It was on November 20 last year that AntiSocial — a live music venue at Lower Parel — opened its doors to the public again for the first time after the lockdown. We had been there to witness Chennai alt-rockers The F16s bring the house down. But a curious thing happened after that. The venue shifted its focus almost entirely to DJs and electronic music producers. You can literally use one hand to count the number of live bands that have played there since. Why is that? Is it simply because calling a DJ to play a set is less of a hassle than inviting a full band? Or is it also because an early deadline means that investing in a gig by a five-piece act doesn’t make economic sense for the establishment, because ticket prices would be higher and the audience might be put off paying, say, '500 for less than an hour of music?  

It’s both of those reasons, and more. The Yellow Diary is a five-piece rock act that will take the stage at AntiSocial this evening as part of the Madness Jam gig series. Stuart DaCosta, its bassist, explains that bands need to be in a room together to rehearse for a gig, and that can still be difficult since the pandemic isn’t yet over. “Also [if it’s an outstation act] more people need to be flown down in a plane, which is less logical than bringing a DJ down given the situation we are in right now,” he adds.