Ep..4 Pradeep Kumar - Swami and friends (P-1)

Join us on Episode 4 of "Stage Matters" as host Aravind Murali sits down with the phenomenal Pradeep Kumar – a name that resonates with soulful vocals, exceptional musicality, and captivating live presence. Far more than a singer, Pradeep is a multi-award-winning artist, a band leader, a prolific composer, and a producer whose musical fingerprint is felt across the globe.
In this deeply insightful first part of our conversation, Pradeep delves into his lifelong relationship with the stage. He traces his journey from his earliest days learning Carnatic classical music, revealing why for him, "music equals performance," viewing it as a continuous, evolving process of self-refinement. He shares captivating anecdotes from his formative years, where the unique expressions of everyday people – like being utterly captivated by an Nadaswaram player for three hours in a temple – profoundly shaped his artistic spirit more than any grand concert.
Dive into this episode to discover:

• The Evolution of Authenticity: Pradeep shares how his performance philosophy has matured from technical mastery to a profound quest for truthful and genuine self-expression on stage, even embracing his own confusions as part of his authentic artistic voice.
• The Unseen Rituals: Get an exclusive look at Pradeep's unique pre-show preparations with his band Oorka, where camaraderie and the seemingly simple act of "drinking tea" become a vital part of the creative "jam."
• A Living Connection: Explore his almost spiritual bond with his instruments, which he views not as mere tools, but as living entities that actively contribute to his creative flow.
• Embracing Spontaneity & Risk: Learn about Pradeep's love for improvisation and calculated risks in live performance, including his bold choice to debut unreleased songs at major commercial concerts, turning a show into an "emotional treasure hunt" for the audience.
• Beyond the Click Track: Understand his dynamic relationship with the audience, viewing them as active collaborators whose reactions directly shape the live experience, leading to his recent decision to shed the confines of the click track for greater freedom and responsiveness.

Tune in as Pradeep Kumar, with his characteristic blend of humility and profound insight, invites us into his world, revealing why for him, the stage is a sacred space for honest, evolving artistry.

 Generate Audio Overview 

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:45 Pradeep intro
• 1:31 Importance of performance
• 5:16 Evolution of understanding of performance over career
• 9:12 Relationship with gear
• 14:21 Does identity or personal history inform performance
• 19:40 Spirituality in performance
• 23:41 Improvisation
• 29:10 Risks in performance
• 38:33 hating the click track
• 46:53 expectation from organisers

Transcript

Today's guest has commanded stages and enchanted audiences worldwide. With his soulful voice and exceptional musicality, he has performed for massive crowds across the globe. He is not just a singer, he is a multiple award-winning artist, a band leader, a composer and a producer. 

A true master of performance, we are honoured to welcome the one and only Pradeep Kumar. Hi Pradeep, thank you for talking to us. Thank you, thank you. 

So good to see you. You too, long time, long time. Now we are in the virtual world. 

Yes. So you wear so many hats. You are like an acclaimed singer, music composer, band leader, producer, film producer. 

Where does performance fit into all this? How important is it for you? Yeah, I think from a very young age, I've been a performer. I've always, I learned Carnatic classical music from my Amma. That's how I started my musical journey. 

But I think when I was nine years old, my parents thought I should get serious about music and my guru, J. Venkatraman, I started learning music from him. And since then, you know, it's been, for me, music as an experience is only performance. It's always been, you know, training myself for performing. 

So for me, music equals performance. That's the only, because I've been, I feel like I've been training myself to become a better performer every day. That's how I feel when I'm in music. 

Yeah. Can you describe a pivotal performance that you witnessed in your formative years, which made you think, aha, this is what I want to do? I've heard, I'm from Trichy. So in Trichy, we don't have that much exposure to other forms of music. 

Mostly it is Carnatic concerts that I get to see. And I think I have seen, I wouldn't say, when I was very young, I was attracted by a single performance that just, you know, wanted me to be on stage or I didn't have any one pivotal event or one, say, a turning point. I never had one like that, but I have witnessed a lot of great performances, you know, as musicians, as, you know, like some people performing on the streets. 

