Saturday, October 29, 2011

Metallica@ Gurgaon- The real story.






So while the rest of the country is laughing and poking fun about the National Capital Region being a national embarrassment and what not based on what the media and organizers are feeding them, I thought it was best to put on my headphones and listen to "Frantic" on loop. And boy does it suit the mood.

So they told us that the gates would open at three. My friends and I, one of whose cousins had come all the way from Mumbai, being experienced rock enthusiasts(or so we thought) left the house between 3:30 and four. It was a metallica gig after all. And because the F1 track was still teeming, the concert was to start much later in any case.

So we arrived, all charged, somewhat excited, remembering the good old days, how the first songs we picked up while we struggled with our fingers on the fret board were songs like the old "For whom the bell tolls" or which Metallica Album was the first one we actually bought.

We felt at home, because everyone around us, a large part of the crowd being from other countries(there were quite a few flags being waved around) and other states were essentially talking about the same stuff. It was a trip down memory lane, lots of nicotine and beer induced nostalgia. I loved it.

Then to me, something seemed off. The ticket counter was shut, there were no barricades in place around the entry points either. No private security men to be seen, just a few cops from Haryana police talking about how the future generations have gone to the dogs. So I lit my self another cigarette, chatted about how people we knew were waiting since 8 o clock on the morning, some as early as 6. 

Then came the call, the gates were being opened. As we all walked, slowly, lumbering, smiling towards the gates, to our shock, there was very little if no frisking. Just a dude tearing out their part of the ticket.So while people were told to drop their bottles of mineral water outside, in went all the weed, cigarettes,lighters with their fluid, match boxes and who knows what. It was all chill. We walked in over what seemed like barricades that weren't assembled in the first place. I thought it was weird, but it made sense in the end.

So we all lounged about, all 30,000 of us, chanting for Metallica, some even for the openers. We noticed the screens that told us to wait a while and step backwards as they fixed the "barricade". We were all fine with that. Technical snags happen. Then suddenly things got weird. It wasn't the media trainee in me. Not the Sherlock Holmes.

There were three broadcast cameras that I spotted, you know the kind they use for sports,costing a few crores.... except none of them had and personnel around them. The sound booth was deserted. My spidey sense started acting funny. But then, I was just another Metallica fan, just another kid who's first song on the guitar using more than one finger was "Nothing else matters", so I was hopeful....like a child waiting for his ice cream.

And we waited. And we waited some more. So a few people around me rolled a joint or two. Some people just sat in their groups, talking about Metallica, music festivals...and some about Megadeth and slayer in hushed voices.

Then all of a sudden there's an announcement, two guys begging the crowds to step back two steps to enable them to fix a barricade. You don't need to be a genius to figure out what a douchy line that is. Let me rephrase, you can be drunk out of your minds and you will still read through that.

We waited some more. Then comes this american cunt, all orange county telling us how safety is paramount and some bullshit and how at this point the 'other' gentleman will explain.

"Metallica are presently in the hotel giving a press conference. They will perform tomorrow at 4. All the exits are open. Please reach home safely" is what he says.

So naturally like anywhere in the world, the most common reaction was, "What the fuck?" or "Fuck you!" or "Damn I have a flight to catch tomorrow". No dear reader, these weren't just delhiites or the people of Gurgaon and Noida who were pissed off, it was also the people waving flags of  different lands, of people who had saved up money, taken a bus, then a train, and another bus to get here, people who had quit their jobs, told their bosses to fuck off, people who were waiting for months for this day. And rightly so.

Then the wanker on stage believes the audience to be a bunch of eight year olds. 

"If you're like this, then there shall no concert tomorrow also"  intersperesed with a few "toh kya hua, kal aajana"s and etc.

This is when the crowd, started chanting in union " Fuck you". And rightly so. Bad Public Relations has it's disastrous consequences. No one better than one of the country's premiere event organizers, who incidentally have managed quite a few Iron Maiden gigs before this. But surely they organizers knew that. They're the big ones after all.

