Club gigs and parties may not be a priority during Covid-19 but it is a source of earning for millions of people connected with the music industry. According to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) 2020 Global Music Report, global music sales grew for the fifth consecutive year in 2019, garnering a total revenue of $20.2 billion. But with Covid-19 cancelling club gigs, music festivals, tours and shows, will it bring the music industry’s lucky streak to an end? Maybe not, as streaming accounted for more than half of all label revenues for the first time last year.

But if we shift our attention to local artistes and DJs, people who have performed in clubs in the city or are listed as “opening acts” for events, it’s probably a time to worry. Live performances played a huge role in getting money into their pockets and now a renowned band from the city is facing a loss — in potential earnings — of at least Rs 20 lakh.
More than asking “when can we go clubbing” and “when’s the next music festival”, relevant questions would be: “What’s the next step? How will music events make up for losses? What is the new normal?” We asked and this is what we were told.

The old ‘normal’

“I was travelling almost every weekend. It was a packed schedule for me,” said techno artiste Ash Roy. Almost every club had an artiste flying down from different parts of the world every other weekend. And this was at a time when underground subgenres, such as techno and experimental, were taking over, besides hip-hop and Bollywood of course. Names such as Greg Hilight, Liquid Ross, The Spindoctor, Eeemus, Todh Teri and Matan Caspi were down in the city to play before the lockdown took place and the discussions of bringing down other artistes were taking place too. Moreover, the first wave of the ‘Goa party season’ had come to an end when the lockdown was announced, which is when event organisers and promoters organise gigs and tours with the artistes (from around the world) present in Goa. But, of course, there were other plans.

DJ Teri Miko live at Roxy, The Park The Telegraph

Locked in

“A lot of artistes, like Vibe Tribe, VirtuaLight, Hypnoise wanted to play in Calcutta. DJ Tristan’s India tour got cancelled,” said Vikrant Jaiswal aka DJ Outlaw, a psy-trance act from the city. Although the lockdown has taken a big toll on the music industry, it has had an even bigger toll on psy-trance. A few years ago every club had a psy-trance event but in recent years there has been a lull. “I’ve spoken to a few organisers from different cities and most of them are saying that there is no chance for
psy-trance,” he said.

When the lockdown was declared, it caused uncertainty panic, especially for self-employed artistes. Other than club gigs and festivals, even corporate and wedding gigs have been cancelled. The peak time for summer season normally begins in the first week of June and continues all the way to October.

City-based DJ Vicky Metharamani normally works 25-plus days a month during this season but it has all “zeroed down”. “DJs haven’t earned properly in three months and the next few months also look dry. I had bookings till January, in places outside India as well,” he said. But it turns out that all the 35 confirmed bookings, with advance payments already made to the DJ, had to be cancelled. Not only does money play a problem with the lockdown but it will also be long before that old club experience and vibe returns. DJ Sanjay Dutta had to shelve a few of his gigs and until the concept of a music gathering does not come back, it will not be the same. “The concept of clubbing is about people coming together and exchanging thoughts. That’s the essence. You can play around with the concept but it won’t be the same. For example, you can have drive-in parties but the charm is gone,” he said.

Moreover, freelance musicians, who are new to the scene, are currently earning nothing. Some resident DJs are still getting their share of payment from their respective clubs but some freelance DJs are given gigs without any formal agreements.

“A huge part of the business conducted goes without contracts, agreements, there’s no standardised guidelines. Within organisations people have protocols but as an industry there seems to be no norms, no standards…” said Spryk from Mumbai when asked about the live music ecosystem.
This makes life difficult for live musicians as there are no associations to resolve disputes, there is no equal opportunity and no one’s keeping a check on whether people are being inclusive or fair in the way people get paid, given how much time they’ve put in.

Veterans can still bank on savings for the coming months but for new artistes, times are tough because they’d be earning only a few thousands, some of which remains unpaid and delayed. Many musicians still have pending payments due to the lockdown. DJ RishiBoy says, “Artistes have not been paid and they have been given Covid-19 as the reason, which I believe is stupid from the owner’s side because once a customer walks into a club, he or she pays his cash and consumes whatever he needs. So why do DJs get paid so late? It is beyond my comprehension and something I always wanted to know. DJs, on the other hand, don’t really open up about it just to get more gigs and this is how owners use them.”

Online action

With few public venues available for the music scene, most artistes have taken their talents online… to at least earn something. This sure has taken a good turn for live musicians and producers as they are able to share their music to a huge crowd. While some are still going live using their (social media) accounts, many are also creating events and line-ups for which a minimum fee needs to be paid for entry. Although most of these events are linked with charity, some are just for the sake of entertainment.