And I was also part of like some churches there. My friends, I used to go to churches and I used to love some people singing in churches. And there have been many moments when I was very young, where, where this, the way different people express their uniqueness, you know, through art, that has always intrigued me when I was young. 

And that's, that's why I felt, I will, you know, I felt I will definitely have something to express 

through my performance, that that has always been there. But I have never had, let's say, like, some people really have that kind of an experience, right? They see some great artists at a very young age, they see them on stage, and they get inspired and they want to be there. But I have never had such an experience. 

But like I said, I have seen simple people, very people that are unknown completely to the world. Like, for example, when I was 12 or 13 years old, I have, I was lost in a temple, where my parents were all taking rest in one corner. And I was listening to an Adaswaram player, just relaxing. 

And he's, you know, after lunch, he's just playing. I was listening to him for three years, three hours, that whole evening. So I have had experiences like that very intimate experiences of performances, which is, which is imprinted in my mind forever. 

Yeah, that's wonderful. How was your understanding of performance evolved over your career? When you started, what was it? And now what is it? So like I said, I feel I've been training myself to become a better performer every day. And every day. 

And I can actually feel it, you know, from a very young age, because I've been singing and I've taken up new instruments to play. And every time it's, there is a ladder to climb, right? So to play a song, at least, so you to get to a place. So I really enjoy the process of exploring new things. 

And I think performance, as a performer, I think I wouldn't say I'm getting better. I wouldn't say there is a scale to measure it or something like that. But I think you become more aware of yourself as an artist. 

That's what I'm getting to feel, you know, with maybe it's because of the age also. You're not that old. No, but we are ageing. 

And I think we have a sense of awareness now. I have a sense of awareness now, where I really want to say truthfully what I feel. I really want to express genuinely what I feel through my art. 

Before, as a performer, it would be I can train myself to do, you know, somebody else's work. We are interpreters. So I love to be an interpreter also. 

Of course, I love to sing the songs that I really like that have that I have learned through years. And I think I will have thousands of songs in my head, in memory, which I can bring back and always perform. But when it comes to a performance, like you said, if I may call it an evolution, I feel right now I feel I should express truthfully, honestly from my heart. 

I'm really confused about all of these things. And even if there is confusion, I want to express that, you know, through my art, through my music to the people. That's how I see my awareness has evolved as a performer. 

Can you take us through your preparation process? Suppose you have a show coming up today or tomorrow, you have some kind of a set routine or a ritual that you follow? Yeah, I, with the bands that I play, you know, with, with Oorka, I play bass guitar. So obviously, you know, when we started out in 2015, we were all you know, we didn't have much of, you know, life, what do you call it? Responsibilities. I don't even know that word. 

So now we have a lot of life responsibilities. So now our routine is to at least meet 10 days before a gig and start practising. So our practise is, we start as a free jam, we just play our heart out. 

And then we start practising the songs, we get used to the instruments and, you know, be in the zone. That's what we try to do. But apart from that, I think as musicians, I am always thinking about music, most of the time, at least. 

Or at least, whatever I'm observing in the world, I'm trying to put it into my heart. Into a musical. Yeah, whatever it is. 

So it's constantly working. I will always notice this about you. What is your relationship with gear and equipment? It's very expensive. 

Is it precious to you, what you play? Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. All the instruments I have got from my young age, I have treasured it. And wherever I go, wherever I meet friends or people who have instruments, and if it's not maintained well, I get, I take that instrument, wipe it and maybe change strings or whatever. 

So I really have a very strong, I think, I mean, many people have said this, we are also instruments. Obviously, every instrument that I've got has given me something. And I feel indebted to it. 

I feel they are all living things. We actually have names for all our guitars. So we are very emotionally attached to all our instruments, absolutely, yeah. 

As part of your process, let alone rehearsals and practise, are there some other things, like stuff that you eat, stuff that you, how do you like to take rest? Mainly because of jam, our main jam will be over in our mind when we all meet, when we all see each other, it's already over there. So after that, whatever we do is just having fun. So we meet, we go to some shop, tea, tea. 

So drinking tea is an important activity. Very important. Yeah, so drinking tea is the main jam. 