So as we're going to and fro from the exit gates, which refuse to open even after 20 minutes of the announcement, something happens. People are up on stage it seems. What joy. Funny really. You can't set fire to fire proofed stage material. But it was worth watching them try. I was slightly edgy when I saw the stage monitors swinging, then the technical junkie in me made me realize how difficult it is to bring those things down. Still the swinging made all the audiophiles edgy. 

So there were a few mike stands that went flying, posters that were stripped apart. But seriously, by now the smart ones in the audience( Or the media trainees who love their field and have common sense) knew that there was no way in hell that the concert would take place the next day. There were already rumors about Metallica being uncertain about certain things pertaining to the event and their reluctance before the gig... and blah blah.

So we managed to get out, walk a kilometer's worth and get into the car, play a few cheap bhangra numbers to get our moods up, spend an hour trying to get onto the main road, until I got one interesting phone call. 

Apparently, there was a stampede at the venue. Utter chaos ensued I'm told. Some people were taken to the hospital. I just waved it off.  Then I'm told about how Metallica is live on television giving an interview to a well known journo, an interview that takes two days of prep and booking. So while we were told they were in their hotel giving a press conference, they were actually very far away. It was all known. It all made sense.

Ticket counter shut.
Very few policemen.
Around  10-20 private security men, including the 'bouncers'
No frisking at all whatsoever.
The constant reminder of keeping our tickets safe and how we would need it later(Ouch)
No tech team behind the mixing desks or outboard
No people behind the cameras
No barricade that was assembled.
No sight of roadies, or the opening act, anything to suggest there was going to be a show.

Just the mammoth stage and a bright lights, that drew us all and kept us captivated like a swarm of moths to a lightbulb.

And now, this is what I get- 

"We arrived in Delhi on Friday very excited and ready to play our first show ever in India at the F1 Rocks concert. However, immediately at the end of our afternoon press conference at a hotel near the venue, we were notified that there was a serious question as to whether the show could proceed with regard to the safety of the concert audience. And our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans.
Once we, along with DNA, the promoters of the show, determined that there was a failure of a security barricade in front of the stage that could not be adequately repaired, the promoter reluctantly announced the postponement of the show until Saturday. Unfortunately, on such short notice the promoters were unable to secure a permit for a show on Saturday. Therefore, DNA announced that we would not be able to play in Delhi. Within the next 24 hours a notification will be issued by DNA regarding the process for full refunds.
We are deeply disappointed with this news as we were looking forward to our first experience in India as much as you guys were. Keep watching for updates here as additional details are determined and confirmed."


People will actually buy the fact that one of the largest event management firms specializing in music festivals could not manage to pay a few people off and get their job done. Boo hoo.

The sad part is, the band has probably seen real violence, concerts with the army being called in for security.  But the media in this country has not.People do not know what it is like in South America or Indonesia...or hell even The United Kingdom and The States.

I was not on stage. I did not tear posters apart. I did not try setting fire to fire proof material. The police did not look at me on stage and walk away. The private security did not politely ask me to get off the stage and then dissappear. But yes I don't blame the few people there that did get worked up, because at the end of the day, being a fan is not a rational, calculated decision. It's a sentimental, emotional one. 


























41 comments:

Anonymous said...

People should have backed up from destroying the drum kits and equipment and stuff!
If they hadn't done that, Metallica would have definitely come back and played a make-up concert (Just the way they did in Montreal when they had to stop a concert because of James' incident with the fire in 1992)
No, we cannot expect Metallica fans to be civilized, but we can expect that they at least do not endanger the security of their band and themselves.

IceMaiden said...

This was interesting. Sharing this on FB.

Soumyadeep said...

we Indian's have this awesome habit of wishing for the best, even when the truth stark naked is staring at our face. the crowd should have had behaved themselves, if they had, 'hopefully' Metallica would have played on saturday. yes?? and who has verified this very hopeful fact? i say, brilliant work done, in terms of venting out the ire. both on the blog, as well as the venue. Ujjwal,nice writing. quite firebrand I'd say. keep it up.

UjjwalRaaj said...

I agree about the drum kit and outboard....I mean if it were me, I'd just bring it home with me. And maybe they'd play a make up concert, but that is very unlikely. DNA would already be blacklisted if the event didn't happen(which didn't), so their permission seeking would be rejected outright.

