So what caused this sudden change? What exactly
makes India such an exciting and such an important
destination? There are various reasons for that. It could
all play a role in a certain band wanting to come to
India and it may also be subjective.
Population:
India is the second most populated country in the
world. Even a small minority in a nation of 1.3
billion people is a huge number. So it becomes a
very important market regardless of your product or
services. It's a place of strategic importance. Because
if you or your product does well in India, the benefits
could be endless. So as musicians, it could very well
mean more CD sales or digital downloads, bigger
turnouts at your gigs, etc.
Reception:
Despite the inflow of international bands performing
in India, the number of bands performing in India is
still pretty low compared to Europe or North America.
So the audience isn't spoilt for choices all the time. So
when the opportunity to witness an international band
presents itself, they make the most of it. As a performer,
that's what you want to see. An enthusiastic audience
who enjoy the music, sing along or dance or groove or
headbang, mosh etc is all that you want as a performer
when performing live! And more often than not, this is
what you see in India.
What's important to be noted is the fact that it's not
only the big, highly reputed artists who have India on
their roadmap, but also the up and coming bands. In
fact, India is one of the most important markets, if not
the most important markets for newer bands. As Elias
of the now defunct Swedish band, Deathember points
out, "The biggest difference I experienced was that the
Indian crowds seemed way more open minded about
our music, and the crowd seemed more diverse (Than
back home in Sweden). As pointed out before, Indian
audience, in general, tend to be mo re appreciative of
the music. Sweden is home to a lot of legendary bands.
And the people there are spoilt for choices. That does
not work very well for upcoming bands. They often
end up playing for empty halls/clubs or mute crowds.
So India provides them with an escape they would not
forget easily.
Sometimes, it's more than just these common
expectations that make bands visit India. It could
be something as deep as being able to be a part of a
growing community. Johan Lund of Mindshift (Sweden)
says, "India is really important for Mindshift because,
first of all, we have gotten treated really well by all the
organisers as well as the fans in India. And secondly we
see a growing metal community there and to be a part
of it from the beginning is a real honour. And the food
is great! Haha". He is right. How could we forget about
the food? If one has no other reason to visit this rather
unique nation, then the food here should do the trick!
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the
world. And India is home to over a billion people. And
it's only logical to assume everybody wants to be a part
of its growth.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
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