Sometimes we have skipped playing and we only had like, go to a tea shop, have tea, discuss and then like, okay machan, jam is over, I played well. So I think it's always the feeling of getting together and making music. That's what I have always loved. 

And with, when I was a performer in Carnatic music, even then we used to meet, some musicians we meet, every day, several hours of practise will go on, we'll be singing, we'll be 

jamming. So now, I'm in this scene where I'm playing western instruments, not from what I learned, but still I have, you know, my people who can speak my language Tamil and we all hang out, we are all friends, you know, the feeling of being together and creating music is really secondary to us. Whatever setup we have, it feels like we are all friends, we are meeting and having fun and also making music. 

That's the scene. So I've noticed this from my experience that there is a significant gap between what I practise and what I can execute on stage. I can never, okay the gap is narrowing, but there is a gap. 

What is it for you? How does it work for you? Is it like? Yeah, I think, as I said earlier, it's an evolution. I think as a performer you keep evolving and more you become aware, when we, when I say aware, it is the awareness of yourself when you're on stage. So, I think that keeps improving from performing, you know, it keeps improving with a lot of performances that you do. 

Every stage gives you a different experience. You know, I've never imagined there would be a show where some riot started in between my concert. I never expected it and I was the only person who could control it because I felt really powerful and weak at the same time. 

So, these experiences give you, you know, I had to, like, stop the performance and I had to, like, tell them to calm down and then everything went better. But, so these things, you learn things that you never expect, you know, when you're on stage. I think those things help you get better at performance also, I feel. 

Like, to put it very simply, when you learn a new instrument, they say you have to do blindfold practise. So, you should be able to play that instrument without even looking at it. So, that really helps when you're on stage. 

So, I practise those things sometimes. I don't blindfold, but I try to not look at the instrument as much as possible while playing. These are simple things that, techniques that you can follow, but I think every stage teaches you something different, something unique, which adds up to your experience. 

So, you were talking about, like, personal, like, awareness. So, does your identity or your personal history inform your performance in any way? Yeah, like, we all know it's there, right? You are born with it and it's always there when, especially when you become a writer, when you want to write stuff. All of these things come into play. 

You cannot avoid it. Your identity as a person, I think, I really like, I would like to quote this amazing musician, Labi Sifre. So, I've been listening to his music recently and he's an amazing songwriter. 

And one of the beautiful things he says that, you know, there is, you know, there's too much identity in music, which he hates. You know, he feels it should be an expression. It should be an 

honest expression of somebody's feelings. 

And it need not even be a specific feeling that can be put into words. You know, that's what music does to you, right? It transcends language, it transcends feelings, emotions. It's beyond that, that you cannot explain in words. 

And it would be stupid for us to keep saying that it is not possible. It is not. But music does that to us. 

So, I feel I love to, you know, stay in that zone where identity doesn't matter, shouldn't matter to me when it comes to creation of music. I love to dive into different cultures. I like to learn different cultural... I don't like to look at different genres of music, you know. 

I don't like to even call it as genres or styles. So, it all comes from a culture, it all comes from a language, it comes from a land. So, I love to learn new things like that. 

So that I don't, you know, think that this is, this identity of mine is the superior one or this is, I'm an underdog. I have to, you know, climb this ladder to, you know, get to a point where. But like I said, identity is something that cannot be avoided, right? That because of that, there are social implications, there are things that we physically face in this world, in this political scenario, in this... In Tamil Nadu itself, we have so many things. 

From politics based on identity to livelihood, identity is determining everything. So, we cannot avoid it. But in art, I feel art is also a powerful tool, right? People are using, everybody is using art to, you know, get their stuff out, right? Religion uses art. 

Politics uses art. And we can do that as well, right? We can be political through our music. And I really love, you know, freedom music, right? That's where you find, you know, for, like, Jayashankar and I, we've spent so much time listening to blues. 

Okay, yeah. And then I was part of an exchange programme in US where I learned about blues and how it came about. So, art is really powerful. 

It's a really powerful tool. And I don't like to manipulate people's emotion through my art. That's one thing I tell myself. 