And not everyone has the time or money to come watch them again, from all over. I know it's easy to say "If you're a true Metallica fan, then you'd make it somehow" but not it's not always that easy.

UjjwalRaaj said...

@Soumyadeep

Thank you :))

Meher said...

I feel for you. No really, in spite of how jealous I was that I couldn't make it, I do.
Also, the biggest event management company in India just made a big fool of themselves. What a waste.

Prashant Sinha said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Prashant Sinha said...

I totally agree with your point. All of this started due to the ill management of DNA networks. Had they taken proper security measures and cooperated with HR govt properly, this situation could have been avoided.

Brilliant write-up, buddy.
Shared on FB!!

JonSnow said...

I just hope this does not influence other metal bands from avoiding India in the future,keeping my fingers crossed for the Bangalore show tomorrow but i'm not too worried as Bangalore usually manages to put on incident free shows.

"I close my eyes
And sink within myself
Relive the gift of precious memories
In need of a fix called innocence

When did it begin?
The change to come was undetectable
The open wounds expose the importance of
Our innocence
A high that can never be bought or sold" - Chuck Schuldiner,Death (RIP)

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Anonymous said...

For my part, I do not give a damn. Metallica ceased to be metal long ago. They are just watered down hard rock. And even as a thrash metal band, they were not extraordinary. Fame was mainly due to them being the first on the thrash bandwagon and not because they were the best at it.

True thrash legends are bands such as Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Early Sepultura, Slayer, Early Bathory, Morbid Angel (Death/Thrash) etc. These are Bands that spawned the genres of Death Metal and Black Metal, which includes great bands like Behemoth, Nile, Limbonic Art, Emperor, etc. Any one of their songs own Metallicrap's best material. Listen to true thrashers like Agent Orange, Schizophrenia, Pleasure to Kill, etc. They make Master of Puppets seem like a pop song.

In reality, Metallica, along with another Power Metal band called Dragonforce, are the Lady Gaga of Heavy metal.

From the looks of it, the crowd appears to be a bunch of scenesters who think that if they wear Metallica tees, drink, smoke and do drugs, bang their heads to the music even if they do not understand the concept of 'headbanging' fully and raise \m/ signs & middle fingers, they are rockstars. Pathetic. This is the outcome of rejecting their own Indian culture.

I'd say half the problem lies with the organisers and half with the behavior of these silly posers. Time and again, I have seen that most 'metallers' from India appear to think that they need to conform to western notions of cultural indentity. This has been my experience at most concerts I have been to.

True metal is not about drugs, smoke and drink all the time. Furthermore, posers like these Metalli-fanboys are often the ones who look down on their own culture and try to be western. I am a vegan, a follower of VedAntA and listen to Black, Thrash and Death Metal. I have been to Blind Guardian shows in Australia and was here when Opeth, Pain of Salvation and Hammerfall came (IIT Saarang, Chennai) . However, despite the fact that I am a fan of metal, I retain my identity and am aware of my own tradition. I wear band tees, but do not grow my hair long, smoke, drink or do drugs. I love Indian Vedic culture, its temples, south indian classical music, etc.

There is no need to reject your own tradition and embrace western values just because you are a fan of metal. Part of metal lies in doing what you think suits you, not conforming to the cultures of others. And guess what, even the westerners that you try so hard to imitate will respect you for it.

In summary, the reason for this disaster is three-fold:

1) Bad organisation, just like CWC. The management needs to get a grip on how to host big bands and accommodate big crowds.
2) Scenesters and posers doing drugs and alcohol, behaving in an unruly manner. Though rioting is seen in many parts of the world, we do not need to emulate them. Its just a cancelled concert, not the end of the world. Just listen to Metallicrap on your ipods, no big deal. Be decent.
3) Metallica suck anyways, so no big deal. I heard Kreator are thinking of touring India in the future (Mille Petrozza mentioned he would like to in an interview). Let's hope that if they do come, the organisers do not mess up...Kreator are a far more respectable band than Metallica ever will be.

Regards,

Narayanan

Anonymous said...

