From the size of venues to the number of attendees and the grandeur of the artistes, concerts in the past year have evolved – transforming from mere music events into a larger cultural phenomenon. It didn’t matter whether one was a die-hard music lover; the sheer demand for the live gig experience had fans scrambling to snag tickets.

Case in point: Coldplay’s Ahmedabad performance broke the record for the largest stadium show of the 21st century, with 1,11,989 fans in attendance – narrowly surpassing the record set by George Strait, who played to 1,10,905 fans in Texas last June.

At a time when concerts have become a melting pot for artistes, organizers and fans alike, the conversation around event logistics has never been more relevant. From seamless entry and exit to parking, washrooms, crowd management, and ensuring both fan safety and artiste satisfaction, stakeholders across the board weigh in on the infrastructure expectations at live events.

In December, Diljit Dosanjh spoke about infrastructure at his Chandigarh show and said in Punjabi, “Here we don’t have infrastructure for live shows. This is a source of big revenue, many people get work and are able to work here... I’ll try next time that the stage is at the centre so that you (the fans) can be around it. Till this happens, I won’t do shows in India, that’s for sure.”

A diabetic Mumbai-based fan had shared his harrowing experience at the Byran Adams concert. He claimed that the lack of washrooms left him with no choice but to pee his pants. “I am NOT ashamed to say that I am diabetic with continence issues. You guys should be ashamed for providing three loos/1000 people,” he wrote in a post, accusing the organizers.

In December, singer Monali Thakur left the stage midway during a live gig in Varanasi. Explaining to her fans about this decision, the singer wrote in a post, “I am disheartened because my team and I were so excited to perform here. Let’s not talk about the infrastructure and its condition, as that is the management’s responsibility. I can’t explain what they have done to the stage just so they can steal money.”

She added, “Time and again, I said that I could injure my ankle here. My dancers have been telling me to calm down, but everything was a mess. We were trying because I am answerable to you all, and you come for me, right? You will hold me accountable for all of this”

From an organizer's perspective, several key areas warrant attention. “Beyond venue development, improvements to transportation and robust security measures are crucial. A cohesive understanding between event organizers and local authorities will significantly enhance the experience for both artistes and attendees,” says Rishabh Talwar, Business Head, Team Innovation.

-Active stadiums like a cricket stadium cannot always be used for concerts due to scheduling conflicts and their primary function as sports venues

- Organizers need multipurpose, plug-and-play venues designed for concerts, similar to those in the west

- These venues should have built-in production facilities and acoustic treatment

- The ease of organising concerts must improve, with streamlined permissions and reduced bureaucratic hurdles

— Avadh Nagpal, co founder, Souldout

- Obtaining approvals and coordinating with authorities to conduct concerts is a task, often leading to last-minute cancellations without care for the financial and logistical investment of organizers

- There is no uniformity in production quality across different venues. The same concert in Mumbai, Delhi, or Bangalore can feel drastically different because of inconsistent infrastructure and acoustics

- Lack of industry regulations: Currently, anyone with some financial backing, can call themselves an event organizer. This results in inexperienced promoters inflating artiste fees to secure shows but failing to deliver quality production or marketing

- Established artistes don’t always scrutinize the credentials of event organizers, which sometimes leads to mismanaged tours, ultimately harming the industry

— Avadh Nagpal

Talking about the Bryan Adams show that he did in Goa, Deepak Choudhary, founder and MD of EVA Live, shares, “We did a Bryan Adams show in Bambolim Stadium in Goa with 15,000 people and the city was still operating well. 70% of the time the stadium is not being used. The country has the infrastructure. The greatness of a Coldplay show in Ahmedabad is an example of that. Finally, we are getting stadiums to do concerts. Like in Delhi, A R Rahman’s show happened at Garden of Five Senses a few years ago but nobody is doing a show there now. The issue is not the absence of the facilities, but the lack of a right plan.”

