Vicious Circle

How often does one go to a rock show in India and listen to original music? I'd like to see Indian bands play more original compositions. There are two sides to the issue actually. Firstly, we need an open minded audience that is willing to give a new band a chance. The second issue is that the music has to be good in order that the crowd likes it. For example, if you take Zero, a band that has managed to create a very unique sound, it is no surprise that they have sold more albums than most other bands in the scene. In fact in their concerts it’s fairly common to see the audience requesting for their original compositions and actually sing along with the band. On the other hand, we have a whole spectrum of the average run of the mill bands which sound no different from a dozen other acts. Being able to replicate popular rock anthems is good musicianship, whereas creating your own rock anthem for the masses is true musicanship. When will we see all original set lists at gigs? I don't see it happening in the near future. I’ll explain why. Bands that do create good original music unfortunately don’t get the recognition they deserve for lack of backing by record labels, which are very skeptical about signing a home-grown rock band irrespective of how good the band is. This skepticism arises out of a multitude of factors including piracy. There are well known cases of brilliant bands which sold an insultingly small number of albums, for lack of a loyal fan base. The situation is worsened when even the so called diehard fans are satisfied with downloadable mp3s. Why we never borrowed the concept of independent music labels from other music cultures is a little baffling. Although the situation is slowly improving with a few independent studios coming up, there is a long way to go before we see an Indian rock band sell more than a couple of thousand albums. Owing to all these reasons, even groups that have real potential are forced to disband sooner or later. If you heard a good album by an Indian band, would you buy it? Do you like any Indian band? If so, do you own their CD? Or are you happy listening to the pirated mp3s on your computer? Thermal and a Quarter is a talented funk rock band from Bangalore who released their second album for free on the internet. The album is aptly titled Plan B. I sincerely hope the plan works out for them. I have also heard some promising EPs from heavier acts like IIIrd Sovereign and I’m sure there are more emerging bands out there. Only time will tell us if the rock scene in our country is going to get any better.

- I had written this a long time ago and happened to find it by chance on my computer. There are a few Indian bands that I actually enjoy listening to. For example, Zebediah Plush's Afterlaughs is pretty good and I love some of the stuff on it. Demonic Resurrection's "A Darkness Descends" is a very good metal album. Hoping for more good music from our very own desi bands. And ofcourse, the best contemporary Indian rock band according to me is Zero. Older bands like Indus Creed, Rock Machine and Colourblind are quality acts too.