Metalheads go mad booking tickets

It’s ringing heavy metal in the city. Even though there’s exactly a month before American band, Metallica, performs in town, the tickets are almost sold out, merchandise is fast disappearing and clubs already have special nights booked out.

It’s ringing heavy metal in the city. Even though there’s exactly a month before American band, Metallica, performs in town, the tickets are almost sold out, merchandise is fast disappearing and clubs already have special nights booked out. The show, F1 Rocks, to be held at Leisure Valley in Gurgaon on October 28, is the American band’s first ever gig in India.

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"Seventy per cent of the Rs 2750 tickets are sold out,’’ says Karuna Prithvi of DNA networks, the organisers of the concert, who are selling the tickets online at Ticketgenie.com. "We’ve seen a 40% increase in sales of our Metallica tees ever since the concert dates have been announced," says Manoj Vijayakumar of xtees.com, an online T-shirt retailer.



"We have updated our Metallica CD stocks as more and more people are buying them now,’’ says Ranjan Kumar of Planet M.



Clubs have also sprang into action. "We are planning a Metallica-style gig night to celebrate the band’s Indian debut," says Priyank Sukhija of Zook, a club in Saket. "We’re doing a special evening to prepare Delhi for Metallica," says Akshay Anand of One Boulevard.



Delhi bands are also under the effect, with around 300 fighting for the coveted opening act. "Bands need to upload their videos online, and the winner will open the concert. Around 300 bands have already registered till now," says a source from MTV, which is organising the contest along with Talenthouse India. "We had booked our tickets on the first day itself. This is a dream come true, how can we miss it?" says Rohan Solomon of Cyanide, a city-based rock band.



Students have also been saving up for the event. "I had been saving for this since months, and I’ve finally bought my tickets. So has the rest of my gang," says Deepak Chennakadan, 18.