Bring on the music

Having been at the top of Mumbai’s nightlife scene for over two decades,the disappointment in DJ Akhtar’s voice is apparent as he talks about the clubbing culture in the city. “Till five years ago,Mumbai was known for its nightlife where you had a variety of nightclubs to choose from,the music was top of the charts and the places would stay open till dawn for

patrons to dance the night away,” he reminisces. Today,Akhtar prefers to play in Dubai and Spain and is in Mumbai only on a few days. “There are such few good nightclubs in Mumbai today. New places enjoy shelf life of six months. Mumbai is hardly dancing anymore.”

Akhtar voices the sentiment of many a nightclub patrons of the city. One of them is model Nina Manuel,who hardly heads out to let her hair down and shake a leg these days. “Where can one go? It is either intimate dinners,lounges like Zenzi and Blue Frog or house parties,” she says.

The nightlife scenario in Mumbai has undergone a massive evolution where lounges,wine bars and live acts offer several options. Vishal Shetty,who was instrumental in starting Fire ‘n’ Ice,one of the most famous nightclubs the city has ever had,agrees. “When we started Fire ‘n’ Ice,nightlife was equated with either dinners or going dancing. There were only a handful of exceptions like Not Just Jazz By The Bay and Library Bar where live music was the focus. Today,there are fewer nighclubs and many more such options. Every place has a USP—live bands,some international artistes,lounges that encourage conversation for a relaxed evening. Naturally,the crowd gets divided,” he reasons.

But Akhtar puts it down to the space crunch and the rising expenses in the city. “Nightclubs are a huge investment — the property,staff,valet,security,qualified DJs and quality acoustics. Besides,you need to acquire seven different licences. In comparison,it is easy to have a lounge bar where all you need is a cosy place,limited staff and an excise licence. Naturally,more of these are popping up.”

Puneet Gidwani of Red Om Events,a company that manages several nightclubs as well as lounges across the city including Prive,contests that. “The last few years have seen an astronomical rise in the spending power of the youth. The audience may be divided but the footfall has increased.”

He insists that the popular nightclubs in the city—Hype,Prive,Royalty,Rock Bottom — witness a foot-fall of at least 200 people per night.

Twenty nine-year-old Vistasp Contractor,a business consultant,enjoys the best of both the worlds. While he can’t let a Saturday pass by without dancing,he usually heads to a nightclub well past midnight. “Unless I head with a group of friends after having had set the evening in motion,I end up feeling out of place at most of the night clubs where the average age of patrons is 20 or below.”

Contractor nails it. Warned by friends against entering the place before midnight lest we want the entire floor to ourselves,we visit Prive on a Wednesday night at 1 am. The place is packed with college students,some of whom are clearly below 21,the legal age to enter a nightclub. Many,like Contractor,disappointed with the change in the scenario,are heading to places like Zenzi and AER at Four Seasons which have a mixed patronage and,by the wee hours of morning,let people groove to the music if they feel like it. Take for example China House at The Grand Hyatt,which on a Saturday night may play House music but follows it up with peppy tracks if the people have begun to shake a leg. Hence,the lounge does big business only after 1 m,says a staffer.

Though Shetty views it positively,pointing out that the city no more needs a dance floor to dance,Akhtar feels the current scenario spells doom for the dancing culture Mumbai was so famous for. “Delhi and Bangalore have a better nightlife. And today,Mumbai residents also are less tolerant. Escobar recently shut down and DJ Aqeel’s Hype time limit has come down to 1 am,” Akhtar remarks. “Mumbai has just been an imitator of trends. We are trying to imitate what was the popular culture in Europe. We can only wait and see what comes next. Till then,Mumbai can put its dancing shoes in the closet.”

Nightlife no longer means clubbing till dawn; live music venues have more to offer

POOJA PILLAI

ANOUSHKA Anand’s dulcet tones fill the dimly lit interiors of Zenzi Mills. The singer,better known as Noush Like Sploosh,pulls out her mouth organ and plays a tune—slightly discordant,but that’s excusable. After all,it is the Art of Noise at Zenzi Mills tonight and the whole point of the evening is to explore the music that lies within noise. It’s not your usual rock or blues gig; but Mumbaikars have come to expect a variety when it comes to live music.

Ashutosh Phatak,musician and a partner at Blue Frog,says,“People used to go watch movies; now they go watch bands.” With venues like Blue Frog,Hard Rock Cafe,old warhorse Not Just Jazz By The Bay,Cafe Goa,Firangi Paani and even Zenzi Mills occasionally,live music has suddenly become a staple of Mumbai’s famed nightlife. “Nightlife has definitely extended beyond the dance floor. Even metal acts and singer/songwriters are getting space to perform,” says Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy,vocalist of Mumbai-based metal band Scribe.

He attributes this to the boom in the independent music scene. “There’s more organisation in the live circuit now than ever before.” Another major factor is naturally the rise in disposable income. Emiliano Collazo,GM of Zenzi says,“We mostly get a lot of young,urban professionals,who’re willing to and able to spend more than before. It’s due to India’s recent middle-class boom.”

According to Phatak,it can only get better. “The growing competition between live music venues will only make the scene richer. Firstly,it’ll encourage the growth of a live music culture on par with any other city in the world. Secondly,as competition gets tougher,each venue will take pains to distinguish itself from others by encouraging a certain kind of music,and there will be something for everybody.”

It’s still too soon though,to get self-congratulatory. Sudeip Nair,co-founder of the Bombay Elektrik Projekt,whose aim is to diversify Mumbai’s nightlife options,says,“We have only five or six live gig venues for about a million people. Compared to other culturally vibrant cities of the world,that’s barely anything. Within India,even Bangalore has a livelier scene than Mumbai.”

He blames it on Mumbai’s obsession with electronica. “If a city has to lay claim to having a vibrant nightlife,there has to be more on offer and unfortunately that hasn’t really caught on.”

Collazo adds,“It’s too early to speculate whether live gigs are replacing nightclubs. We still see as many people dancing as we did six years ago. It’s just that the crowd gets younger.”

Phatak agrees,“People in the city were used to going out and dancing on a night out. When we opened Blue Frog,we had a tough time convincing people that simply listening to music is an option too. While we’re drawing more enthusiasts everyday,it’s still an ongoing process.” However,the recent closure of two suburban spots—Bonobo and Escobar—really means nothing serious for the scene in general. “You have to follow the letter of the law and make sure that you’re not too noisy. For instance,at the Blue Frog,we’re completely sound-proofed.”

Krishnamoorthy adds,“You have to remember that the people going to nightclubs are not the same as those who go to lounges. You need a different kind of engagement. At a nightclub,you don’t really listen to the music; you dance. At a lounge,you have to actively listen; the performer becomes the centerpiece and that’s hard for us to get used to.”

Pick your plays

Hard Rock Cafe: Metal/Rock/Electronica

The Blue Frog: Acoustic/Alternative/

Electronica

Cafe Goa: World music

Firangi Paani: Rock

Not Just Jazz by the Bay: Classics/Rock/Blues