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    • Solo debut with Diljit Dosanjh
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    Solo debut with Diljit Dosanjh

    Harry Posted on

    I went to the concert alone due to a series of events that were not supposed to take me to Diljit Dosanjh’s iconic Dil-Luminati show in Delhi. The evening of the show, my cousins ​​told me they had a spare ticket, but it wasn’t in the same booth as them. Actually, I would go to the concert alone. I hesitated a bit – a high-energy concert like Diljit’s needs a group vibe – and gave in. What was the worst thing that could happen? I would get bored and leave. So I swapped my heels for a pair of borrowed sneakers, hopped in the car, and bid them farewell at gate 14 of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

    I found a place for myself and started waiting for the concert to start as a soloist when suddenly a friendly girl named Kritika said ‘hello’ and asked if I was alone. I nodded. He promised that he and his group of friends would stay with me all evening. I thought it was just a temporary drunken joke, but they looked fun so I joined in.

    Now I’m a bit of an environmentalist; I’m not so introverted that I can’t get through life without chatting with people, nor am I so extroverted that I can strike up a conversation with a stranger. If Kritika hadn’t talked to me, I would never have invited myself to their group. I was hoping to see familiar faces and run into friends, but instead I found myself joyfully dancing with a group of strangers (my knees still hurt!). Our group continued to grow with more Diljit enthusiasts joining and giving incredible performances. Bhangra moves.

    Star concerts have such an energy; It’s a huge dance party and everyone is invited. There were people making costumes with Diljit’s signature black kurta and turban; most of them were wearing Diljit t-shirts. Bringing his Punjabi enthusiasm to the stage, Diljit’s energy is even more contagious. He opened with the following slogan:Punjabi aa gaye apna desh oyeHe continued to perform new songs such as ” nainalike crowd favorites Dear And GOAT and like his old hits laembadginiand Delhiites were in no mood to end the night. It was my first time attending a concert of this scale by an Indian artist and it was exciting.

    At the DIljit Dosanjh concert in Delhi.

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    At the DIljit Dosanjh concert in Delhi. (Suneera Tandon)

    Many people like me (mid-30s and post-covid) have realized that life is temporary. It created a desire to choose and own every experience. This is why we have revenge on travel and why more Indians are paying a premium and traveling further afield (Coldplay queues?) to experience comedy shows, concerts and performances. It feeds our curiosity, gives us something to look forward to, it’s a kind of social currency. For someone like me, this is nothing more than allowing me to enjoy things that were once beyond my reach.

    This means I’m now more comfortable traveling alone, making friends along the way, and opening myself up to experiences that may seem strange and risk having them lead to extraordinary results. It’s like meeting a 19-year-old Chinese student who saw me drinking alone at a bar in Baku this August. Again, I wasn’t supposed to be there. My friend I was traveling with had decided to meet at 22:00 at night, but I was curious about Baku’s nightlife.

    Saturday was the best time to explore the local music scene in Nizami district. I stumbled upon Rumors, a small club with a large window showing a bright disco ball hanging from the neon ceiling and a female DJ. I went in, grabbed a beer, and tried to enjoy the music, feeling a little lost and alone.

    That’s when the young man approached me and invited me to join him and his friend Maureen. It turned out they were strangers too, each exploring the city’s nightlife alone. They were meeting at the bar and chatting. Over the next hour we shared stories about our lives, past solo travels, upcoming trips, and tips on things to do around Baku. It was perfect and I realized that sometimes strangers really are your best friends and saviors, even if just for a brief moment. My inability to stand in a corner and drink a beer alone paid off; My urge to put aside my reluctance and socialize with complete strangers also came in handy.

    The author turned from strangers to friends in a bar in Baku, Azerbaijan.

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    The author turned from strangers to friends in a bar in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Suneera Tandon)

    This was a lesson I learned again at the concert in Delhi. Diljit was not scheduled to perform in Delhi on October 27. The original show was on October 26, but due to popular fan demand, an extra performance was added on Sunday. Technically neither of us were supposed to be there, but luck brought us together. As I walked out among a sea of ​​people delighted with the performance, it felt like a personal triumph to go out alone into a world that thought we should all come together and be connected.

    Harry
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