“There is certainly a need to have more venues for bigger concerts. As an artiste, I also feel that fans usually struggle with logistics like parking spots or accessing the road to the venue. I feel everything else can be managed, these are the two things that we need, we lack proper planning,” shares Rahul Vaidya.

Kailash Kher, who performs with his band Kailasa, adds that it is encouraging that a discussion has now started on concerts and concert economy. “Music concerts pehle bhi hote thay par music ko lightly liya jaata tha. In the last decade – government, corporates and institutes have started taking these seriously. Infrastructure improve hone ki zaroorat hai... When international concerts happen, chahe samajh aaye na aaye, audience ka joh approach hai unke liye, ek jaisa har jagah hai. Aise hamare music ko bhi promote karna chahiye. Unke tickets black mein le rahe hain, par jab Kailasa ka show hota hai, wahi log free mein passes chahte hain toh yeh jo mentality hai, yeh change hona chahiye. Difference ko kam karne ki zaroorat hai,” Kher points out.

Subir Malik from Parikrama adds that in terms of music, light and sound, we don’t lack anything or in technical aspects, it just depends on the organizer and local event organizer. “From the musician’s point of view, I go and watch concerts all over the world. With the quality of sound, lights, and the engineers we have, the output of our vendors in India is world-class. From the music’s point of view, I am happy that India is getting all kinds of diverse artistes. The production of a show like Coldplay’s is not easy but that was managed and that is a huge thing for the country. The only thing where we need to work a little extra is crowd management, entry into the concerts, exit from the concerts and availability of toilets.”

Faridkot duo Inder Preet Singh and Rajarshi Sanyal agree that the infrastructure isn’t as big an issue as organising big concerts efficiently. “Hosting a concert takes a lot of intense technical and logistical requirements. From managing local transport for a large crowd to the food, beverages and the venue – all play an important factor in ensuring a smooth concert experience. Take for instance, the recent Coldplay concert. Many fans took a long time to just exit the venue after the concert. If we look at the one organized in Abu Dhabi, many fans were raving about how they were in their cabs and on their way home within 15 minutes after the concert was over. We have to figure out how to make the process efficient so that we can get closer to such numbers,” they tell us.

Shilpa Khanna, a resident of Sec 52, Gurgaon, who attended AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla concerts last year, shares, “I attend almost all concerts in NCR. I can manage the entry/exit points but what one cannot deal with are the washrooms at these venues. Firstly, it is impossible to find a washroom and when you do find one, there are long queues. And they are anything but hygienic. So, imagine being at a venue for 5-6 hours without any basic infrastructure in place.”

While complaints about the conditions of public restrooms at such venues remain a common grievance among concertgoers, attendees also contend with parking issues and occasional rowdy crowds. “Most of my friends choose not to go to concerts because of the crowd. Who wants to push people to enter and exit a venue. Sometimes you end up spending more time at exit and entry points than you do at the performance. It doesn’t matter if the concert is in Gurgaon or Delhi, finding a parking spot is impossible and if are lucky to find one, it takes hours to leave the venue after a concert,” says Rajat Chopra, a resident of Ramesh Nagar, who attended Bryan Adams’ show in Gurgaon last year.

Deepak Choudhary, founder and MD of an event company, shares that most promoters either already have arranged or are working to provide better washrooms at concerts. “Sometimes a promoter’s ROI does not allow them to give access to washrooms. In such cases, they are at fault. However, some of these promoters (like District by Zomato) are now asking customers to fill satisfaction forms while finalizing an event. The real issue is parking. The communication to fans abroad is ‘don’t bring your cars.’ We also tell our consumers here that there will be no parking but they still think they will find a way. They think they will bring their cars and find parking. And then we plan a 2 km walk and they get upset that they had to walk for 2 km. The infrastructure is not ready within the venue to park so many cars. And that has to be solved with the consumer behaviour, govt’s effort and pre-planning of enough parking areas near the venue. Organizers also need to make sure that there’s enough parking management.”

