Music is probably one of the most democratic art forms, it transcends barriers- social, economic, and even linguistic- to unite people. From the age of radio to pirated DVDs and cassettes, from illegal downloads on the internet to Spotify memberships, music has always found its way to every strata of society. Though foreign artists particularly in the English language are pretty popular in India, there aren’t many Indian singers who boast a global appeal. Then there is Diljit, who can make the crowd go berserk in any part of the world.
And his fans are not just the Indian population abroad, Diljit even makes the goras shake a leg to his bhangra tunes. So naturally, when sadda munda finally announced the India leg of his Dil-Luminati tour, his fans had only one thought in mind, they had to be there when Diljit says, “Punjabi ghar aa gaye oye!”
However, when the ticket sale went live, a lucky few got them, many settled for the ‘sold-out’ badge on their screens, and most went back just seeing the prices. What followed was countless instances of tickets being sold in ‘black’ at exorbitant mark-ups, sometimes at 10 times the original price. And not all the tickets were cheap in the first place. The whole internet was divided, and looking at the countless arguments in favour and against this pricing, we decided to decode the whole scenario.
When influencer Saumya Sahni uploaded her reel on this topic, she already said she would regret it. Saumya argued that there are a limited number of global stars who perform or rather can perform in Indian languages. So they should make an exception when performing at home, in a country like India, where a major chunk of their fans can’t afford such expensive gatekeeping, especially when the artists also make so much money abroad. And it’s safe to say she got her prediction right, at least in terms of the internet not being kind to her. Many on the internet bashed her saying that it was her inability to afford the tickets that led her to make this statement.
Some of them argued that if these expensive tickets are getting sold out in seconds, then what’s the problem with the artist’s demands? They are of the opinion that if we are ready to pay for this overpriced ticket to see the foreign artist, why shouldn’t Diljit, who’s one of us, charge what he seems to deserve? Sure it’s demand meets supply, but what about the socio-economic divide?
This raises serious questions about the gatekeeping of art. A lot of hardcore Diljit fans couldn’t have afforded these expensive tickets. On the other hand, there would be many who would primarily be going to the concert to elevate their Instagram influence game who simply could just afford it. Of course, attending a concert is not a necessity, but art has to be for everyone. Has this concert and art, in general, become primarily a game of status reserved for a certain socio-economic class who just do it for the bragging rights?
There were comments about how the band Nirvana ensured that their ticket prices remained low so that their actual fans could attend the concert and not just the ones who could afford it. Saumya also gave the example of when Coldplay performed in India and had a student pass for 2500 rupees. But ‘affordability’ itself is way too subjective, isn’t it?
We all know the dire situation artists have to face in terms of getting even survival money. Artists can charge these outrageous prices only when they are at their peak and this peak certainly doesn’t last forever. So netizens also claim that Diljeet, who has reached this stardom after 25 years, is justified to charge this sum, as it also elevates the standard of prices artists can demand in that industry.
Moreover, these concerts are the most efficient medium to make money for artists amidst the cuts they share with music labels and streaming platforms in today’s age. Diljit has previously mentioned in his interviews how he could make little money from these because of the costs that go into setting them up.
Another line of argument suggests that there’s something for everyone, with the availability of cheaper tickets priced around 2000 bucks. However, the resellers in the black market, though, have ruined it by purchasing tickets in bulk through bots and other means and are now charging whatever price they want.
There are arguments about why artists like Diljit should always be targeted for these pricey tickets, not movie stars like Shah Rukh. Wouldn’t he be charging the same or probably more in ticket prices for live events? True, but as long as the tickets are in the range that is affordable and accessible to a large chunk, it probably will do the trick.
We are left with more questions than answers. Shouldn’t the artist make all the money he can for the period he is most relevant? Could some deviation be made for the native crowd, when the artists also make so much money abroad? How do you define ‘affordability’ for every individual in society? Where does one draw the line?