The year 2016 saw Goa miss out on the
big EDM festivals that have helped create its tag of a nightlife destination in
the country. At the time, some locals rejoiced, seeing a respite from the chaos
that often ensues in the state, for the duration of the festival. However, over
time, others began calling for the festival once more. And while it is great
that there is an eagerness to have music festivals, one wonders why this enthusiasm
is directed in only one direction.
We have massive events dedicated to EDM,
à la Sunburn and Supersonic, and while the bigwigs have dominated the headlines
for years one end, the question arises of why we don’t use our state as a
destination for live music festivals. Is this seen perhaps as an acknowledgement
that we cannot pull the same numbers for a festival of that nature? And if we
are, why is that the mindset really?
Upon being asked this question, one of
the state’s senior musicians, who is also an event manager, Lester Rodrigues,
of A26, shares his point of view. “The EDM festivals bring down the best DJs in
the world. If we want numbers at a live event, then we have to bring down the
best in live music and on the right date, during the season. It is quite costly
to bring down bands.”
This of course begs the question of
whether the Glastonbury model can work too, given that the Tomorrowland model
has clearly proven to be successful over time.
Lester elaborates further, saying, “It
is very possible to do a festival like the Glastonbury festival here. The thing
is that the state and tourism departments need to back up such events under the
tourism banner. The costs to hold a festival like that are phenomenal. Getting
huge sponsors is the other way to get it done. The state does have the wine
festival and food festival but the costs will be at least 15 to 20 times more.
Also, there will have to be an event company just like Percept, who will be
able to logistically handle the whole event, from booking international acts
and handling their logistics, besides the logistics of sound, production, tech
riders, etc. The government will have to handle traffic, parking and so on.
Last but not the least, this has to be a profitable venture. The organisers cannot
lose money or the festival will die soon after its first season. If the
government is involved, then transparency of accounts from the organisers and
the government has to be there. If this happens, then the government can waive
off licences, or give discounts, so that the finances can be figured out in the
first year and profits are made transparent.”
Akshay Sinha travels from Pune to Goa
for these festivals, year on year, and the last time around, managed to capture
the vibe in Pune itself. When asked as to what the major difference was between
the two, he responds, “Both avatars of the festivals were great, but completely
different in their respective ways. The Goa vibe for festivals is different.
However, if I think about it, I think that Goa could have both forms of
entertainment and still flourish. For instance, live music festivals could be
held in the earlier parts of the day, where the beach seems more relaxed, and
as the day comes to an end, and the nightlife vibe kicks in, then the electronic
side of things could kick in.”
And the benefits could be manifold,
stretching beyond the festival itself. As a restaurateur in the busy northern
belt, Karlton D’Souza has faced the undulating waves that Goa’s tourism has
thrown at him with ease. While there is money spent by festival goers, a live
event generally targets an older audience that could perhaps have a greater
spending power. Speaking on the phenomenon, he shares, “I think there is
definite potential to be tapped on a peripheral front by stakeholders such as
myself. Whether the festival in itself is feasible depends on many factors, but
I think that it would be viable for other industries, as even in the past, with
certain events, we have seen footfalls rise.”
Whether Goa will see live music events
the scale of its electronic counterparts, is anyone’s guess. But it would
admittedly be a shift from the tried and tested, and perhaps just a faint
throwback to the shows of the yesteryears, with bands belting out tunes on
pristine beaches. Admittedly, the picture is one that does seem rather
favourable.