TopCat CCU in Topsia and Skinny Mo’s Jazz Club on Manoharpukur Road are two properties that were among the first to start monetised gigs in Calcutta. One duo that has been a step ahead is Parekh & Singh. “Nischay and I don’t stay in the same city, so almost all our work is done online. We only meet to play. The lockdown didn’t affect our work or our creative process but it made us more active online,” said Jivraj Singh.

Nischay and I don’t stay in the same city, so almost all our work is done online. We only meet to play. The lockdown didn’t affect our work or our creative process but it made us more active online — Jivraj Singh of Parekh & Singh Sourced by the Telegraph

Things seem to have fallen in place for Aswekeepsearching as well. They had worked on an instrumental album which was set to launch in February but eventually launched on April 17, which is also drummer Sambit Chatterjee’s birthday.

Although monetised gigs provide a “something is better than nothing” situation for live acts, it has taken a different turn for DJs. Due to copyright issues, social media platforms are muting or taking down DJ sets when a song used is recognised to be under a label.

“So does that mean I can’t use someone else’s track? That’s what a DJ does! And I buy all my music, so it’s not like the label is getting zero credit,” says Aban Shetty aka DJ Aban or Ban-Dit from Mumbai. But a lot of DJs seem to be opposing the idea of going live because a proper revenue model is missing; everyone is doing it and there’s no fun watching “a person push buttons for an hour”. But going live also opens up opportunities, such as being noticed by DJ Suketu. The Bolly DJ hosts Discovery Thursday sessions where he gives a shout-out to young talent after viewing their live sessions. Many DJs have also collaborated with visual jockeys to give their viewers something to watch while they mix their set.

Music and more

Although it is a tough phase, the pandemic has also given artistes ample time to work on their other talents and qualities. Musicians are teaching themselves visual art, conducting podcasts, giving lessons and more. Aban Shetty is currently hosting podcast sessions that deal with techno, psy-trance and their subgenres. City-based Jazzleen Kaur was about to start her academy but plans to take DJing classes for people instead. Sambit Chatterjee of Aswekeepsearching has been hosting classes and masterclasses on his private page on Instagram (@SambitCShow) where entry is only given to those who sign up for it. DJ Spryk, who has his own label, radio show and studio, notices a sudden surge of interest in podcast productions, music for movies, videos and animated pieces. Some musicians, however, are switching careers and settling for corporate jobs and family businesses.

The way forward

When asked what the way forward is, musicians and DJs have no definite answer. According to Ash Roy, the virus is a fear that has been put into people’s minds. “Authorities need to realise that partying is a way of release and understand the importance of nightlife. We have never got that support. It helps in revenue and alcohol sales,” he says. The producer who is currently residing in Berlin says that the city survives on tourism and entertainment.

DJ Vicky Metharamani says that small weddings are still taking place and he hopes that by October things will open up. “Some places have already opened up but are not serving alcohol,” he says. He also advises other DJs to start working on their music production. DJ RishiBoy believes that now is a good time to work on sets and skills rather than worrying about how to earn money.

“I believe the audience will have to follow a new dress code with their masks,” laughs Aban Shetty. The club party scene will never be the same as there will be fewer people, although silent parties could be a way forward. But Aban has one request: “No guest list! Please pay for your entry.”

According to DJ Spryk, a major step the industry can take, even if it’s at a grassroot level, is formalising the structure of how business is conducted. For him it’s not only about bringing content to people but also about monetising it for their livelihood. “It’s going to be the same as putting together an actual show where revenue is the backbone of the music scene. Anyone with a camera and sound card can potentially do a live stream but it’s the content that matters,” he said.

For Jazzleen Kaur the way forward is via personal gigs through Zoom for anniversaries, birthday parties and other celebrations. Jivraj Singh believes that livestreams are probably not the future but it definitely adds to the mediums. According to him, the indie live music scene was already a hard place to make money but taking to social media has helped them create a deeper connection with fans and has helped in receiving feedback from demos that they launch at times.
Sambit says that the future is not bleak for the music industry. “This is a change, you either adapt or fall behind.” With the lockdown no one is looking at how one can get a variety of music at home; there is no drinking and driving involved… this is the only way to be safe and keep others around you safe. “This pandemic is teaching people how to use gadgets. People are evolving with the situation,” he says.

What about losses? “Who will compensate for my personal loss? My father (Pandit Subhen Chatterjee) had to cancel two world tours and I had to cancel 19 gigs within the first week of the lockdown. At the end of the day we will get everything back other than the time we have now. So we might as well feel for each other rather than point fingers.”
In these uncertain times, all music lovers can do is support musicians. Support your local scene, share and buy your favourite musician’s work, clear their payments and collaborate on different projects.