I don't want to... Like, for example, if I want to make you cry, I can. I can, right? That can be done. Music has that magic to... I can kindle all your deep, dark emotions or whatever. 

I can get your nostalgic emotions. It's all there. It's all... I feel in Tamil, it's called sithuvela. 

So, you can do all of that magic and whatever, but we are not in music for that. I am not in music for that. And people are not listening to music for that. 

They... Of course, people need a release. They need entertainment. Music gives you all of that. 

But I think our duty as an artist or my duty as an artist, I take it, I have to take them beyond that. I have to pull them beyond this. Stop crying. 

You know, stop judging. Stop. You know, they have to get beyond a point. 

For that, I have to, you know, get... I have to move ahead, right? I have to move ahead from who I am. I cannot be believing that this is me. So, I like to be fluid. 

I like to be with people. I like to learn a lot of stuff. In that journey, whatever comes is my music. 

Actually, that's always been my music. Yeah. So, the skill and technique is given. 

Like anyone who's performing at a level has it in abundance. But is there something beyond that, like something more in the spiritual realm, so to speak, in a performance? Do you feel that there is something or it is just a means of communication? Yeah. I feel this spiritual conversations is always there. 

Like many artists believe, you know, art even exists for a spiritual heightenment or enlightenment or whatever you call it. And there's the other spectrum also who believe that it's totally divorced from it. Correct. 

Correct. Yeah. I think I cannot take a stance as an artist for this because I have been in the spiritual zone. 

I mean, again, it is different for everyone, right? So, when I was working on Arunagiri Perumal, when I was... So, I was intrigued by this saint who lived 600 years ago. He was, you know, a troubadour. He was just walking all his life writing music. 

That was one thing intrigued me. You know, it wasn't the songs that he wrote about Muruga or songs that... The whole question starts there for me, you know. Such beautiful poetry, such beautiful expression in art that comes from just being, you know, just walking and just this insane devotion that he had, you know, for this deity or for this. 

So, that is giving you so much of precious art, right? So, I learned a lot about, you know, spirituality. I experienced a lot about spirituality and in the zone, all sides of spirituality, you know. So, my friends, they call me Swamiji. 

They tease me and call me that. They tease me and call me that. No one seriously calls me that. 

The reason for that is, I have seen it. I remember a face you used to wear for... Yeah, I used to be one of them. Not one of them, I mean, I just went around with the sadhus. 

I slept with them in Tiruvannamalai on the way to Tiruvannamalai. So, I have explored everything in that area. So, why I am saying this is, spirituality and music, it has always been one for me. 

I feel... I feel, you know, the ecstatic feeling of, you know, spirituality, the feeling of being in God, all of that, I think it really helps me to take... It is useful to take the audience from one place to a higher level. But, so basically, I don't believe in God, whatever that was taught to me. I don't believe in anything that was taught to me. 

So, that is my stance. That has been my stance for many years. Obviously, you believe in G minor. 

But, it is a spiritual experience for me. Music is, if I can call it spiritual, it is the highest place that I can go to. Very easily, I can access that place, I think. 

Very well said. So, I think we touched upon this previously about your rehearsals. What role does improvisation play in you? And how do you balance that with your planning and your rehearsals? Rehearsal stuff and improvisation? Yeah, very interesting. 

Like, how I believe music, you know, music is written for a performance. I believe a performance can, you know, exist. It cannot exist without improvisation or jamming or whatever you call it. 

You have to be in the flow to create something. And that's why I have a very close relationship with all my instruments. Because, it's not a one way thing. 

It's not like I can think of anything to play in my instrument and I can practise it step by step and get there. It's a mutual agreement that you make with the instrument that you have to play simple pieces first. And then you have to get better at the instrument. 

You have to know the instrument. Then your creativity flows with it. So, I feel improvisation has always been part of all my performances. 

And I think the most important part of creativity is spontaneity, I feel. And your spontaneity shines when you are improvising because you are not thinking there. And spontaneity actually leads to creativity, I think. 

It is the seed that you put to create something. When you can be spontaneous, when you can express anything spontaneously... We say anything, but... I have a lot of experience in Tamil. No, no, no. 

