Music concerts are meant to signify a space where people come together for the love of music. However, in an increasingly misogynist world, the lewd behaviour seen at concerts can be troublesome and downright horrific. A case in point was a recent gig in Karachi which featured in its playing line-up artists such as Abida Parveen, Atif Aslam and Asim Azhar. But this night of music, according to multiple reports on social media,
Music concerts are meant to signify a space where people come together for the love of music. However, in an increasingly misogynist world, the lewd behaviour seen at concerts can be troublesome and downright horrific. A case in point was a recent gig in Karachi which featured in its playing line-up artists such as Abida Parveen, Atif Aslam and Asim Azhar. But this night of music, according to multiple reports on social media, was a thoroughly mismanaged affair. Forget the fact that it was yet another showcase of tardiness but even worse, there were several reports of molestation suffered by women across the board. The atmosphere was so toxic and brutal that Atif Aslam stopped midway and asked for women in the audience to be rescued, more than once. Obviously, this kind of behaviour towards women is often the reason why many public events are embracing the policy of not allowing single men.
Speaking to Instep from Dubai, Atif Aslam stated on the matter. “I saw this girl screaming and I had to stop and have her rescued. Had there been someone else in my place, he probably would’ve done the same as she was shouting for help,” said Aslam, who is being hailed by many, for doing the right thing and stopping. “I guess the event organisers play a big role here. Clients involve event management names but half the event managers don’t know a thing. The clients pay so it’s not their fault.”
Recounting another concert Atif Aslam played in Dubai recently where the turnout was enormous, Aslam told Instep: “The gig in Global village also saw rowdy behaviour. I was told that the turnout was the largest this venue had ever seen. I sang softer tracks to calm down the audience but that show was managed better.”
Moving away from this eerie incident, Aslam, who is making news for his new song, ‘Pehli Dafa‘ is looking to the future and has interesting ideas in his head. In 2017, Aslam is returning to his musical roots, to the sound that endeared him to fans more than a decade ago.
“I will be making music that I want to make, not what sells. The aim is not to make money but return to that old-school Atif Aslam sound that people miss,” concluded Aslam. Whether the release is in the form of singles or a cohesive album - time will tell.
—Maheen Sabeeh
