22 February,2011 08:46 AM IST | | Priyanjali Ghose
Under a banyan tree, next to a lake, catch 12 bands perform back to back throughout the night. This was the description of the Fireflies Music Festival that definitely sounded interesting to my friend, who has recently shifted from Chennai and she was all set to attend this annual festival that attracts music lovers every year from all across the state and country.
On Saturday evening, all excited, we drove a good stretch of 40 kilometres to witness this musical extravaganza only to land up in chaos.
Bangalore showed that when it comes to choosing between music and alcohol, the latter is a clear winner
After we had wrestled our way through the entrance and got in, we realised that the music festival had everything but music. With almost all of young Bangalore there, for the first hour we ran into almost everybody we knew but could hardly hear any music. We could hear the faint sound of a violin playing nearby but realised that the crowd was not at the amphitheatre but in every other possible place. The air was filled with the smell of alcohol and cigarettes and people sat, lay and stood in groups reminding you of all those hippies that surrounded Zeenat Aman as she sang Dum Maaro Dum in the 70s flick Hare Ram Hare Krishna. And then the thought stung. This was actually us, the youth of shining India. In trying to ape the western crowd at global music festivals, we did everything else there except listen to all the good music that was in store for us. For a city that is expected to shut itself at the stroke of 11.30 pm, this musical festival seemed to offer unbridled freedom. With no police checking you for alcohol and no glare from parents, Fireflies turned out to be the night that probably every young Bangalorean dreams of.u00a0
I overheard a French guy telling his companion while looking at a couple kissing each other, "Look at these Indians. Who would say they can't drink and are conservative?" It was nice to hear that the world no longer sees us to be from the land where widows are burnt alive but it was a subtle hint at our inability to handle alcohol that made our ears burn.
Known as the pub capital of the country, Bangalore showed that when it comes to a choice between music and alcohol, the latter clearly wins. Dawn broke with few genuine music lovers enthusiastically appreciating the performers while the rest were still busy mixing their drinks with unsteady hands in the empty soft drink bottles. It was sad to see how in this music festival spirits overpowered music for a generation that spends weekends drinking away.
