BENGALURU: In an emotional post on social media on Saturday, popular live music venue Take 5 announced that they were shutting down on August 28 after succumbing to pressure from residents of Indiranagar, who have been protesting against illegal establishments hosting live gigs. One of the oldest venues in Indiranagar, Take 5 has supported all kinds of musicians for several years now.
Owner of Take 5, Viraj Suvarna, is forlorn. “Take 5 has provided a platform for hundreds of musicians. Before 2005, many other establishments didn’t have the required licence,” he says. Having announced that he may try to relocate elsewhere with the necessary permissions, it is still a major loss. Viraj says, “Many residential buildings in Indiranagar don’t have occupancy certificates, and it is these residents who are complaining. Take 5 is on 100-ft Road, which is a purely commercial area. We’ve had to constantly pay the excise and fire department to renew our dates for more time.”
Vapour Pub and Brewery on 100 ft Road has also been facing issues. Akshat Prasad, the owner, says that there is a need to raise their voices and “reunite against this flawed implementation”. “Dance bars mushroomed across Bengaluru in 2005, and action must be taken only against them — it was never about pubs. The residents cannot dictate the lives of others this way.”
Musicians, who have been greatly affected since the live band ban, are gutted. Rahul Tadimalla, who has frequently performed at Take 5, says, “The residents of Indiranagar seem absolutely jobless. Bengaluru is known as the live music capital of India. I hope this is just a phase.”
According to solo artist Danny Nikhail, a legendary place like Take 5 shutting down is demeaning. “Take 5 was a special place for me and every musician who has performed there. The vibe of the place is like no other, and it has provided a platform to a lot of musicians. There must be another, less-extreme way to settle this issue.” Echoing Danny’s concerns, Vats Iyengar, member of city-based band Rainburn, says that the venue owners themselves are unclear about the situation, and hence, the root cause of the issue needs to be understood before the city loses its musicians.
Feel for them, but want our peace
Aruna Newton, president of CCAP (Citizen for Civic Action), HAL 2nd Stage, says they have been misunderstood. The idea, she says, is not to ensure musicians are out of jobs or venues shut. “These venues don’t have legal permissions, and moreover, they are near residential areas. Crime rates have upped as a result. Another member, Jayalakshmi Sriguha, says, “I feel for the musicians, but with no occupancy certificates, no parking spaces, these places can’t continue to disrupt our peace.