Go it alone: Solo performances gives a different high

With many musicians performing solo gigs, one-man shows are slowly becoming the “in” thing in Hyderabad. With a single member cast, one instrument and an affordable budget, many artistes are choosing to go solo. But how easy is it performing alone?

Shiv Menon, a 27-year-old solo performer from Hyderabad, who has performed more than 1,000 shows in the city, says that performing solo can get pretty strenuous, as the audience expects a lot from you.

“Sometimes people get entertained easily, sometimes it gets very tricky. You have to put in that extra effort to keep the performance lively. But, performing solo has its own charm and it is a very liberating experience,” says Shiv, who has been performing at venues across the city.

In all musical genres, solo performance is the most spectacular experience for a performer. Why? Because as a solo performer, you get “all the attention” from the audience, which doesn’t happen when you are performing in a band. Also, you tend to get more recognition. Most solo performers use a single instrument or at the most two.

Shiv adds, “While I sing, I play the guitar and I also create a drumming sound with the guitar, which adds to the performance. I also play the harmonica. I also perform live looping — the art of recording layers upon layers live in front of an audience to create an entire performance. It takes skill to master the art.”

Shiv adds that his friends have helped him a lot in his five-year journey of solo performing. “They jot down what goes wrong in my performances and let me know. That has helped a lot. And more than anything, I like it when people say ‘You suck,’ more than ‘You are amazing.’ It helps me improve,” he adds.

Pranati Khanna, a 24-year-old graphic designer-cum-singer, says that solo performing mostly depends on the audience. “Sometimes they’re nice, sometimes not. But you must not let that affect your performance. People send me cue-notes appreciating my performance sometimes; that’s the best part, it gives me a sense of satisfaction,” she says.

Arpit Chourey, who plays the guitar, mouth organ and ukulele, has been performing as a solo musician in the city for around three years.

He says, “I have been writing and composing folk and indie rock songs. I like simplicity and minimalism in music. The rawness and natural feel an acoustic instrument gives is something you cannot get when you are programming the music. I relate and connect with that kind of sound/music well. Hence playing as a solo musician interests me.”