It's not true. They say what's in the pot will come out of the pot. So, what's loaded will come out of the pot. 

But the process of loading and unloading... The process that happens in the mind... I think spontaneity clears it up. Because I know lots of bands who are artists who will exactly reproduce note for note on stage. What is there on a record or what they have rehearsed. 

In fact, most of my songs... I am releasing an album very soon. I am calling it Osai Keikuthu. Is this the analogue? This is the analogue recording that I did. 

These songs I have been playing on stage for more than seven years now. So, I should have played more than 50 or 60 stages. These songs I have actually played. 

These songs have not been released. Nobody has even ever heard this song. And I play these songs on stage. 

So, I love to do these things. And these are commercial gigs where people come to listen to... Aagayanthi Pudicha, Chillanchirikkiye... So, there I play these songs. So, for me, that is my playing field. 

In the current commercial concert trend... In a concert in Singapore, I sang almost 60-70% of the songs... ...that were not released. Nobody knew about it. Which I thought were good songs to present. 

That's why I prepared with my band and I performed. Some songs they liked. We sang my famous songs. 

But they were so upset. Some people were asking me, are we like lab rats? You are putting us through these new songs that we don't know. And there was one person who gave me this expression... ...that I have never heard before in my entire performance career. 

He was saying, these new songs are like an emotional treasure hunt for us. I was intrigued by that term. Like I said, music has to take people... ...move them beyond emotions. 

That's where we are trying. And sometimes to places that they have not been before. That's what we want to do. 

But people want emotions. And they want familiar emotions. They want to feel... If you want to have affection for your son, you have to sing. 

Have affection for your son, sir! Do you have to listen to my songs to have affection for your son? Very well said. So, there are such expectations. Even then, I feel... If you are not spontaneous on stage... My teacher used to say, Aarana kanji, palan kanji. 

Kanji should be hot. Only if you drink hot kanji, it's food. Palan kanji is spoiled. So, I feel spontaneity is like that. It's hot. It just goes. 

You don't know where it's coming from and where it's going. And it should be part of every performance, I think. Wonderful. 

You just answered my next question, actually. I was going to ask you... Do you like taking risks in your performance? I do. In fact, I would say... I like taking less risk. 

I would put it the other way. I am a bit... Like Ullaganagan. I'm a bit confused.
 But, basically... As far as performance is concerned, It exists for me. For me, a stage exists. 

Because I have a responsibility there. 

I feel that every time. And I really want to give something new to the audience at that point. And that's the least risk for me. 

If you come to me with a full show... Late, safe... Yeah, it's more risky for me. That's an interesting subject. I never thought of it. 

Because I get bored very soon. There's a very famous song of mine. There's a song called Aval. I don't know why it became famous.I don't understand this, this phenomenon. So, when I go to concerts, I'll tell them right away. I'll say, Aval. 

Everyone will shout. Not now, the last song. You'll have to wait.
 Wait for it. I'll definitely sing. So, until then, learn the songs that are coming. 

Warm up your throat a bit. Only if you're ready, you can sing the last song. And then I let them sing the last song. 

So, I do take risks. So, I get bashed for doing all these things. But some people really love me for doing this. 

Because, you know, right? We've been part of Yodaka and La Pongal. So, I'm from that place. I will always be from that place where I want to explore more in music. 

I want to explore... Keep exploring music and not just... Say, I have 10 hit songs. With this, I'll drive and earn as much as I can. So, basically, this is the narrative that people give you. 

When a youngster gets into music, he wants to take music as a profession. So, what everyone advises is... He'll hit one or two songs. He'll hit it and use it. 

Earn as much as he can in a year or two. Earn in peak time. And then retire. 

Teach, etc. I ask, why the f**k should somebody do that? When you get into music, you might as well do finance or something. It's your... You have freedom to do whatever in this. 

I have seen... You are a big inspiration for me. Because I have seen you grow as a musician. When I joined Yodaka, you came in. 

We had so many different players playing for Yodaka. And you came in, you learnt your parts. You played with us. 

