Managing that music talent

CHENNAI: Each time we go to watch a band perform, we’re mentally dreading the irritatingly long sound checks or the arbitrary delays. The problem is that nobody has really talked about these issues out in the open, says musician and actor Freddy Koikaran, promising that this is exactly the sort of thing his two-month-old talent management company, Stagefright Talent Management Services, will deal with. Koikaran has over 30 years of experience in the music and theatre industry through his production house The Stagefright Production. “There are so many bands cropping up suddenly and they’re not managed the best way that they could be,” he begins, and goes on that since talent management is not an industry per se in Chennai yet, he is currently doing more than what is usually expected of a manager. “I’m not only managing them, but also promoting them,” he says. What Koikaran is trying to do with this project is to help bands look “more professional”. Right now, the sole aim of most bands here is just to land more gigs, but that apart, there are more things that they need to think about, according to him. “I try to help them think about image management, their approach on stage, ways to be more reachable and of course, get more gigs,” he explains. One important lesson that he hopes to impart is definitely to not take audiences for granted. This is why everything right from what band members are wearing to how they enter and exit the stage are vital things that he’ll be working with, he points out. The company currently represents two city bands – Tails on Fire (Alternative rock) and Incarcerated (Blues rock), apart from the city’s only all-girls dance ensemble, High Kicks. But Koikaran says he is open to represent more bands, but only as long as he believes in their work.