On the 11th of December, tickets for Ed Sheeran went on live, a day after an epic Bryan Adams concert in J N Stadium, Shillong. Within 30 minutes, the show went sold out. The enthusiasm for the singer was evident among the fans but many believe that the same show if hosted in a different region other than Shillong will never have the same zeal.
Shillong has seen some of the finest in the music business to perform. This year itself, Akon, Boney M, Europe, and Bryan Adams have already performed. The next in line is the iconic song “One Love”, not the Bollywood version by Shaan but by the 90s pop band Blue. After Blue, the fans are excited about one of the biggest pop names Ed Sheeran’s performance.
If we look at the concert history of Meghalaya, these musical acts are not a new phenomenon. During the peak of insurgency in the Northeast, Shillong was known for its music mostly the Rock and Roll style. As part of their Humanity World Tour, the German heavy metal band Scorpions performed in Shillong on December 12, 2007. Maybe the Winds of Change in the Northeast facilitated when the harmonics of Klaus Meine spread through the cold misty air of Meghalaya and the other 7 states of the Northeast.
Some of the important acts that happened in Meghalaya are Megadeth, Steven Wilson, Poets of the Fall, Steve Vai, Switchfoot, MLTR and Hoobastank. The iconic part here is the political class of Meghalaya. From Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to their Tourism Minister Paul Lyndoh, all are diehard Rock and Roll fans. Leading from the front, the CM performs the electric guitar and plays Iron Maiden like a professional guitarist. Hence, the push for the music acts comes from the top of the political hierarchy.
These Music acts are good for the revenue as the tourism industry gets boosted due to the increase of footfall in the state. This has helped Meghalaya create a differentiation from the other Northeast States as tourist has started to opt for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura these days for their travels.
Meghalaya’s marketing strategy for tourism resonates with the Iron Maiden song, Run To The Hills to remove the Fear Of The Dark.
