Just how does Ghalat Family make 2 lakh a month?

Two year-old Mumbai-based five-member Hindi rock band Ghalat Family is on a roll. And this is just one example. Indie music finally means business. YOLANDE D'MELLO finds how, and more importantly why, non-musicians with safe, well-paying jobs are switching to a career in music

Two year-old Mumbai-based five-member Hindi rock band Ghalat Family is on a roll. And this is just one example. Indie music finally means business. Yolande D'Mello finds how, and more importantly why, non-musicians with safe, well-paying jobs are switching to a career in music

Indie music has never had a bigger platform in the country. A brand new festival. A convention that ran into its second year. Multiple venues across the country. "There are enough venues in Mumbai for bands to perform throughout the month," says Bobby Talwar, founder and owner, Only Much Louder, a Mumbai-based music management agency. "It is possible for a musician to 'survive' without a day job," he adds.

Ankur Tewari, lead vocalist of Ghalat Family, a Mumbai-based Hindi
rock group did 10 tours in the past two months. Tewari is on a
songwriting break in Goa. Yes, times have changed for indie musicians

Ankur Tewari, lead singer and songwriter of the band Ghalatu00a0 Family says, "We've had 10 tours in the last two months and our band has made two lakhs in the last month alone." The Ghalat Family has been touring Goa, Bengaluru, Delhi, Visakhapatnam and Delhi.

"I've been in this band for just two years now. There isn't a time frame to say you will be successful. It could simply be one life-changing gig. You have to be prepared to run that risk." Tewari shot to fame when he wrote Sab Se Peechhe Hum Khade, which was picked up for the film Aao Wish Karein, released in 2003, and sung by Silk Route. 'That was where things took off for me; now my tours are handled by HOM Records," says Tewari.

Farhad Wadia, who steered the indie wave 25 years ago with Independence Rock that served as a launchpad for rock and metal bands across the country, agrees that it's finally paying off to be a part of the Indian indie music industry. Wadia, CEO, E18, the Mumbai-based event management wing of Network 18 says, "If you start off with a band in the music scene now, you are in a much better position because there are more venues. Ten years ago, you'd probably be playing for free." Not any longer.

SoundBound,held in Mumbai in 2010, was a music convention that
brought together artists, producers, managers and entrepreneurs. Most
importantly, it offered musicians an opportunity to network and be heard
via gigs that were held every evening. PIC/SHIV AHUJA

Venues pay new bands anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for a gig, confirms 23 year-old Shawn Pereira, of five-member metal band Black, based in Mumbai. Black travelled to three cities last month, earning about a lakh. Unheard of for a band, say, even five years ago.

Hard Rock Cafe will throw open the stage in a contest -- Hard Rock Calling 2011 -- in February across its venues at Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. "The winning bands will have a chance to perform at Hyde Park and to open for an international band," says Amit Keswani, VP Sales, Marketing and Retail. This is the first year that HRC plans to conduct this contest, which features every year as Ambassador of Rock Tour organised by the international Hard Rock Cafes.

Blue Frog, the best venue in the city for a live music showcase also kicked off an initiative called Early Sets in September to encourage solo artists and smaller musicians. They are given the slot between 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm on weekdays. "These early sets are especially to encourage solo artists, duets or artists who aren't associated with bands. Also, when we bring international artists down, we try to organise collaborations with Indian musicians. It's very important to give the local talent a platform because they then take off into a larger circuit and we can become part of that movement," says Emmanuelle Deidre, Head of Programming, Blue Frog.
Arjun S Ravi, editor of Indiecision, an online resource for music and bands says, "If you look at an Indian family, going out usually involves a movie or dinner. Venues are beginning to realise that a live show can bring in the customers and also keep them there for much longer."u00a0

Survival tactics
"In my opinion, if you want to maintain a good lifestyle you have to do jingles, Bollywood and all that jazz," offers Wadia by way of advice to musicians and music technicians. Talwar too is of the opinion that sound engineers especially, cannot get by without a toehold in Bollywood.
Says Pereira from Black, "Nobody will pay us if they haven't heard of us, so the first time we play in a city, we do it for free. If your music is good, you'll be called back but you have to take the risk." And that's exactly how the band made a lakh, with an energy drink sponsoring their airfare.

