Rock music flourishing in Delhi's pubs
by Gauarv Alagh

        New Delhi: The genre of rock music is gaining momentum in the Capital. To the delight of many upcoming rock groups, the pubs and restro-bars are turning a good platform to showcase their mettle. More and more young college students patronising pubs. Call it the influence of new radio or television channels or special musical evening shows by renowned music groups organised on and off in cosmopolitan cities of the country, Delhi is buzzing with music all around. As rock followers in the city have grown manifold in the past few years and so has increased the acceptability of the age-old genre. A few niche listeners who were staunch followers of famous English bands like Beatles, Deep Purple, Metallica etc. are now readily accepting fresh talent from around the city. Just two years back there were a limited number of gigs in which a few popular music bands were in demand. But, by and large, the response of music lovers at such places was not very encouraging. According to Dhawal Mudgal, a lead singer from one of the music bands from Delhi, claims the present scenario is quite different. "Two years ago one could not think of 30 gigs or, live performances happening in the city. There was just one off gig here, one band playing. Now there are 30 to 40 gigs happening and so many bands are getting chances to play," said Mudgal. " The change has taken place in the last two years. You can say it's a new reality taking shape every day here. Toady, I cannot think that I will be selling 5,000 or 10,000 CD's (compact discs) to anyone. But it is possible, probably, in five or six years' time. It is something that takes time and will show astonishing results in the days to come," he added. To add on, a local pub in South Delhi here is showing some acclaimed films or documentaries that talk about the lives of famous rock stars like Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, David Bowie, and bands like Foo Fighters. Yet another leap in the rock scene, these films are enlightening enough, digging beneath the lives of these legends.

          Siddharth, owner of the pub and a disc jockey, believes this will bridge the gap between wannabe rockers and real rockers. "Right now people know about rock bands and they know their songs, but to actually tell people what rock bands are all about and how do they live and what was their history, such documentaries are very important. People are familiar with the songs .We have lot of wannabe rockers who want to be rockers and to convert those wannabe rockers into rockers, I think this is the right medium," says Siddharth. With increase in the number of gigs in the city, more and more bands emerging out with their originals, documentaries being screened and New Delhi is becoming a Mecca of rock. "You get to see a lot of rare footage. But in terms of doing anything constructive for the scene or providing it with a platform; I don't think that is happening with these initiatives. Yes, there are a lot of people who flock to these entertainments or so-called evenings. You watch a 'rockumentary' or you watch a classic concert on television, you have your couple of beers, you hang out with your buddies, you have a good time and then you go back home," said Sam Lal, a Rock critique.
- October 26, 2006

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