Whatever show, you are always up to it, right? You want to just play. And I am gifted to have friends like this. Who are always inspiring me. 

To do new things. To learn new things. When I was in the Karnataka field, When I was doing concerts, I have felt that vibe where people say, This is the greatest music. 

We can understand everything. Everything is in the notes. Everything is in the notes. 

I shouldn't have that attitude. That's why I feel I am gifted. Till date, I never follow the popular trend. 

Because the popular trend is there. There are people who look for it. People are consuming it. 

That is why it has become a popular trend. In fact, some of my songs are also in the trend. Which I don't mind. 

The song is taking its own journey. That is not me. I am not Aagayan Thirupiricha. 

I am Pradeep Kumar. In an interesting place, They introduced me as Pradeep Kumar. A Kannamma singer. 

I was surprised. A group took a photo of me. After seeing this, People asked me, He is Pradeep Kumar, Kannamma singer. 

They took photos of me for years. I got caught in a function. After a point, The guy who was introducing me, He had a sore throat. 

He was Pradeep Kumar Kannamma. He was Kannamma. After a point, I was standing somewhere else. 

Kannamma, come here. I am really gifted To have seen it From Thengamudi Kachcheri. After doing kachcheri for 2-3 hours in the temple, Iyer will offer a coconut and a fruit. 

That is remuneration. From that, We do commercial gigs. I am gifted to experience all these things. 

My favourite place right now Is to be on stage with Oorka. Because I play bass guitar. I really like playing music, Contributing something For somebody else's music. 

I am their creativity guy. I really love to be a part of it. That's what I really love to do. 

But, Sometimes, When my mind is creative, I have to get some things out. Your mind has too much creativity. Sometimes, We practise at night. 

Sometimes, the practise goes on. We eat at night and then practise. We just look at our instruments and say, Music stop! And then we all go to sleep. 

That's the only way we could go. Creativity overflow. What is your relationship with the audience? Are they passive observers? Or are they an active part of your performance? They are a really active part of my performance. 

Every performance of mine changes With different audiences. Different stages Give you a different vibe. Your whole performance changes. 

If the response is great, It's always an amazing show. Any performer will know that. We earn for it. 

Every show... It's always been good, I think. You can't expect a Chennai crowd To respond to a 

song. There's a crowd in Kerala.
 I've performed in Tirunelveli, Salem, And small towns. Erode. Hosur. 

Every place is different. Every place, How the audience responds To your music. If I keep performing The same songs I know are a hit. 

These days, people think Because they only look at Insta reels and YouTube shots Of live performances. If it's a live performance, There will be... Lights, People will scream. This is what they think of live performances. 

Ultimately, If I only create such moments, I'll never know What kind of audience they are. While you sing, You'll know how they are responding. It's like, You cook, You serve, And you can see. 

How their faces look, If the salt is right, You can see that. That's how active they are. They cook for themselves. 

Do you tailor your performance According to their feedback and reaction? I think it changes automatically. Everybody feels it. That's why I started Hating click track. 

We used to perform with click track For a few shows. The last five or six shows, We just switched it off. For some time, We had a bigger band. 

Our band size kept changing. Some shows we performed with a new orchestra. In Malaysia, we performed with A 23-piece string orchestra and a brass band. 

We needed click track for that. We had only three rehearsals. After that, We thought, no more click tracks. 

When there's no click track, You're actually in time. You don't need a truth teller To tell you that this is the time You have to be in. We felt really free. 

In the last five or six concerts, Without click track, It felt free. For your question, You were able to respond To their reaction. I'm not asking you what you like. 

I'm not cooking that and serving you. Our band had a taste. We have cooked something nice. 

We are just trying it. We are just sending it to you. You may be allergic to it. 

You may not like it. You might want a little more salt. That's the beauty of it. 

Of any art. You present it and Everybody has to feel differently. If there is a group, George Carlin says, I really like humans as individuals. 

A couple of people annoy me. When there is a group, You start sharing. That's the beauty of being in a performance. 

You are sharing an experience With so many people. But you still have your own voice in it. As a listener, You have your own taste That comes into play. 

You say that this sucks. John Anthony told me a funny story. Somebody sang Michael Jackson's Who's Bad. 