Deepak Choudhary highlights the gap between concertgoers’ expectations and reality. “Someone told me that they fainted because they didn’t get water at the concert but the organizers have planned enough water booths. It is a delivery expectation. We, as promoters, are not the people who will give something in your hand. We are giving you the access, doing everything we can and sometimes some promoters don’t communicate. That is the issue.”

At 11:30 pm on Saturday, Shah Rukh Khan, one of the hosts of the Global Citizen India concert, left the MMRDA grounds venue with Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin immediately after the Brit band's closing act. The gates of Mannat, his sea-facing bungalow, were opened by wife Gauri Khan as she stood at the entrance to welcome Chris and other guests.

An hour later, Salman Khan who had been shooting for his reality show Bigg Boss all day and had to give the gig a miss, turned up at the bash. “Everybody had been on their feet all evening and many of the international crew were exhausted. But cool dude Chris continued to spread love and happiness around on one of the 'greatest nights' of his life! Whenever someone told him that India loves Coldplay, he'd reply with anecdotes about his love for India,“ reveals a guest from the party.

There were over a thousand stargazers waiting outside Mannat gates all night. They saw Arjun Kapoor arrive with Katrina Kaif. Other guests included Hrithik Roshan, Dia Mirza, Vivek Oberoi and Rana Daggubati. Also present were Vidhu Vinod Chopra with wife Anupama, Karan Johar, Sikander Kher, Ritesh Sidhwani and Riteish Deshmukh. Neelam, Chunky Pandey with wife Bhavna were there too, along with Tara Sharma, Malaika Arora Khan, Zayed Khan, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and daughter Kaveri, Shriya Saran and Shaina NC. Coldplay's Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Johnny Buckland were spotted downing desi beer. Food and drinks flowed all night.

Farhan Akhtar and Shraddha Kapoor who had performed earlier in the evening, arrived separately. Shraddha stuck close to brother Siddhanth. Imtiaz Ali's car was mobbed by fans and the filmmaker's daughter, Ida, laughed out loud when her dad tried to calm those banging on their windows.

As Ranveer Singh's car tried to enter the gates, some fans and photographers came in front of his car to click pictures. The flamboyant actor sporting a beanie, politely asked them to step aside. They obliged and in return he treated them to extra smiles and a big thumbs up! Deepika Padukone, dressed down in a white vest, her face free of make-up, was seen chatting with Chris and listening intently as Farhan and the musician discussed the concert.

“The party went on till 6:30 am.Salman left for home around 4 am.Chris promised to be back soon,“ adds the guest who's still in paradise.
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It took a rockstar to unite friends, foes at SRK’s Coldplay after-party
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 21, 2016)

The Coldplay concert on Saturday evening drew the crème de la crème of Bollywood to the MMRDA Grounds in Bandra-Kurla Complex. But once the gig was over, B- Town baadshah Shah Rukh Khan stole the band away for a grand party at his Bandra bungalow, Mannat. Before that, the entourage dropped in at Farhan Akhtar’s house for a few minutes.

From the usual suspects Shraddha Kapoor her brother Siddhanth, Imtiaz Ali, Riteish Deshmukh and wife Genelia and Sonakshi Sinha to surprise guests Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Shriya Saran, Dia Mirza and Vivek Oberoi, a bevy of stars got together for a night of bonhomie.

Ranveer Singh, who was hobnobbing with Katrina Kaif at the concert, was by girlfriend Deepika Padukone’s side throughout the bash. The ladies exchanged pleasantries and then steered clear of each other. Ranveer, refusing to meddle in their cat-fight, busied himself in humouring guests with his antics. Hrithik chatted up ex-wife Sussanne Khan’s brother, actor Zayed Khan.

Katrina was in her element and enjoying mingling with guests, sending out a loud and clear signal that she has moved on after a split with Ranbir Kapoor, even though tattle about them kissing and making up continues to do the rounds. Arjun Kapoor was missing in action (perhaps, the presence of a certain superstar acted as deterrent). Of course, ex flame Sonakshi and her rumoured beau Bunty Sajdeh were in party hearty mode.

