It is easy to understand why a plethora of venues in Mumbai are open to live electronica as opposed to live rock or metal. For one, the music has a far wider audience. This audience is also buying electronic CDs from music stories and playing them in their cars, at their places of work and in their homes. Mehmood Curmally, the owner of one of Mumbai’s oldest music stores, Rhythm House, told TimeOut, “It is important that we stock electronica albums as there are people who know these brands and know this music.” India’s only pure English music channel VH1, also plays regular electronica.
There are several establishments in the city that hold regular live electronic music sets performed by a variety of artists, both Indian and international. As compared to other genres of music however, establishments that usually have live electronica are more expensive that venues where say an Indian rock band is performing. Depending on the act performing gate charges can range from anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 2,000.
Electronica is also perhaps the only genre that sees new, popular international live music acts come to Mumbai to perform. Over the last five years the city has seen sets from top international DJs like Paul van Dyk, Infected Mushroom and Armin van Buuren. Turnouts for these events usually, see the venues they are at packed to the brim, with gate charges generally in excess of Rs 1,000. The music is also one that easily lends itself to bar sales so clubs are usually happy to have electronic acts performing in their premises.
The Indian clubwear aesthetic ranges from the absolutely outrageous to the relatively casual depending on how expensive the venue is. Most people just do their own thing and wear whatever semi-party wear they feel most comfortable in. However, at more expensive venues like the Vie Deck & Lounge you are likely to see both women and men dressed in designer party wear, or at least, what seems like glitzy designer wear.
(clubbers in casual wear at popular club Polly Esther', pic: Roe Etheridge)
Zenzi
Zenzi is a posh lounge situated in one of Mumbai’s richest suburbs, Bandra. The venue has been in existence for about five years and is one of the most popular nightspots for clubbers. By Mumbai standards, the venue is fairly expensive though it serves hundreds of clubbers every night. It used to be one of those places where one would want to be seen, though with many other posh clubs opening up in the city, that status has pretty much left it.
Blue Frog
Opened in 2007, the Blue Frog has soon become one of Mumbai’s most happening night spots for live music. The venue, in the midst of the commercial centre of Mumbai, Lower Parel, is one of the only places in the city that serves six nights of live music every week and features artists from around the country and around the world. Gate charges on weekdays is a standard Rs 300 while on Fridays and Saturdays is Rs 500. The venue has one of the best sound setups in the country with the whole venue set up around the sound and, luckily, not the other way around. The result is a great listening experience, one that is almost unmatched at any other venue in the country. Blue Frog patrons are of two kinds – those who genuinely come for the music, and those who come for the ambience. Their electronica nights happen over packed weekends that usually see lines of people waiting to get in depending on the act performing.
(a packed Saturday night at the Blue Frog)
(DJ Pearl at the Blue Frog)
Aurus
Aurus, located in Juhu, is one of the more expensive nightclubs in the city. However, the club regularly operates full capacity with between 400-600 patrons hitting it on their live music nights over the weekend. The club has a strict couples-only policy and has a dining area that serves expensive fine dining. TimeOut reports that, on an average, a clubber at Aurus spends over Rs 1,000.
Poison
Located in Bandra, Poison is one of the few places in the city that makes no bones about playing Bollywood music. DJs here regularly spin popular film numbers interspersed with house and techno sounds, much to the delight of their patrons. The sound setup at the venue is also fairly good, though the venue is fairly expensive and is usually packed on weekends.
Polly Esther’s
Located within the premises of the Gordon House hotel in Colaba Polly Esther’s is one of the most kitschy venues in the city. The whole place is decorated in a ‘70s disco style right from the disco lights on the dance floor and the waiters who wear colourful afros and give the clubbers glow sticks. The place has remained relatively inexpensive over the last five years and hence is usually packed with clubbers more concerned about having a fun night than about their appearance.