They came in front of the stage And finished the song. The audience stood up and said, You are fucking bad. They are responding. 

The way the performances are all built... Recently, I'm going to a performance. For one kilometre, They have built a ramp. I don't know for what reason. 

Most of the time, I'm playing guitar. And I'm singing in a stand mic. Why do I need a one- kilometre ramp? Everybody wants to project Live shows in a way So that they can take Drone shots. 

And put an Insta reel Or whatever shots. I keep telling the same thing. I'm kind of ticked with you on this. 

All they want is that one video clip Showing that this is a great show. I think nobody can ever Create that in one image Or one video. Even if you record the entire show And produce it and play it You will never get the experience Of people listening to it there. 

In the field with the performance. You miss completely Many dimensions of music. I think For me Performance Is the key. 

And that is what we need to groom With youngsters. I might sound like a boomer uncle Their talent is amazing. They have so much talent But they want to constantly Showcase something to the world And they don't know what the world is. 

When we started out At least we knew I will be preparing a song To perform Some imagination will have in mind. But you go to that hall That one grandpa will be sitting there With one matala putti And you know this is reality. You are performing You have prepared so much To finally sing to this one grandpa And you have to impress him. 

So now You have this social media Where you are just putting it out And there is nothing wrong in putting it out. I feel people should put out Their own stuff What they are expressing What they create. But what you expect out of it Is what is creating the problem. 

You are expecting Something from someone that you don't know And what you are expecting You don't know. What this is making it They get a judgement Of their own creation Through metrics They say this song has got So much views Because that is the only metric They have to measure How good it is or how bad it is. That will make you less of a performer. 

So When there is this urge To always try and make Your performance better I feel Let them all create songs Let them do experiments I feel they should play it live They should sing Sitting in a 

room in a box Singing, putting autotune in your voice Correcting every bit of The recordings that you do Making it perfect It is a conversation Like this Is exactly why I started this podcast If people like you tell the world It is a good message. You were talking about click track I am sure you have been in parts of shows Where you have a click track Plus the show director yelling instructions Thankfully I have never had Both At the same time How stressful is it? It is very stressful I have heard funny stories Of things going wrong In these kinds of setups In fact until now I have never carried a computer Like a laptop or a computer On stage I am not proud of it I am scared of it Because I have seen Laptops shut down Heat We do sound check in the afternoon You never get to listen to the tracks I won't be a fan Finally you listen to the tracks It sounds different For me Risk taking Should be less During a show I like to tread Dangerous territories When I am performing I love to tread But I cannot Not in technology I am very particular about it I fell once Couple of years back I broke my arm After that I have been Extra careful Every time I go to a stage I run, I jump At every point of the stage I am very... I get nervous I am very careful about all these things Because I love to have A very Personal Conversation I have a very personal conversation With the organisers In terms of The vision that they have For doing a live show I love to work with people Who really Love doing live performances And You know Everyone knows Basically In crores Money Black money White money They make films To make lakhs To do a live show That's the scene This is reality I try So, I try Not to be part of any of those Salavani Anya Salavani I try not to be a part of it Because Most of the organisations Do tours It's been two years Almost two and a half years People have been Trying to get me to US For a tour Europe for a tour I have avoided it at every point Because of this reason I am really particular about You know Like A personal conversation I like to have With them Their intention It is different And they have to make money I want them to make money Out of this venture Whatever they are doing They are getting me They are going to pay money for me They are going to pay money for the musicians They are going to pay money for tech They are going to hire a venue They have to get the money back And make a profit At least I would like to have a conversation with them Why they want to do this show And I feel it should not be A one way thing here also Because You can always say as an artist You know You pay me so much This much advance you give me I will come I will come perform I don't give a fuck whether your tickets sell Or I can Have that attitude But I don't want to And The concert scene is so fucked up That I have taken a break from it Now Because I don't want to do big shows That's what I have taken Big shows in the sense Big stadium gigs Because I found recently That whoever did these big shows They have gone into depression They have gone into The organisers They have completely lost money And some people They want to lose money And that's why they do it But some people They look at this grandeur They get fooled They put money into concerts They don't do anything They come for a movie They come for a concert They are putting in money They don't have an idea Somebody else is making money We artists We are just going Performing We will have our own fun stories But finally The scene is fucked I really had a conversation With one of my favourite organisers In Malaysia Aakar Foundation They started out Doing small gigs in Malaysia My show was the first They did for a 3000 people audience KLCC They did it in Malaysia As soon as it was announced It got sold out in 5 minutes In 2022 I think 22 or 23 That's when We did a back-to-back The next day we did a 

