Libel threat stopped Metallica from pulling at Gurgaon

Ameen Khan l BANGALORE
The Metal Gods did baptise Bangalore on Sunday following the Gurgaon fiasco that ended on a depressing note for the many Metallica fans in Delhi, but not before giving the organisers in Bangalore the jitters.

Disappointed by the cancellation of the concert in Delhi, ardent fans chose to fly to Bangalore to witness the Metallica magic. Result? A packed house of over 35,000 plus people that could boast of 30% crowd from different parts of India and abroad.
But what most of these anxious fans did not know was that a night prior to the concert, in a hasty decision, the band had refused to perform. During the course of time when the outstationed fans were eagerly awaiting the band’s performance, the chances of its maiden performance in India were close to zero — a decision made by the band managers and the Metal Gods themselves.

‘We won’t perform’ The band had refused to perform, causing the organisers, who were already in a soup after the concert being cancelled at Delhi, to break into a sweat.

A source close to DNA Networks— the company that organised the concert—revealed: “The band managers informed the organisers late on Saturday evening that the band does not want to perform in Bangalore as they found the security arrangements inadequate.”

It took the MD of DNA Networks to pacify the band as repeated attempts made by the other officials failed.

The organisers had arranged for a press conference on Sunday afternoon, which had to be called off as negotiations between DNA Networks and the band members was a stormy affair.
“The band was not willing to budge even after the organisers assured them that 1,000 policemen were to be deployed at the venue while the band performed. The organisers finally had to resort to some arm-twisting,” our source confirmed.

“They told them that they would be forced to file a lawsuit against the band if they cancelled the show. This is when they relented, but with a rider. They refused to attend the media interaction scheduled for 3pm on Sunday afternoon,” the source added.

Nevertheless, the organisers and the band put on a great show in Bangalore on Sunday, enthralling the legion of fans. It will always be remembered as the day the Metal Gods to descend upon the Indian soil for the first time. 

m_ameen@dnaindia.net