MUMBAI: Live music event organisers in the north east face similar hurdles as their counterparts in mainland India. And while it has its own set of unique roadblocks to negotiate in making live music shows happen, it is not as daunting as some might presume, The Northeast Today (TNT), managing editor Rajoo Sharma has said. The publication, owned by the Maharaja of Tripura, has organised a number of live music events over the years including the recent Hoobastank concert in June in Shillong.
Northeast India today is generally considered as the rock hotbed of India because of the passion for the music among the populace and the prodigious talent in rock and Blues. The region has however suffered from decades of insurgency which has stunted its economic development presenting unique challenges. Basics like power, communication and transportation are often lacking in many areas of the Seven Sisters. But despite (or because of) the handicaps, the people don’t seem to get enough of music- from locally produced singing talent shows to concerts by international artists- rock is an integral part of the life here.
“It is true northeast is the ‘rock’ hotbed- Shillong being the rock capital. More than any other music form, rock is mostly preferred in this part of the country. Artists do get platform to perform here. (But) when we talk about market, it is not as big as mainland India,” Sharma told Radioandmusic.com.
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The cost of organising an ‘average’ live music concert in Shillong is similar to one in (say) Mumbai- around Rs 20-30 lakhs- with cost of lights, sound and generator setting back organisers by another Rs 6-7 lakhs. Receipts from gate account for 50 per cent with the remainder coming from the sponsors. The differentiator between concerts in Shillong from ones in Mumbai would be the size and grandeur of the event. Event managers in Shillong also suffer from a relatively higher cost and lower population (potential ticket buyers) compared to a city like Mumbai.
“We have a number of events organised here time to time. Nothing is cost affective here; everything is very expensive when compared to mainland India. It is difficult to recover cost through tickets- you have to mostly depend on sponsors. Convincing sponsors is a big headache as this is a small market- I believe this is even difficult in metros too. As far as publicity is concern, sponsors get ample through hoardings, flyers, posters, pamphlets, TV channels, FM radio, newspapers, magazines and websites,” Sharma said.
To compensate for its shortcomings as a live event market, the region, especially Shillong, has a significant pool of dedicated and experienced manpower to enable considerations of live music concerts as a feasible option- good enough to host not only local stars but international acts like Mr Big, Petra etc. who need to get the required permissions and documentation like the Inner Line Permit (IPL) to perform in the region.
“It is not as difficult, permission and security can be arranged. If it is for some genuine cause one can apply for tax exemption, but we cannot overlook central service tax. Inviting foreign bands, we need to send them a letter to their manager, showing that they will apply for visa to India. If you want to organize show in venues other then in Assam and Meghalaya then you need to apply for an IPL which is again not as difficult.”