It was also after long that Salman and SRK partied together at Mannat. Sallu, however, chose not to cross paths with Vivek, considering their longstanding enmity over Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Notwithstanding a tinge of tension in the air, Shah Rukh and wife Gauri played perfect hosts.

Arjun Kapoor's last release Ki & Ka challenged gender roles in urban Indian society. Now, the actor is lending his support to causes like equality amongst the sexes and education, at the Global Citizen Festival India, which will take place on November 19 in Mumbai. In a quick chat with BT, he talks about his association with the movement, getting inspired by Coldplay's Chris Martin and more.

Do you believe a celebrity can inspire social change?
Actions always speak louder than words. In our case, we often do many things but don't end up showcasing them. So, we have to speak about our causes on such platforms. Actors are humans as well. We can't be selfish, where the world is concerned. We have to contribute and lead from the front as an example. People believe in us and so, speaking about social topics can help inspire them.

What are the causes you strongly believe in?
India genuinely needs education reforms if we want to have a brighter future and give our children a better life. Also, I think gender equality is something that needs to be addressed. If we look at the sheer population of India, you will see that we have many women who are capable and worthy but are not given the opportunities they deserve. They are always compared to men and it's an unfortunate divide.

Did Ki & Ka help change mindsets?
When we do movies, we're not trying to spoon-feed audiences with a message. It should be subtle. The film dealt with gender equality in a very unique way and I hope it was able to inspire people - not just the present generation, but also the coming one.

Why is an initiative like this important for India?
I am glad that we are getting an opportunity to start a conversation on various issues. So many talented performers are coming on stage and spreading the word about relevant issues. It's dealing with problems that are specific to our country. From the reaction of the masses, we can gauge that they are coming to watch the show to get entertained. But hopefully, they will also take back a message. The most amazing part about this initiative is that you have to earn the chance to be at the concert.

What do you have to say about Coldplay and other international artistes performing in India?
I had the pleasure of watching them in New York and had the chance to meet Chris Martin. He is so down-to-earth and humble. I hope he keeps doing the good work he is doing, whether it's globally or in India. He's an amazing individual and a great example to follow, not just for his music but also for the kind of person he is.

The desi girls bumped into each other at Coldplay's concert in the German capital on Wednesday. After Sonam Kapoor lent some desi star power to Coldplay's charity gig at London's Kensington Palace on Tuesday, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt turned up at the Brit band's Berlin gig a day later. The actresses were joined by Alia's Kapoor & Sons director Shakun Batra. Malaika Arora Khan was also among the revellers with a couple of friends. A source informed Mirror, “Deepika and Alia enjoyed in the packed stadium and were spotted clicking selfies. The concert was a part of Alia's holiday plans which started on June 22 with her childhood friend Akansha Ranjan in London. Deepika was accompanied by her manager, Anirban Blah. 

When Sonam Kapoor faced flak for doing a three-second appearance in Coldplay's single, “Hymn For The Weekend“, set in India, she had argued in her defence that “it was Coldplay, after all, and people could just shut up“. Sonam had added that the face of the band, group's lead guitarist and singer Chris Martin's agent had told her agent that they really liked her and wanted her to do a cameo in their upcoming video. She'd been warned that it was just three shots, but she'd callously pointed out to her agent that she'd get VIP access to her favourite band forever! On Tuesday evening, the 31-year-old actress was in London, chilling with Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Phil Harvey backstage, before the band's charity show at the Kensington Palace.

Speaking to Mirror immediately after the concert, Sonam who looked like a rock star herself in a black crop top, leather jacket, skinny jeans and boots, admitted that she was still buzzing from all the energy. “The concert was epic with a great vibe,“ she exclaimed, adding, “They played my all-time favourite track 'Paradise' too. I went with my London girl gang, we were singing and dancing all through it.“ The actress takes off to Paris tomorrow for close friends Ralph and Russo's fashion week as the chief guest. The fashionista had notably chosen the duo's creations for all her Cannes outings at the Film Festival in May this year. Next up, she'll be back in the Bay on July 6.

