Every once in a while there comes something that changes the way you feel or think. After all, a tsunami can prompt the re-charting of an entire globe. But imagine something that makes you wonder, ?Wow, if we could bottle this up, what mad elixir would it be?? And this is where the live band scene in India is heading towards today. Having moved away from the heavy metal bands that populated it, it has gracefully segued into and brought to the fore folk rock, jazz and even electronica.

Dhruv Ghanekar, composer, musician and co-founder of Blue Frog, an integrated music project in Mumbai, says, ?There was no independent music scene in India, what was basically being done was heavy metal. Earlier, when bands used to play, they were requested to play covers. There was no proper platform for a band to seriously do original music. And this has all changed and evolved.?

While industry experts state that it will take anywhere between two to seven years for the live band scene in India to catch up with that in the UK, Europe and the US, they also believe that to get there, each band coming out of India needs to be unique and competitive. The international scene is saturated and to be able to stand out on this platform, one needs to go out on a limb, as that?s where the fruit is.

The flag bearers for consolidating Indian live music abroad would be essentially a mix of both (eastern and western) influences that will really capture the imagination of audiences abroad. Western artists and audiences are constantly looking in India?s direction for talent, prosperity and fame. So there is a very good atmosphere for fusing music, business collaborations and Indian music exports.

The FICCI – KPMG Indian M&E Industry Report states that the public performance segment, with revenues of Rs 173 million in 2008, is expected to more than double to reach Rs 378 million by 2013. Over all, the industry is expected to grow at a modest CAGR of 8% between 2008 and 2013, to reach Rs 10.7 billion by 2013.

Sujeet Ramanna, President of Bombay Rock Association, concludes ?It is high time that Indian commerce takes a good look at this industry that has withstood the test of time and needs the thrust in terms of money, exposure and infrastructure, to swiftly move from underground to mainstream. Also to understand that it truly deserves to become a great money churner for the country and an exhibition of the varied talent that this country possesses.?

A new crop

It is not difficult to spot local bands and groups taking on the centre stage in the cities. The pieces of the live band pie today include pubs, college festivals and private enterprise festivals. While earlier, pubs generally had one-offs of live band performances more so to promote the club than the music, today, these performances are part of many a club?s itinerary and are taking the scene forward.

Artist manager Bharat Navani, is happy that there is a resurgence on the live band front. ?There are a lot of locally grown bands, playing everything from folk rock to electronica. There?s so much on offer and it is really nice to see this.?

Ramanna believes that the current live band scene is definitely not a resurgence of the old, but an evolution into something new and more fulfilling for rock bands. ?Earlier, when a rock band played in a festival, it would get booed off stage for playing originals. Anything beyond the familiar used to get the boot. Slowly, bands started inducing their originals into their setlist. It took a long time to come to this point, where the band, now, plays 80% originals and 20% covers.?

Festivals galore

Ramanna explains that festivals organised by private companies has in many ways kept the scene alive. ?These festivals are frequent in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, but have now percolated to the tier II cities as well. Then there are international bands that perform in India. These type of shows have generated the maximum interest among fans in India.?

While the internet has played a huge role in the increase in footfalls at a live band experience, another aspect that holds importance are the venues where performances are held. Ghanekar believes that, ?We need more venues as it?s the only way live music can be offered to the public and talent be fostered. Without a place or structure, the scene faces a roadblock. We also need event companies who will push this scene forward. Along with this we need more originality, not sound-alike bands.?

Ashwin Srinivasan, a flautist and composer who has been actively involved with Nitin Sawhney in his fusion concerts around the UK and Europe, points out that the live band scene here has a long way to go before musicians can realise that they have arrived. ?There are a couple of bands coming forward and doing good work and inspiring people to create alternate forms of music. There is a lot of scope for experimentation. But it will be a few years at least before we can really say that a full-fledged live band scene has arrived on our circuit. We are still in an embryonic stage and we are in great need of receptive audiences to alternative forms of music.?

With the refreshing sounds of Indian and Western classical instruments to contemporary electronic sounds, bands with fresh new flavours are colouring the Indian rock palette. Another important new development is rock music being sung in ethnic Indian languages. Ramanna explains that this new development has taken the scene across India and has steadily increased the bands emanating from different cities of India, other than the metros. It has promised to take rock music to the next level even as Indian English rock bands consolidate their positions.