We all have heard that sometimes when you are most prepared for a specific thing, something unexpected happens and turns the whole situation upside down. This blog is about the time when my band Crystal Heads had a very hard time, that too for a long time, but we made it through.
So 2012 had been a great year for us and we became very popular locally that time. Few people even started recognizing us on streets of Dehradun. Our fan following was increasing dramatically and we were super active in participating and winning competitions around the state and few other places. But we were not satisfied with the number of people who came to those competitions and many other things such as the sound, venues, rules and bullshit bothered us a lot. We wanted to do something bigger. That's when one of our very good friend/photographer 'Mayur Goel' became our light to opportunities. He had very good contacts and was involved in various events and shows kind of a thing. That time co-incidentally he was working with this guy from Delhi who owned a Event Organizing Company and was looking for artists for his debut show in Dehradun. As Mayur was a good friend and had faith on us, he set up the meeting and the deal was finalized at once. The Show was named 'Burn'( I still cant understand why), amateurs we were, confused, we thought we will be the only one playing the show. Feeling proud we spread the news every where, later we came to know that there is going to be a fashion show sort of thing and some Russian dance group was coming too. We got upset because we wanted to be the only act for which people will come. We thought to give up the offer once but later gave a serious thought and found that we will get to play for people of different likes and dislike because of the other acts involved in the show. May be we will make some new fans.
We were ready and started hard practice for the show. Venue booked for the event was 'The Survey Ground ' one of the biggest in Dehradun. Sound booked was expensive as well. Posters of 'Burn' were all over the city, even in the dirtiest corners of I.S.B.T. :D. Hats off to Mayur and team who worked so hard.
One week left , we were all pumped up and practicing hard, tickets sold, posters of the event every where, full on promotion on F.B, 'Bring it on' was what we were shouting for all left days and then, then what ? SHOCK, as always. We found that it was going to rain that day as per the weather forecast because of which the show might get cancelled. Show getting cancelled might not be a big deal from viewer's side, but for us it was very hard to go through the bad news over and over everyday. To see the sponsors go away after knowing about the weather forecast, to reply to the people who bought tickets only for us, to see other performers backing up, not a good feeling, at all. 'Burn' got cancelled and gave a serious burn on our public image. When this was not enough, we came up with a MIND BLOWING Idea, to do the show in G******fu*k*ng******** University. (Why God Why)
We always had a very good number of fans and supporters in that university, we assured the sponsor that the management will support us in doing the show.The Event organizer was very happy with the support University was showing that time and our hopes were up one more time. They wanted to start everything all over again, even named the event 'ANARCHISM' this time. Russian Dance group was back, fashion event was back too and a dance group of our University called 'Zeal' also joined in. This time we insisted the organizers to keep the ticket price Rs 50 /- as it was our own University. Many friends helped us in selling the tickets. We were totally surprised when we came to know that we sold 1500 tickets. We started practicing more since we knew that 1500 people have paid to see us live for the first time. Man, that feeling....AAAHHHH, and then, you can guess, yes "PROBLEMS".
Few members in the management were unhappy because they were getting nothing of the event, and by nothing I mean $$MONEY$$. We were suppose to get police clearance + security from nearest police station which was in total control of the same management people from the University.
Final Day
That awesome nervousness woke all of us up early that day. We were too worried about things going wrong for such a big show again so after a run through of the set, we called up the organizers to know if everything was OK. That call, that moment was heartbreaking. We were told that the stage has been set up but the University's management has not permitted the sound to be set up yet. Two hours left left for he show to start and no sound set up means a lot problem already. We rushed to talk to the University people since I knew many of them well. The reason they mentioned for doing so was Police Clearance which the organizer could not get since the University people had old time partner ship with that police station, all of us tried, fought, got scolded at, but we could not get it till the end. Also Dalai Lama showed up that day so 90% of the police department was involved in that. Two times people paid for us, two cancellations, our "to be" biggest show thus biggest set back.
All left was 1,20,000/- worth of sound standing just on the other side of the walls, a lonely Stage waiting for us in the middle of the University ground, clever greedy assholes surrounding us celebrating their so called victory. We five,sitting and watching the daylight fade, felt it was the end.
