“Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!”
-Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
On World Music Day (June 21), City Spidey asked a couple of live musicians across the city to get a feel of the music scene in Gurgaon and Noida. While most swore by Gurgaon, Noida turned out to be a disappointment. This is what they said:
“I think the music scene in Gurgaon is much better as compared to Noida. Gurgaon is quite hip. People there are sophisticated and open to different genres of music. My favourite experience was performing at Farzi Café in Gurgaon. But with lots of new places coming up in Noida, it, too, will become a good place for live music,” says Ssameer, a Sufi musician based in Noida.
Ssameer is a soulful crooner with a powerful stage presence
“Definitely Gurgaon, if you are looking for good old English rock music. Noida, well, is a different story. There are very few venues here for live acts. And most of them don’t pay. The scene is quite sad in Noida,” says Kshitiz Jain, an Indirapuram resident who is a full-time session artist and multi-instrumentalist. Kshitiz opened for Parikrama with the band Firaaq, on Hard Rock Café’s World Music Day celebrations.
Kshitiz with his baby — his Jackson eight-string.
“Delhi definitely tops the list for best music scene in NCR. Gurgaon comes at a close second. However, the venues in Gurgaon have not been as successful as the ones in Delhi. As for the music scene in Noida, I am not even aware of one. I remember playing at a few small venues some 5 years back. I don’t think there’s any opportunity there,” says DJ Harry Hop-chemy, who you can catch at Raasta, Cyber Hub, Gurgaon.
DJ Harry Hop-chemy dropping the beat like a boss for his audience
“Gurgaon has come up as a big player in the past few years. It’s partly because of the way Cyber Hub has developed. The crowd is good, the gigs pay well and there are abundant opportunities. I don’t even remember the last time I heard of a gig in Noida. Greater Noida has come up well, though. The NH7 Weekender is a good music festival," says metal guitarist Sarthak Bhattacharya, a South Delhi resident who somehow doesn’t remember which band he plays for at the moment.
Sarthak's secret weapon: Practice!