International focus
"India is being taken a lot more seriously as an international venue for live acts. It's moving towards being the next big music destination," says Neysa Mendes, independent music entrepreneur who has worked with acts such as Delhi-based electronica duo Midival Punditz and LA-based percussionist Karsh Kale. "This shows a genuine interest in the music culture in India. With bigger acts coming here, we can also look forward to entrepreneurs looking for local talent to launch internationally." This year kicks off with the UK electronica band The Prodigy at the Invasion Festival, followed by Swedish progressive metal band Pain of Salvation who will tour Lucknow and Chennai and a blues festival featuring BB King, the big daddy of Blues, in February.

Tasneem Vahanvaty, Head of music, film and interactive, India & Sri Lanka, British Council, is one of the key
persons behind Soundbound, a three-day music conference that took place in November 19 last year. "Right now, India is hot," says Vahanvaty, "Considering that we are so much in the news with regard to our economy, the interest from abroad is leading to a new wave of venues which will ultimately begin looking for content."

The music conference saw UK organisations taking an interest in local talent as an endeavour of the British Council. "What bands essentially need to do then, is make sure they are in the right place at the right time, and that's where initiatives like SoundBound really help," says Vahanvaty.

Manish Chandnani, 28: Marketing manager turned music professional
After eleven yearsu00a0 of handling his family business, which involved manufacturing cranes and handling equipment, Manish Chandnani wanted out. He realised that he hated it. Two-months ago, he was seen volunteering at the NH7 Weekender festival at Pune on December 17 last year.
u00a0
"I've given myself a year to figure out just where I fit in the music industry, I'm also looking at the film industry and keeping my options open," says Chandnani, who was part of the stage management team at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender festival and is now heading to Delhi for the Invasion Festival featuring Prodigy due to take place on January 15 this year. However, the reason Chandnani can manage to take this year off comes from the fact that he has financially prepared for this trip to consider his options. Volunteering for festivals may be a great way to learn but it doesn't pay much.

"In college, I played drums and we had a band but once I got into the family business, all that stopped. I have a lot of friends who are musicians and filmmakers today, but it was Soundbound, the music conference I attended, that really nudged me to finally make a choice." Chandnani also plans to take a two-month course in filmmaking in New York and is looking up short-term courses on music management in London.

But Chandnani, with his business acumen, seems the sort who is capable of developing a financial strategy for a career in the music industry. "Today, I may be out of touch with music as far as playing in concerned, but there is just so much more to do in the music industry," he says.

Howard Pereira, 32:u00a0 BPO professional turned lead guitarist, Depth
You'd think its crazy to leave a corporate job to hit the road with a rock star dream. But Howard Pereira, who grew tired of his nine-to-five job at a BPO, now lives off his guitar.

After quitting his job a year back he now plays in four bands -- Depth, his pet project that plays hard rock and blues, Dischordion, an acoustic folk band and Overhung that plays alternate rock. He also works with Bollywood artists like Suraj Jaggan, providing backup vocals and guitar.

"That is where a lot of the money is. You might not be very inclined to Bollywood. I know I wasn't to begin with, but you definitely can't ignore it," says Pereira who admits that a chunk of his income comes from Bollywood.u00a0

"Venues like Hard Rock Caf ufffd (HRC) pay a band about Rs 20,000 while Blue Frog can pay up to Rs 40,000, depending on the band and the night for a single gig," says Pereira.
u00a0
"However, HRC has a rule that a band needs a three-month gap between each performance to recycle their line-up and keep it fresh. I get around this rule because I play with various bands so I can gig with each band and have shows every month at HRC." Hence artists who feature in a single band must look for alternate venues to make sure they have a steady flow of shows lined up.

