This time of the year, people actually soak in the music: City bands

As Christmas lights dim and the countdown to the New Year begins, Kolkata slips into celebration mode. Music spills from cafés, restaurants, and street corners amid laughter, clinking glasses, and cheers. While the city parties, musicians work relentlessly – tuning instruments, warming voices, stepping onstage night after night to shape the season’s soundtrack. Clubs, hotels, and open-air venues hum as bands fuel festivities. When the city clinks glasses with family, they’re under the lights, ensuring the party never stops.



A different kind of energy

“There’s a different energy,” says jazz pianist Soumojit Sarkar. “You can see it when people are smiling, when they’re making requests, when they’re actually soaking in the music. Jazz is niche, I know that, but if the sound is good and the band is tight, people respond, and that appreciation means everything.” On Christmas day, the Soumojit Sarkar Quartet played standards like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, White Christmas, and Let It Snow – all songs which fill the room subtly. And every year, requests like Fly Me to the Moon endure. “We wait all year to play these,” he says. “So, when someone asks for them, it feels right. One fan saying, ‘that was beautiful’, post-set makes it worthwhile.”

Longer sets, inadequate pay
“Everyone seems to earn more during the festive season, except the musicians,” says Soumojit, noting that fees largely remain unchanged, with only December 24, 25 and 31 offering a “marginal bump”. “Ironically, these are also the nights when artists are expected to play 30-45 minutes longer, hold the crowd’s energy together, and push ourselves further than usual.” While the love for music keeps them going, Sarkar stresses that the system still has a long way to go in showing live artists the respect they deserve. Aamir Rizvi echoes the concern. “A 90-minute to two-hour set is perfect, but depending on the event, performances can stretch to 2.5-3 hours,” he says, underscoring the need for pay structures that reflect not just the season, but the stamina and skill such extended sets demand.

The high comes at a cost
For Aamir Rizvi and Beas Ghosh, the stretch exhausts as much as it enchants. “This is the time when musicians perform at more than 30 gigs – sometimes even two to three in a single day,” says Rizvi.
Fatigue, stress, and mental pressure mount. “A musician is not a jukebox; we are literally hopping from one gig to another,” he reveals.
Chandni Chakraborty of Generations Apart agrees:
“The biggest challenge is probably keeping up our energy and health. Back-to-back high-energy shows can take a real toll but the moment we’re on stage everything falls in place.”
According to Beas, the crowd reaction becomes their celebration although they are away from their families. “But New Year gigs come in waves, and for most artistes, this is also livelihood. You can’t really opt out.” Yet, according to them, the magic persists, right from proposals mid-set, to strangers singing along.

Pop, rock and everything in between
“Pop music always hits the spot, be it Bollywood or English tracks,” says Aniket Dutta of ARC Project. “No matter the city, we always cover Get Lucky by Daft Punk, Every Breath You Take by The Police, and of course, the trending commercial Bollywood hits are always on people’s minds.” Classics endure, adds Andrew Chater, drummer at Switch, who played almost 18 gigs this month. “Early-age pop songs are always the jackpot for bands. Dance and pop always work — people love ABBA, Bonney M, Gloria Gaynor, the Bee Gees, Elvis Presley. Some rock fans ask for AC/DC, Scorpions, Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, or Bryan Adams. A mix of old and new keeps the crowd energised all night.”

The logistical woes
Festive gigs bring logistical woes, especially during multi-city runs. “Travel is a real challenge,” says Wriddhaayan Bhattacharya of Punch, who had more than 10 gigs this month. “Because of the fog, flights get cancelled and trains run late, so we often end up driving to shows in Ranchi or nearby cities. You really have to time your exit from Kolkata carefully to avoid the usual traffic choke points.” Then there are the last-minute pressures. “Last-minute song requests are fine as long as they fit our sound palette, but last-minute gig enquiries are tough. December dates get blocked way in advance, and it’s hard to say no when the demand is this high,” Wriddhaayan adds.


It’s a dream for any band to have a busy calendar. You earn more through your art during this season. What more can we ask for?
– Wriddhaayan Bhattacharya


Helping people celebrate is
our celebration too. Seeing their faces
glow with
joy is the
biggest satisfaction
– Andrew Chater

The songs that keep returning

• Fly Me to the Moon
• Have Yourself a
• Merry Little Christmas
• White Christmas
• Let It Snow
• Last Christmas
• Hotel California
• Summer of ’69

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