While August 15 marks a day of solemnity
and reflection across the country, in one particular part of Goa, a motley crew
of people will be hard at work, bringing to the state a constant, legendary
event. This crew is none other than the hard-working bunch at Slipdisc
Advertising & Events working around the clock, to put together the ‘Battle
Events’. It is the brand’s signature show, and one that many youngsters in Goa
look forward to eagerly.
Speaking on the show’s evolution from a
rock-based event to incorporating DJs and eventually dancers and solo
vocalists, Keith Fernandes, the founder of the Battle franchise, says, “The
Battle events started way back in 2003 as Slipdisc Battle of the Bands. It was
a Live Rock show being held in Goa that served as an outlet for rock and pop
musicians, who at the time were finding it hard to lay their hands on gigs with
hotels preferring to pay one DJ instead of a live band of a minimum of four
people. The live music festival, called Haystack, modelled on the famous Woodstock,
had also stopped. And the team at Slipdisc saw a need to fill that void. While
the first two years we were strictly a rock show, from 2005 onwards, DJs
started requesting us to allow them to play between the band breaks, while the
next band got their act together. We thought that was a great idea as we didn’t
want even a minute of silence once the show started. So the DJs started as
fillers, before approaching us alongside dance duos and troupes, all of whom
wanted to be associated with the show in some way. This is how we grew
organically, including the DJs and then dancers. The last to come were the solo
singers. Some of them approached us and said that they could do a great pop or
rock or a jazz song, but that they did not have a band to back them. So we
decided to have Battle of the Stars to showcase a ‘pure’ voice, with just one
musical instrument or a minus one taped record.”
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The Battle events have been at the core of
several unique stories, retold over time. In bygone years, for many, it served
as ‘the coming of age show’ for many a college student; their first show, in
their first year on campus, without parents or elder siblings as chaperones.
Here, many parents and grandparents attending are sometimes way cooler than the
kids, and can rock the socks off the youngsters.
Of course, the incorporation of something
as ‘new-age’ as EDM in a classic rock festival does have certain pitfalls; one
being that hardcore rockers could well move away from the event. However, Keith
allays these concerns, “Bands should not mind this as they can’t possibly
perform from 10 am to 10 pm. Most bands come well prepared for just two or
three songs. Earlier we used to have an evening show that went into the wee
hours of the morning the next day. However, once the 10 pm sound restrictions
came about, we had to start in the morning and finish on time. We believe all
kinds of music should thrive. And all our participants learn from each other,”
he says.
This year, the franchise started by
Slipdisc turns 13. According to Keith, every year the team at Slipdisc soldiers
on regardless of sponsorship, despite it being a herculean task trying to find
sponsors. “It’s been 13 years and everybody knows what the show has tried so
hard to accomplish, and yet Goan corporates and business houses are tight
fisted. They would rather associate with outsiders having events in Goa, than
associate with Goans trying to do something for local talent. Till date, the
only sponsors have been the liquor companies who donate in terms of stock and
sometimes sponsor ads, but even that is reducing. The goodwill for the show is
enormous but at the end of the day, funds are also a necessity,” he points out.
On that sombre note, Keith points out that
the event has become self-funded show, though not entirely. The registration
money from participants is then used as prize money, while all other costs such
as publicity, security, venue, stage, sound and lighting are paid for from the
company coffers.
This August 15, whether your scene is live
music, EDM or dance, it would indeed make sense to turn up at Alva Mar, where
you can also pay homage to a show of legendary proportions.