show When I had that conversation They had that vision Of doing it In that show We never had LED panels They did it in origami Like birds They hung it They gave a pen to everyone They have some kind of a vision That pen is actually a seed It will grow into a plant They had a vision They wanted to create An experience for the audience In Malaysia I love to find Organisers like that I want to grow with them They shouldn't be dependent On Pradeep Kumar For shows They need to have their own brand Where they can get other artists I wish I could groom Organisers around the world To get new people to perform Again getting the same famous people to perform Same things happening again and again You are not going to get new people You are not going to improve the scene You will keep complaining After a point you are not going to sell tickets That's what is happening right now Nobody is able to sell tickets Somebody give me numbers Saying I am selling They are giving most of these tickets These big shows they are doing They are giving the tickets for free Half of the tickets They are giving it for free What about the other half who bought the tickets? They don't care They just want to fill up the stadium They want that one video Drone shot Annoying drones flying Like I said I love to have More organisers with vision It's really funny You don't understand their psyche sometimes Some organisers are really good But they have There will be one guy Who will be connecting you with someone This one guy is constantly Calling me Forever I got annoyed once I am in practise What do you want? If you want to meet me you can come here All he wants is He comes to a hotel here Some reception He wants to meet me Take one photograph This is his requirement There are some silly things That they want to do Then I am looking at his Insta profile He has taken pictures With everyone He wants that That is his only thing He wants to do a live show For that Can you imagine? It's weird I am fortunate enough To have seen from Tengamudi Kacheris to this It's really funny To see how Different organisers Have different kinds of fetishes That's very well said But I am not We need people with money We want the live Scene to grow You have to create a market for it If you have to create a market for it You need to look for Avenues Where do you sell this? The only place live scenes Can sell is venues Where are venues in Chennai? There are no venues You are finding venues In Chennai We need to find people Who ask these questions Who start building these things You can improve When people say It's all going to the dogs I wouldn't believe that There is a generation Waiting To give their Best to the people They are there to Kill Our generation So much talent is there We have to give them space Tell me three or four Good jam rooms in Chennai I can name two or three Lots of them are popping up Where you are right now It has become a jam room In the last month Now I have started something like that I just want to take baby steps I have told myself I want to jam everyday I need a jam room Now we have this space Whoever comes I want to create Spaces where musicians can meet And play music We used to do that So often I think that's how I want to look at organisers Of course I have worked With all kinds of organisers I am not denying that But I try to be really careful When it comes to Commercial gigs Especially these Foreign tours These guys are doing It's very dicey As soon as I have a call With the organiser I feel I shouldn't do the show That's the vibe you get I want to talk about stage appearance And persona Some artists are totally different offstage They are a different beast on stage Some people are exactly What they are offstage What is your opinion What do you feel you are? Do you like to Specially dress up for the performance? I like to Dress up for the performance For 

every performance But it will be different What about personality? Do you project a different personality? I think my music Tells that sometimes For me I really Like to perform Songs that I have written Because It's from my heart I have written it I have a certain Story attached to it I have Some musical Nostalgic moment That happened during creation Something special About every song That I am performing I think that special thing Comes out Through my performance Through my speech That is one song I wrote When we are with friends We have seen this Conversation starts Two people start conversing Then two more speak There will be a fight Then another If I have to Get everybody's attention I wrote a song I wrote a song called A How I express it on stage In a show I started singing Then the audience was like Then I was like, sing! I have seen many people For example, Janu If you see Janu Our guitarist When he practises in a jam He plays differently But when he is on stage He becomes completely different I have actually seen him at Scratt