SILENCE OF THE BANDS

It’s not just rock or pop concerts; classical music concerts too seem affected. Conductor Zubin Mehta,for one,made his disappointment very clear over the imposition of the tax on a concert that had been organised by the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation. He’d said at a press conference on the eve of his performance on March 30 this year that he doubted he would come back to the city to perform. “The entertainment tax on the concert is too high. We’re trying to make money for charity and we’re not able to do that,” he said,referring to the hike implemented last year by the then Revenue Minister Narayan Rane.

As it stands currently,entertainment tax on concerts in Mumbai is 25 per cent on tickets and sponsorships,as opposed to 10 per cent in Karnataka and 15 per cent in Delhi.

It’s not just concerts that have been affected. The Bombay Entertainments Duty (Amendments) Act 2010 includes all restaurants and bars that serve alcohol and music (live or recorded). All five-star hotels would now have to pay Rs 2 lakh per month,pubs and lounges would pay Rs 1 lakh per month and smaller restaurants would have to brass up Rs 50,000 per month.

In reaction,Meldan D’Cunha,owner of Soul Fry,a restaurant in Fort,which hosted regular live music gigs,joined hands with musicians and other restaurant owners to launch an agitation —Please Don’t Kill Live Music. “But,the government has got caught-up with a lot of other matters and they probably don’t think this issue is important enough. So it’s remained on the backburner,” sighs D’Cunha,who has had to stop the live music performances at his restaurant. A government official,who did not wish to be identified,has said,“We’re carefully considering all aspects of the matter. One cannot expect a change overnight.”

But how much damage have these duties caused to the live-music scene in Mumbai,a place that has long been known for its vibrant live music culture — whether it was the jazz bars of the 1960s or the more recent spurt in rock and metal live acts?

Gigs remain a regular feature at places like Blue Frog and Hard Rock Cafe,while other venues,such as Valhalla and Chez Vous,have started their live music offerings after the tax amendment was brought into effect. Rishad Byramjee,director and owner of Valhalla,has chosen to take the government’s move in its stride: “I feel the entertainment tax is a small price to pay for a little bit of recreation during a busy week. Even though it does affect our profitability and increases costs,we have little choice but to take this in our stride.”

The biggest concern,says Bobby Talwar,the bassist for Zero,is that such moves will lead people to believe that the state government is not committed to the state’s cultural growth. “Already,most of the high-profile concerts happen in Bangalore and Delhi. It is a loss for Maharashtra. When there is a large,ready-paying audience here,moves such as the entertainment tax end up being counter-productive.”

D’Cunha feels that it’s easier for bigger venues to continue with their live music offerings because they usually charge an entry fee. “They also have an assured audience because they only provide platform to well-established bands,” he says. The ones really affected,he points out,are the smaller establishments,“What about places such as mine,which offer free live music and that want to give young,untried musicians a chance? It’s a sad situation for musicians and music lovers alike.”