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Article 14
Rock On
Rock Memorabilia
(Published
in Times of India
T he intensity of the passion, which people feel for Rock music, has always been a source of great amazement to me. This may seem surprising for a person who has adopted it as a career and a lifelong quest, but the enthusiasm and the drive of these devoted fans can be truly overwhelming! It was all brought into focus the other day, when I was talking to my good friend Jaidev Modi after my recent concert in Mumbai.
Jaidev and I had lost touch with each other
for a couple of years. I was busy setting up my Audio studio, INSYNC in Juhu
while Jaidev, as Director of Piramyd, was busy with the launch of Crossroads,
the mega mall in Mumbai. Jaidev has always been a great fan of Rock and we were
college buddies. His ambitions of becoming a drummer in a Rock and Roll band
had not been totally realized. Yet Rock has played such an important role in
his life that he has chosen to surround himself with it, in as many ways as
possible. Jaidev is a horse race enthusiast/owner and has named his horses
after Classic Rock Acts like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Simply Red, Deep Purple
and King Crimson. Not only are they are some of the biggest Rock bands ever,
each one is a different color! What a fabulous way to surround yourself with
what you love, in more ways than one. I'm sure he will not have to face the
uproar that greeted Bush when he named his cat after
Another example of the Rock Memorabilia obsession is the recent auction by Christie's of John Lennon's letter, discussing his fall out with Paul McCartney of the Beatles. The world's headlines were splashed with this news, a clear indication of this insatiable appetite! The fans have greatly profited from this demand, a fact so many have realized when they have found their old Rock concert tickets and posters fetch such good prices from die-hard fans who just can't seem to get enough. The bands too are raking it in and every Music personality today has a burgeoning trade in brochures, T-shirts, tour jackets, watches etc. at concerts and through mail order. It has been said that the income from the merchandising at the Pink Floyd Wall concerts had by far exceeded the income from ticket sales, in spite of the exorbitant ticket rates!
The increase in Rock Memorabilia collectors
has resulted in many collectors' shops all over the western world catering to
this very fascination. The Japanese especially seem to have a great fascination
and they spend millions of dollars every year on this. There is a shop in a
fancy small shopping center by the ocean in South Maui,
Reminded me of my brush with the Japanese on
my trip to the States last year. I was standing in the queue at Universal Studios,
Rock on!
Nandu Bhende
http://nandu_bhende.tripod.com
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