Are We Civilised Enough?

I am back to spewing angst again! Can't help it...I am just back from a concert, and a nice one at that, a fabulous piano recital by a 14 yeard old prodigy, and I want to ask every concert-goer...basically anyone who has ever attended a live concert, or wants to in the future,
"Are we as a race fit to attend live shows?"

I have attended several concerts in my life. Be it plays, music shows or dance programs. I love live shows, in fact it could showcase a woman giving a haircut, and I would still eagerly watch it. The venue is also irrelevant here. Right from the majestic Qutub Minar to the smart Siri Fort Auditorium, from the languid lawns of my College, to community halls and stages...I have attended concerts that have showcased brilliant talents such as the Wadali Brothers, or Navtej Singh Johar or Indian Ocean, as also those performers whose energy levels have more than made up for my lack of faith in their ability to be master entertainers. These shall remain unnamed although they are huge stars in their own right. I have also attended concerts where my own friends have participated, and have enjoyed them thoroughly for the extra reason that the "celebrity" is my buddy.

The point here is not just about who is the artist or whether s/he can perform as well as is expected to. Although this too is an important aspect certainly. After all, if I spend good money to procure a ticket, I shall certainly go with the expectation that I should get my money's worth. And there is nothing wrong in feeling like this. Yet at the same time, the point is also whether we Indians deserve to be part of something as brilliant as a live show.

Just the other day, I heard from a friend about the dismal way in which Zubin Mehta's concert in Delhi was received. People were constantly walking in and out of the auditorium, cellphones kept ringing, and I assume the master composer probably felt worse than ever for having given into the demand or desire of performing in his own country. I have myself attended and enjoyed Indian Ocean's concerts by keeping my eyes closed throughout the recital. The fact that people walk in and about during any concert is distracting as hell. And in an Indian Ocean concert! Where you not only need to concentrate on the music but also on the lyrics, on the chemistry between the band members...so you either keep your eyes open and die of shame for being part of a society where a ringing cellphone signals your worth and worse the decibel level with which you answer your call reconfirms your position in society. Or, you do as I do, keep your eyes closed, imagine that the band is playing just for you...and there you have it, your personal paradise.

It was almost the same scenario in today's concert. The pianist, Utsav Lal, was fortunately not facing the audience. Else, what would he have seen? People of all ages walking in and out as and when it suited them. Friends dabbling in gossip and casual conversation. Bigwigs getting calls and answering them. Or forgetting why they were in the auditorium in the first place, and treating it instead like their personal living room. One gentleman right in front of where my friend and I were sitting, stood up and clapped, YES, he put his hands together and CLAPPED to make sure that his guests who had just entered the auditorium actually saw and heard him over and above the music Utsav was beautifully creating. Kudos to them, they saw him flapping and heard his clapping and after much shoving and pushing, found the right place for sitting.

To Utsav and others like him, do yourself a favor. Keep making your wonderful music but perform only in front of people who will give you the respect that you as an artist deserve. Forget about the others. Remember, they know how to buy CDs.