These are the official posters which were all over the city
So 2012 had been a great year for us and we became very popular locally that time. Few people even started recognizing us on streets of Dehradun. Our fan following was increasing dramatically and we were super active in participating and winning competitions around the state and few other places. But we were not satisfied with the number of people who came to those competitions and many other things such as the sound, venues, rules and bullshit bothered us a lot. We wanted to do something bigger. That's when one of our very good friend/photographer 'Mayur Goel' became our light to opportunities. He had very good contacts and was involved in various events and shows kind of a thing. That time co-incidentally he was working with this guy from Delhi who owned a Event Organizing Company and was looking for artists for his debut show in Dehradun. As Mayur was a good friend and had faith on us, he set up the meeting and the deal was finalized at once. The Show was named 'Burn'( I still cant understand why), amateurs we were, confused, we thought we will be the only one playing the show. Feeling proud we spread the news every where, later we came to know that there is going to be a fashion show sort of thing and some Russian dance group was coming too. We got upset because we wanted to be the only act for which people will come. We thought to give up the offer once but later gave a serious thought and found that we will get to play for people of different likes and dislike because of the other acts involved in the show. May be we will make some new fans.
We were ready and started hard practice for the show. Venue booked for the event was 'The Survey Ground ' one of the biggest in Dehradun. Sound booked was expensive as well. Posters of 'Burn' were all over the city, even in the dirtiest corners of I.S.B.T. :D. Hats off to Mayur and team who worked so hard.
One week left , we were all pumped up and practicing hard, tickets sold, posters of the event every where, full on promotion on F.B, 'Bring it on' was what we were shouting for all left days and then, then what ? SHOCK, as always. We found that it was going to rain that day as per the weather forecast because of which the show might get cancelled. Show getting cancelled might not be a big deal from viewer's side, but for us it was very hard to go through the bad news over and over everyday. To see the sponsors go away after knowing about the weather forecast, to reply to the people who bought tickets only for us, to see other performers backing up, not a good feeling, at all. 'Burn' got cancelled and gave a serious burn on our public image. When this was not enough, we came up with a MIND BLOWING Idea, to do the show in G******fu*k*ng******** University. (Why God Why)
We always had a very good number of fans and supporters in that university, we assured the sponsor that the management will support us in doing the show.The Event organizer was very happy with the support University was showing that time and our hopes were up one more time. They wanted to start everything all over again, even named the event 'ANARCHISM' this time. Russian Dance group was back, fashion event was back too and a dance group of our University called 'Zeal' also joined in. This time we insisted the organizers to keep the ticket price Rs 50 /- as it was our own University. Many friends helped us in selling the tickets. We were totally surprised when we came to know that we sold 1500 tickets. We started practicing more since we knew that 1500 people have paid to see us live for the first time. Man, that feeling....AAAHHHH, and then, you can guess, yes "PROBLEMS".
Few members in the management were unhappy because they were getting nothing of the event, and by nothing I mean $$MONEY$$. We were suppose to get police clearance + security from nearest police station which was in total control of the same management people from the University.
Final Day
That awesome nervousness woke all of us up early that day. We were too worried about things going wrong for such a big show again so after a run through of the set, we called up the organizers to know if everything was OK. That call, that moment was heartbreaking. We were told that the stage has been set up but the University's management has not permitted the sound to be set up yet. Two hours left left for he show to start and no sound set up means a lot problem already. We rushed to talk to the University people since I knew many of them well. The reason they mentioned for doing so was Police Clearance which the organizer could not get since the University people had old time partner ship with that police station, all of us tried, fought, got scolded at, but we could not get it till the end. Also Dalai Lama showed up that day so 90% of the police department was involved in that. Two times people paid for us, two cancellations, our "to be" biggest show thus biggest set back.
All left was 1,20,000/- worth of sound standing just on the other side of the walls, a lonely Stage waiting for us in the middle of the University ground, clever greedy assholes surrounding us celebrating their so called victory. We five,sitting and watching the daylight fade, felt it was the end.
These are the official posters which were all over the city
