🎶🎸🎚️🎙️India is not yet ready for Musical concerts

Have you checked out our app yet? Download it now to get the same sharp analyses you love.

Market Watch

• After the negative start, the market extended profit booking as the day progressed and dragged the Nifty near 24,300 as investors remained cautious ahead of Fed decision on December 18.
• All the sectoral indices ended in the red with auto, bank, energy, metal, oil & gas down 1 percent each. BSE Midcap and smallcap indices were down 0.5 percent each.

ICYMI

👜 Priyanka Gandhi's remark in Parliament about India's neighboring regions sparked intense discussions on geopolitical sensitivities.

⚖️ The Law Minister clarified that the One Nation, One Poll proposal aims to streamline elections without encroaching on state autonomy.

💒 In a troubling incident, upper-caste men disrupted a Dalit constable's wedding in Uttar Pradesh, exposing persistent caste-based prejudice.

🌐 OpenAI has expanded its AI web search tool to more ChatGPT users, enhancing their access to up-to-date information.

🏏 Shreyas Iyer delivered a stern critique of Prithvi Shaw, emphasizing the need for professionalism and dedication.

🍴 Eleven Indians were tragically found dead in Georgia's Gudauri resort, with investigations underway into the incident.

🔫 A teenage gunman in the U.S. killed a student and teacher before taking his own life, reigniting debates about school safety and gun control.

Why India is not yet ready for concerts?

Indian music sensation Diljit Dosanjh has ignited a nationwide debate on the state of concert infrastructure in the country.

• Speaking at a packed concert in Chandigarh on December 14, 2024, the artist announced his decision to halt future performances in India until significant improvements are made to live event infrastructure.
• His remarks have brought attention to the ongoing challenges faced by artists and event organizers in the Indian music industry.

Inadequate Infrastructure: Diljit highlighted the glaring inadequacies in India’s concert infrastructure, stressing that the current facilities fall short of international standards.

• According to him, these shortcomings not only diminish the quality of live performances but also hinder the sector’s potential for generating revenue and creating jobs.
• "We don’t have the proper infrastructure for live shows here," he said, adding, "This sector generates significant revenue and supports countless livelihoods."

Lack of infra forces man to pee in his pants

During Bryan Adams' concert in Mumbai, an incident occurred involving a man who urinated in his pants while attending the show. This unfortunate event led to the individual expressing his frustration on social media, where he criticized Zomato's CEO, Deepinder Goyal.

• The man claimed that he was unable to access the restroom due to long lines and poor management at the venue.
• “I PAID to PEE (in my pants) at the Bryan Adams concert. Shocked? you should be. While the flow of traffic into the concert was fine, the chilled Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre ensured that my bladder flow was just as good. So I made a bee line to the loo. Only to see a serpentine queue! I knew I would NEVER be able to hold that long. So I was advised to go to the other end of the pavilion!” he wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

Ticketing mishap: Ticketing issues with BookMyShow (BMS) have become a growing concern in India, particularly after high-profile events like Coldplay’s concert. Fans reported widespread problems during ticket sales, including website crashes and disruptions in online queues.

• Despite a limit of four tickets per transaction, tickets sold out almost instantly, only to reappear on secondary markets at exorbitant prices, sometimes as high as ten times the original cost.

Price on Viagogo: : Founded in 2006 by Eric Baker, Viagogo operates as a secondary marketplace, where individuals can resell tickets for live events such as sports, music, and theatre.

• A ticket in H row of section 2D, originally priced at Rs.12,500 on BookMyShow, was listed for Rs.68,033 and even as high as Rs.337,823 on separate listings.
• The situation escalated to legal action when Mumbai-based lawyer Amit Vyas filed a complaint against BookMyShow and the event promoters, accusing them of black-marketing tickets.

What Viagogo said: “Viagogo takes its obligations under law very seriously. When we are contacted by any relevant authority in respect of any investigation, Viagogo cooperates fully and fulfils its legal obligations,” it said.

• An undercover investigation by Dainik Bhaskar has exposed a large-scale ticket scam in Mumbai, involving fake tickets for Coldplay concerts.

• The investigation reveals that insiders from ticketing platforms may be part of the fraudulent operation.

In response to these complaints, the Maharashtra Cyber Police initiated an investigation into allegations of black-market ticket sales involving BookMyShow.

• Authorities have directed the platform to implement stricter measures, such as name-based ticketing and verification against government-issued IDs on event days, to curb these unethical practices and ensure fair access to genuine fans.

BMS takes action: BookMyShow has since announced a series of measures to address these concerns. These include delivering physical tickets directly to buyers before events and enforcing non-transferable, name-based ticketing systems to make it difficult for scalpers to resell tickets.

• The company has publicly condemned unauthorized ticket resales, reminding fans that such practices are illegal in India. They have also urged consumers to purchase tickets exclusively through official channels to avoid scams and counterfeit tickets.

Of note: Both Diljit Dosanjh's and Bryan Adams's concerts were managed by Zomato, marking the food delivery company's first foray into event management.

• However, the blame for the mismanagement cannot rest solely on Zomato. Local authorities and stadium management also share responsibility for the logistical shortcomings that marred these events.

Solution: Enhancing the Audience Experience The singer emphasized the need for venues that prioritize audience engagement.

• He proposed innovative stage designs that allow fans to surround the stage, a feature often unavailable in India’s existing venues. His remarks resonated with many in the crowd, who commended his boldness in addressing these issues.

Potential Impact on Future Events: His announcement comes as India gears up for a bustling calendar of musical events in 2025, featuring prominent festivals like Lollapalooza and performances by international icons like Ed Sheeran.

• Diljit’s stance could serve as a wake-up call for concert organizers, potentially driving investments in infrastructure to meet the demands of both local and global artists.

Clip du jour

Old friends reunite

What’s happening | Winter session of the Parliament

• Two bills which aim to achieve One Nation One Election–'The Constitution 129th Amendment Bill 2024' as well as the 'The Union Territories Laws Amendment Bill 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (December 17) after a voting process.
• Reportedly, the Union Cabinet has accepted the recommendation of High Level Committee for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies; municipal and panchayat polls within 100 days of the general election.

Hi, I’m Aniket Mishra, the editor of this newsletter. I’d love to hear some feedback on the newsletter. WhatsApp me directly and tell me what you think.