We are a demanding audience. We expect our stars to scandalise, movies to move and musicians to monkey around on stage. Any award function, ribbon cutting ceremony and stage performance expects the performer to outdo the last, so we can sit with our mouths agape, lauding the stunts. Though the performer gains his fair share of dare devilry, not always is it safe. Like recently, Pop diva Pink fell off her harness onstage at a concert in Germany. Then a pregnant Alicia Keys took a fall on her backside while performing in New Orleans. Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, too suffered multiple injuries as he entertained his audience during a show.
Surojit Dev, the drummer with Them Clones recalls one such incident when his band members fell through the stage while performing a gig a few years ago. “The stage was a bit shaky and during the performance, we started jumping on it, something which is mostly a part of our performances. And suddenly it caved in and we landed on the floor. Thankfully, the thick carpet, saved it from being a nasty fall,” he says. He adds that sometimes there is nothing one can do about such incidents as once you are on stage luck plays a major role. While Parikrama’s lead vocalist, Nitin Malik believes that awareness on stage is very important to avoid such mishaps. “When one is on the stage, the lights keep changing and the performer might find it difficult to judge his immediate surroundings. One should keep their peripheral vision sharp to know what the other band members are doing before attempting a wild move,” he tells us.
As for Alicia Keys, her high heels and entangled wires are being blamed for the disaster, whereas Pink suffered a technical failure due to which she fell off her harness. Even our own AR Rahman cancelled a few shows citing production failure.
Yeashu Yuvraj, the vocalist of a Hindi progressive metal band, Anvesanah blames infrastructural loopholes for such incidents, particularly in India. “While we are not scared of taking risks, there is also a chalta hai attitude, which causes such incidents. When arrangements are made, there should be proper calculations done as to how many people will be up on a certain plane erected for the audience or whether the fireworks being used are let off at a safe distance from the stage. They are disasters waiting to happen,” he cautions us.
Member of the band Bare Faced Lair, Akshay Chowdhry however feels that there is no need for the artiste to put themselves in danger. “The best way to avoid injuries is to not get involved in these stunts at all. Though the audience appreciates the theatrical aspect, one can always entertain them by one’s performance alone,” he opines.