2 days Ago
I’ve never been to a concert nor witnessed a live performance by a famous artiste — not for the lack of opportunity, but by choice. The reasons are plenty: I have no desire to stand in serpentine queues just to gain entry into an overcrowded venue; nor do I fancy being wedged between a sea of sweaty fans screaming themselves hoarse, while a few faint either from exhaustion or a flair for the dramatic. Frankly, I prefer enjoying my favourite artistes in the comfort of my home, where the volume is set to soothe my ears, not perforate them.
And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance, waiting endlessly for performers who believe that strolling in fashionably late somehow elevates their stardom. Sorry, but my precious time isn’t available for squandering, no matter how dazzling the light show. Despite my aversion to concert chaos, I have immense respect for both the artistes, who brave the stage, and their die-hard fans, who turn these events into roaring successes.
After all, it’s the unwavering devotion of these fans that fuels the artistes’ sense of fulfilment and validates their talent. Let’s be honest, performing artistes certainly go the extra mile (often quite literally) to give their audience their money’s worth. Long hours spent crammed in transit to reach the venue? Check.
Countless rehearsals to perfect every move? Check. Painstakingly selecting their troupe, curating the perfect playlist, and assembling outfits with accessories so blinding they could guide lost ships? Triple check. It’s no mere gig — it’s a full-blown spectacle, and a mammoth one at that! A recent string of unsavoury incidents made me take note of the rough patch performers have been hitting — facing backlash left, right, and centre for one reason or another.
Sure, the audience has every right to vent frustration, but the growing trend of cancel culture and turning concerts into boo-fests is hardly a healthy encore. After all, heckling the performer might offer momentary satisfaction, but it does little for the music or the mood. The recent backlash singer Neha Kakkar faced in Melbourne, for being late, was nothing short of disturbing.
When an emotionally choked Neha finally took the stage to explain her plight, some in the crowd decided to add insult to injury, hurling jabs like, “This isn’t India!” and “Very good acting!”— because apparently, heckling is the new applause. Later, Neha turned to social media, explaining her delay and calling out the event sponsors for playing spoilsport. At another concert, even the ever-graceful Sonu Nigam wasn’t spared — pelted with stones and water bottles, as if he were headlining a rock show in the literal sense.
Though he maintained his composure and urged the crowd to enjoy the music rather than target the singer, Sonu’s dismay was hard to miss. Sadly, such abrasive antics are nothing new, but they’re quickly becoming the go-to move for a few unruly elements, who seem to think musical performances come with a side of target practice. It’s high time we remind these folks that musical performances are meant to be sipped like fine wine, not splashed around like a bar brawl.
[email protected] The writer is an associate professor of English at SD College, Ambala Cantt..
