Rapper and songwriter Travis Scott will hustle onto stage in Delhi this coming weekend. Music to the ears of rap aficionados. Not my scene. But a month later, one hopes to be at the concert in the capital by the Oscar and seven-time Grammy-winning musician, Jon Batiste. From Coldplay to Ed Sheeran to Guns N' Roses to Maroon 5 to Deep Purple - is India becoming to music acts what Dubai was 20 years ago? Bring the music on. No one's complaining.
On stage over the next few weeks and months. Enrique Iglesias will belt out ‘Bailamos'. Post Malone will croon the certified double-diamond hit ‘Sunflower'. John Mayer will present his touching ode to the relationship between fathers and ‘Daughters'. Linkin Park will get the crowd rocking with ‘Numb'. Then there will be more live shows from the playlist of Akon, Passenger, Calvin Harris, Playboi Carti, The Lumineers.
That Day In 1981
I have always been a fan of international live music acts. But where did we ever get the exposure. 1981 was an exception. I was twenty. Venue: Brigade Parade Ground, Calcutta. The band: Osibisa. Their mega hits: ‘Sunshine Day' and ‘Dance The Body Music'. We were still listening to our music on long playing records (LPs) and cassettes. So it was a completely different experience to see Osibisa perform live on stage. If I remember, the tickets were an exorbitant (!) Rs 200. There were no online bookings or QR codes then. Just the excitement of being a tweenager and the promise of music from faraway lands. For many of us, it was the first time we were witnessing an international group performing in our city. That memory still plays inside me, like an old gramophone record, scratchy but with soul. We happily stood in a queue for one hour before we could watch and listen to our heroes of reggae. My brothers, Andy and Barry, and a few friends even painted our faces (I know that's not cool in 2025) to get into the Caribbean mood. The joy of youth.
Over the years, I have been fortunate to watch some of my favourite artistes perform live, mostly in New York. From Neil Diamond's ‘Sweet Caroline' to Billy Joel's ‘Piano Man'. From Elton John and Don McLean, to Gordon Lightfoot and Tony Orlando. Country legends like Garth Brooks and Kris Kristofferson. The ‘Queen of Motown' Diana Ross. Tom Jones, Barry Manilow, Ricky Martin, Usher, Ed Sheeran, James Blunt.
And some of my favourite groups. The Eagles, America (Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley), Air Supply, Foreigner, Coldplay.
There is still one name on my bucket list: George Strait, the king of country music, now in his seventies. Till recently he held the record for the largest ticketed concert in the history of the US: one hundred and ten thousand people in Texas. To see him perform live would be a special night on my journey as a fan.
Where Is The Infra?
Even as India starts becoming relevant on the world music circuit, problems persist. We still do not have world-class music-first venues. There is a marked paucity of custom-built infrastructure, and venue shortages. For most shows, stadiums are repurposed or grounds are retrofitted, often beyond their limits. Facilities the world over are renovating themselves to host sporting and live entertainment events. India is yet to build multipurpose venues across the country to integrate diverse use-cases. The country that built cricket stadiums to dazzle the world, surely needs world-class music venues. Not just for international acts, but Indian icons like AR Rahman, Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Diljit Dosanjh, to name just a few. (Alas, no Zubin Garg)
A top executive working at one of India's premier event management companies, spoke to me about the culture of ‘free passes'. “Historically, habits were spoilt by cricket where nobody relied on ticketing revenue to make sense of the business. Television rights paid for everything. But for live events, ticketing revenue is the backbone. Yet, from bureaucrats to politicians, from law enforcement agencies to distant relatives - everyone expects 'passes' to be delivered free-of-charge. Till our lexicon does not move from 'passes' to 'tickets,' the industry cannot thrive. A concert is a product of months of planning, investment and risk. The ‘pass' culture not only undervalues the artiste and the organiser, but also distorts the economics of the event.”
The Fan Must Have The Last Word
BookMyShow, the biggest event manager in this category, courted controversy a year ago. There were allegations of black-marketing of tickets for the Coldplay concert. Ticket reselling practices, though legal in many parts of the world, are a messy enterprise. Eventually, it's the fans who must have the last word.
Even with these limitations, India has much to offer to the global music arena. So next month, when Jon Batiste fills the air with jazz and blues, a grey-haired man in his sixties, sitting in a Delhi stadium, will reminisce about his first concert in 1981. Let the music play on.
(Research credit: Ayashman Dey)
(Derek O'Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
