The sound of music can be anywhere you like, thanks to Kolkata-based music entrepreneur Rubesh Sircar’s ticketing website Boshow. Log in, pick a listed venue, pay a nominal charge, and host a concert. Started in late 2021 in Kolkata, Boshow recently branched out to Delhi and Austin in the US.
“During my college days, I had seen a lot of bands, singers and songwriters who were great but could not sustain themselves since there was no money to keep their music going. I wanted to do something for them,” says Sircar, a computer engineering graduate.
The revenue for him and the artist comes from ticket sales. Sircar charges five per cent for Indians and 10 per cent for overseas clients per show. Apart from the personal solo shows at cafes, living rooms, and rooftops, the platform has become the go-to ticketing partner for most stakeholders in the entertainment industry.
House parties, where his friends often strum guitars and sing, triggered the idea of finding unconventional venues for gigs. “The feasibility of a musician in a cafe or pub depends on the amount of drinks and food sold to clients who come to hear him play. Which is not the case with intimate house parties. These eventually led me to find venues where you can carry an amp, a guitar, and a mic and perform,” says the 36-year-old. One such venue is the living room of his Kolkata home. “You can use it by paying Rs 999 to host a show. My house can accommodate 30 people comfortably. If the artist can sell 30 tickets for Rs 400 each, he will make a profit,” he explains.
Sircar seems to have started a hot selling trend. Debosmita Chakraborty, a Delhi-based singer, hosted a Boshow show for Rs 350 per ticket at The Groove Studios in Safdarjung where the footfall exceeded the capacity. “Around 55 people turned up at the venue which could fit 40. A Korean artist randomly visited my show and signed me up for another one,” she remembers. Kaustubh Chatterjee, a singer-songwriter in Austin, Texas launched an independent art initiative titled Qaira under the Boshow banner. People happily paid $10 to attend. “It had an attendance of 60-plus,” says a satisfied Chatterjee.
Sircar’s network helps him discover venues. “If somebody spots a space, they immediately click pictures and share. I follow it up and ask the owner about the rent and any restrictions on sound,” he says, adding that building trust is the biggest challenge. He is keen to tap into the Indian diaspora in Australia. “I’m now thinking of workshops and food-related activities,” he reveals.
Music as food for the soul? Sircar has cracked the formula.