs with his label Renzu Music
How Daira's 'Jaadoo Bastar' Tapped Into Chhattisgarh Tribal Stories
Mumbai rock band teamed up with artists including Lakheshwar Khudaram and Hindi lyricist Alok Ranjan Srivastava for five songs and a documentary that goes behind the scenes of the project
Peekay Embraces Djent on 'Merciless' and Plots an L.A. Move
The Hyderabad artist worked with guitarist Jonathan Edward and prog band Skyharbor's Keshav Dhar on the track
The Derelicts Take a 'Highway Drive' on Euphoric New Song
The Kochi disco-pop/electronica band introduce a science fiction-informed storyline for their first release since 2018
Sudan on How 'Happy Accidents' Led To His Genre-Defying Debut Album
Mumbai-based producer and multiinstrumentalist launched 'Sudan?' in August with a collab-heavy list of guests including Tejas, Frizzell D'Souza and more
Zubin Mehta Talks Symphony Orchestra of India Concerts
The Mumbai-born conductor leads a slightly offbeat selection for the SOI Autumn 2024 Season, taking place on Aug. 17 and 18, followed by Aug. 24 and 25
Ameya Saraf: 'I Wanted to Do Music for Life the First Time I Picked Up a Guitar'
Los Angeles-based Indian composer and producer worked his way from the rock scene to assisting pop artist Arjun Kanungo at the latter's Promethean Studio in Mumbai