Her next vacation could be either in Japan or Italy but the getaways will have to wait because she kicks off a new film on August 1. She reunites with her Khoobsurat director Shashanka Ghosh for Veere Di Wedding. “I am working with Kareena Kapoor Khan, I can't believe it!“ Sonam exults. “I've known her all my life and am her biggest fan. She plays my best friend. Then, there's dear behen Swara Bhaskar and debutante Shikha Talsania. After Khoobsurat's Milli, we're bringing a never seen-before story about young, modern Indian girls to life. I can't wait for the journey to begin.“

Composer Anu Malik's daughter Anmol Malik recently released her first single, “Lamhein“, the video of which features her and Anil Kapoor's nephew Mohit Marwah. Anmoll, who in the past has lent her voice to chart toppers like Ugly Aur Pagli's “Talli“ and more recently, “Time Lagaya Kaiko“ from Welcome Back, admits that she was really nervous about facing the camera for the official adaptation of the popular Coldplay track “Paradise“.

“I didn't want to let anyone down,“ says the 25-year-old singer, who gave her first shot in a recording studio. “It was Mohit sir's (director Mohit Suri) idea to make me feel comfortable.“

“Lamhein“ narrates the story of a young girl's rise to fame. On the way up, she leaves her loved ones behind and eventually feels lonely at the top. “Mohit sir has made the four minute song look like a film. I didn't know Mohit (Marwah) before the shoot but we hit it off from day one and he was very helpful,“ Anmol beams.

The hook line, “Lamhein lamhein, laoon kaha se woh lamhe“ is Anu Malik's contribution. He's also reproduced the music. “The song is about a late realisation of a precious moment which is now a distant memory. It took me a month to come up with the hook line after which Manoj Mantoshri came up with the rest of the lyrics. It has crossed three-and-a-half mil lion views and counting,“ says the proud father.

Anmol, a trained pianist from London's Trinity College, is honoured to lend her voice to a track that is connected with one of her favourite rock band's most beautiful number. “It was great fun,“ she chirps, adding that she is also inspired by music legends like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Beyonce. “But in Hindustani classical, my father is my guru.“

So, is acting the next step? “I'm open to more music videos, but I haven't given full time acting a thought yet,“ she signs off.

Filmmaker Mohit Suri, who gave us amazing tracks in his Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, launched EMI Records India earlier this year to fuel his passion for music. He is now back in the news because he has signed singer Anmol Malik, daughter of veteran composer Anu Malik for a non-film music album. At a glittering ceremony attended by Universal Music South Asia's MD and CEO, Devraj Sanyal, Anu, Mohit Marwah (Fugly) and lyricist Manoj Muntashir (Galliyan of Ek Villain), Mohit launched the new singer's debut single Lamhein.

An official adaptation of Paradise, much-loved British rock band Coldplay's super hit number, Lamhein is a tribute to them. An avid Coldplay fan, Anmol has created her version of the core melody with romantic lyrics. The video tells a tale about a simple girl who has music in her soul and is consumed by a dream. It turns into reality when Mohit Marwah blazes into her life and puts her in the spotlight.

Pleased that Anmol is the face and voice for his first non-film project, Mohit, who has also directed the video, says, “She has an honest voice and her dedication will ensure an incredible career ahead. While directing Lamhein, I felt the same spontaneity and energy Mohit Marwah I felt while filming Aashiqui 2. I hope everyone relates to the story and emotions in the video.“

Anmol adds, “This song is about all the precious moments that we need to cherish before they turn into distant memories.“

Devraj Sanyal sums up, “This is an amazing beginning for the label. Mohit and I expect it to be a one-of-its kind bridge between the non-film music world and mainstream Bollywood music. We are very excited to launch a roster of super talented artists who will emerge from the label in future.“