Pune has always had an ear for music and has resonated with performances of the biggest names in Indian music. But in the recent past, the city has warmed up to some big ticket concerts by the biggest international names one can imagine.

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The city is increasingly featuring on the must-perform list of cities for any artiste creating a buzz internationally. Take for instance the recent events in Pune’s music calendar—from Brett Lee’s White Shoe Theory to Sean Kingston’s performance to Outlandish —the multi-award winning hip-hop group to Jazz artiste Diane Witherspoon’s concert, they all are making a mark in the city.

More recently, singer Bryan Adam’s concert was announced too.Gone are the days when one had to go to Mumbai especially to attend these concerts. Koco, a member of the band Agnee, feels that even as Pune is growing, the world is becoming a smaller place. But more importantly, India is emerging as a potential market for music. “Earlier it was mostly Japan and China where International artistes used to perform, but now our city has gained a position on the world tour map. It’s great to know that international artistes like Brett Lee and now Bryan Adams will be performing in the city,” says Koco.

In addition, Koco opines that Pune has always been a student city and these days youngsters listen to musicians from all over the world. “The experience of attending a live performance is completely different as compared to listening to a CD. And Pune audiences always come out in large numbers for concerts,” smiles the rock artiste.

Lead singer of the band Soul String, Pragnya Wakhlu, who left a lucrative career in IT to follow her heart for music says, “I think Pune has a young crowd and after Bangaluru and Mumbai, it is a top city for these international bands to perform. Youngsters here are quite excited about these gigs and take part in huge numbers which encourages the performers. There are bands like Agnee and Silver which are Pune’s creations, so it shows that our city is very active on the music circle. The event companies realise that the turnout is good and it gives an opportunity to attend an international act. Having international bands in Pune is a great thing,” says Wakhlu.

Rishi Rai, the bassist of the band Silver who also played at the Asian Beat in 2008 feels that Pune has people from all parts of the world. “It is open to all kind of musicians and the audience plays the most important role for any performer. The taxes are also less in Pune as compared to other metro cities, which makes it their most preferred destination. Apart from that, the adrenalin rush of the young and vibrant crowd invites these bands to perform in Pune,” adds Rishi.

Vishal Gore from Dream Theatre Entertainment, who is also one of the partners of Area 51 keeps hosting these kinds of shows in the city. “Whenever any band approaches us, we see how renowned they are and what kind of music they play. I think the city is growing and the number of venues hosting these shows are also rising. Pune has a lot of students and the young blood enjoys these performances in huge numbers. Cost angle is also less as compared to other cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru,” adds Gore, who feels performances by Indian Ocean and Petri Dish project—reputed live electronic band were some of the best performances in the city.Musicians are also judged according to their popularity and calibre by organisers who then bring them to the city. Amit Keswani, VP (sales & marketing and merchandise) of JSM Corp Pvt Ltd says, “Pune youngsters are aware of famous bands from across the world, which in turn help the musicians to perform here as they get a good response. As far as sponsorships are concerned, it is pretty much the same as compared to the other big metros.”