@naraynan (anonymous, d'oh)

i do believe and understand the thoughts you have posted above, but in reality everybody (or as of me) i hate people telling and understanding music like a textbook. yes you love the bands, loads of them, we do too! but it wasnt quite the "metallicrap" people, as you put it, who listen to metallica or were present there because they wanted to show off. you cannot choose to judge people like that. most of the crowd that gathered there were sensible people who listen to metallica (among other metal bands) and thus were excited to see this one sort of a concert held in north india for the first time ever. it isnt a western infulence that has let us down, its just a lifestyle, a way of living even if it is with drugs, alcohol or anything. its perfectly normal, and should not be abused. the influence is what i call globalisation, or infact a uninamous way to taking on music or lifestyles. we have people or musicians in india who do alcohol, drugs, its just a matter of choice.

maybe not everybody likes hindi music in its full essence. (include me in there) we love hindi music for its vibrancy, which is sadly reflected in very few songs frankly, the other being all love songs for that sake.

the fans' show of anger and mayhem has mainly been due to the intoxication being allowed inside the concert area, which is indeed due to the the management crisis again. its not the fan who has let the delhi-ncr region down, its been the organisers, and as of what i have read today in the newspapers, they are being prosecuted.

anyway, of all i wanted to say was that yes, there are bands who play better music, have better lyrics, have better guitarists, but honouring the metal culture is what is important. please stop the textbook version of music, let it flow through you instead. you may start to like other souls of music then.

thank you
(my apologues if that infuriates you in any sense, it wasnt meant for that.)

Defiant Princess said...

Now THIS is the real picture!
I'm going to share it on my blog's facebook page so that people would know :)
As you know, common sense is not that common.. There might be a large chunk of people actually believing whatever the fuck that was said as an explanation.

:)
Kudos to your efforts for really scripting it down.

Defiant Princess said...

http://www.facebook.com/khanvibes
The link to my page
:)

JonSnow said...

@Anonymous (Narayanan)

The fact of the matter is that Metallica have been been praised by both metal music critics and their peers (the very bands u mentioned)alike,so ur opinion (or mine ) counts for nothing.Let us not rehash this old debate again.

Kreator, Sodom, Destruction etc u mention are all fine examples of the early European thrash scene from the 80's along with the Bay Area thrashers of the 80's like Exodus,Metallica,Death Angel,Megadeth,Possessed,Forbidden,Testament etc along with Anthrax and Overkill from New York ,80s Canadian bands like Anvil,Exciter, Voivod,allthese bands have influenced later bands,so let's give them credit for that and not get into pointless discussions about who is better .

By the way,if anyone is interested about the history of metal ,check out the excellent book, "Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal" by Ian Christe -

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Beast-Complete-Headbanging-History/dp/006052362X

I would also recommend the excellent video documentary "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" by anthropologist & metal fan Sam Dunn who wrote and directed it -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478209/

Plebeian said...

Am glad there are people like you who step up & tell the world the truth ! amazing article.. would have never even imagined what was going on until i read this

Plebeian said...

Am glad there are people like you who step up & tell the world the truth ! amazing article.. would have never even imagined what was going on until i read this

Mads said...

Shared this on my fb page...
Thanks for sharing the real picture of what really happened...

Anindhya said...

You know what, WOW !
Thats what each and every one of us needs to be like !

Purba said...

So many conflicting versions and the Twitter world quick to denounce Delhites and their typical behaviour.

It was only the Indian Express that showed responsibility and published facts.

Glad that I got to read a first hand account.

Purba said...

Sharing on FB and Twitter.

Alka Gurha said...

Mismanagement..after years of planning.

UjjwalRaaj said...

I'm still bitter. Next time I'm not taking any chances. I rather save up and go to Bangalore.

Thank you all for sharing. I hate it when people blame it on the people when it's not their fault....well not completely.... but nevertheless.

Sigh.

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Anonymous said...

Metallica = OVERRATED GARBAGE for osers who don't like metal at all

Anonymous said...

Agreed with the guys who said that metallicunt sucks.

-thegirlwholikesyou- said...

http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=19828

Haha! :)

Anonymous said...

Metallica is indeed poser crap

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