A new platform is offering live musical performances, for any and every occasion, at your doorstep. And no, it doesn’t cost a bomb
A new platform is offering live musical performances, for any and every occasion, at your doorstep. And no, it doesn’t cost a bomb
When was the last time you sat through a private live music performance in the confines of your home If you aren’t royalty, or have no friends have friends with musical abilities, chances are, your answer will be ‘never.’ Enjoying a private gig may have been the prerogative of the privileged at one point in time, but today, it can be yours for a measly sum of Rs 5000. Happydemic, a musical platform that launched in April this year, has been offering live musical performances in people’s homes—over 70 gigs so far, and counting.
Radhika Mukherji, CEO of Happydemic and wife of singer Shaan believes the platform is thriving because of the love for music that each member brings to it — a huge chunk of which are participants of television talent hunts, and didn’t occupy the top three slot.
“We work with around 300 artistes, and approximately 90 per cent of them are reality TV participants,” she says. The idea struck Radhika when she saw singers on these shows (some of which were judged by her husband Shaan) go home without much, despite a solid performance at a show. “These are voices that have been discovered, mentored and are ready to perform, but have no opportunity. So we round up as many of them as we can, screen them and take them on,” she says. So singers here include participants from Sa Re Ga Ma, The Voice, The Stage, Indian Idol and many more.
While the services they offer range from small gigs to full blown performances (ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,00,000), Songstruck, their signature service is one that has been widely popular. “It’s where you can book yourself a 20 minute performance that’ll happen at your doorstep. We give you a form where you fill out your requests — in terms of play list, venue, time, and listener description. Once we have these details, it’s out job to deliver what you asked for.”
The band typically comprises of a singer and an instrumentalist or percussionist, with no microphone. One would imagine that these requests revolve around birthdays and anniversaries, but that’s only a fraction of the requests, points out Radhika. “We’ve had our teams perform after a break-up once. The girl’s girlfriends organised for her a gig, asking her to get over her boyfriend, who wasn’t worth her while anyway. This other time, an employer sent a band to his employee, congratulating him for a job well done.” And here’s one very interesting one. “A family mourning the death of a member was greeted by a performance by us on her death anniversary. The departed soul was a live music enthusiast and friends of the family felt that it was the best way to remember the departed—by celebrating what she loved.”
Those wanting to book a performance are welcome to sit through one at their studio/office in Vile Parle before finalising it. “This way they can be part of the process and know exactly what they’re up for,” explains Radhika.