He assures us that any Bollywood-related project will help a musician make twice as much compared to non-mainstream music.u00a0

Pereira says, "Do it because you love it. I didn't mind a smaller pay package when I got into music because I just didn't want to be miserable doing something I didn't love."

Anirudh Voleti, 25:u00a0 Banker turned music professional
Working with Only Much Louder (OML), an artist management firm, Anirudh Voleti, 25, handles work with their booking agency and tour management. Before June 2010 however, he worked at Citibank and gave up a bank job, an enviable profession for most middle-class people, to pursue a profession in music.

"My plan is a long-term one. The ride has been brilliant but like with the industry, it's still a growing endeavour. We are all investing in a long-term plan that will show success very soon," says Voleti.

As Voleti puts it, he makes close to "nothing" at the moment and survives purely on passion (read savings) and is certain that in the future it will pay off and even out.

Jason D'Souza, 22:u00a0 Sound Engineer
D'Souza has created a make-shift studio right in his house and plays producer to young bands, helping them record, mix and work on their music. "Sometimes, I'd suggest changes but it's mainly their music. I'm just playing big brother," says D'Souza, who mostly works with college bands. Having just completed his graduation in sound engineering from Singapore, he also cut his teeth at Yash Raj Studios.

D'Souza says, "I realised that when I was in a college band, we had no guidance." His further plans include getting in music publishing.

After years of playing with various bands, including alternative band Rosemary, he now works with Amal Malik, nephew of Anu Malik and local bands like Block-a-Bus and 4th Base. "Bollywood is moving towards newer sounds and indie should meet it half-way," says D'Souza.

Sujit Kumar, 32:Team leader at a BPO turnedu00a0 vocalist
In a noisy jam room, Sujit Kumar's vocals come unhinged as he rehearses for a gig with his band-mates from alternative rock band Overhung. Eyes closed and head banging to the beat, it was only two years ago that Kumar would spend his day at sombre board meetings. Giving up a career in marketing to pursue his dream, Kumar, 32, admits that he doesn't have a "back-up" plan.

"I was the typical college musician with the most heard story there is to tell. College ended and everyone decided to stop fooling around and get serious with a real career," says Kumar. "I cut my hair and got a job," says the vocalist who performed covers at star hotels after he quit the first time around. He averages around Rs 20,000 to 30,000 a month gigging with Overhung and Kickstart Freedom, also an alternative rock band, but warns us that there was a time when he lived out of his car because he didn't have enough money to pay the rent.

Handbook

What jobs are available in the indie industry?
Bobby Talwar, founder and owner of Only Much Louder, tells us about career options in the music industry: "The music industry is opening up. You don't need to specifically be a musician to be a part of it. Sound engineers, instrument technicans, stage management, artist management, booking agents, tour agents and PR are all part of it."

Band forecast
Arjun S Ravi, editor, indiecision.com, an online music resource for Indian bands, names some bands to look out for:
The Bicycle Days, alternate psychedelic rock (Bengaluru) https://www.myspace.com/thebicycledays
Bombay Bassment, hip-hop, electronica (Mumbai) https://bombaybassment.wordpress.com/
The Riot Peddlers, punk (Mumbai) https://www.myspace.com/theriotpeddlers
Albatross, black metal (Mumbai) https://www.myspace.com/albatrosshorror

Making music in 2011
1. Young Music Creative Entrepreneur Music Award is organised by the British Council to champion the importance of entrepreneurs working in the music field. Using the UK as a nexus for cultural, creative and commercial exchange, the council regards applicants between the age of 25 to 35 years who have contributed considerably to music publishing, management retailing etc. Last day to apply is January 24.

2. Baaja Gaaja 2011 is a three-day music seminar in Pune organised by Aneesh Pradhan, Rahul Vohra, Shubha Mudgal and Sunil Shanbag. It will include workshops, performances, exhibitions and film screenings. Speakers include Chandrika Grover, head, Pro Helvetia, Gargi Sen, filmmaker and head, Magic Lantern Foundation, Rashmi Poddar, director Jnanapravaha, and many others.