MTV India’s talent hunt The Next Big Thing hits the Gulf

The Next Big Thing may be an Indian talent contest, but its search goes well beyond the country’s borders. This weekend auditions open in the UAE for the MTV India event, kicking off a month-long regional musical talent search. More than 90 would-be rock, Sufi and Bollywood stars are expected to apply online for the chance to compete, with the best invited to make their case stuff at Dubai’s The Music Room on Saturday. From these live auditions, finalists will be selected to battle it out onstage, during four gigs starting next month, for the chance to win a record and video session produced by the hit TV channel.

Meet the judge

Sitting in the judge’s seat will be Bollywood rocker Luke Kenny. Also known for his star turn in the 2008 hit movie Rock On!, Kenny says a contestant’s success will depend as much on passion as technique.

“People try to break it down by saying, ‘best guitarist, best drummer and best singer’, but for me they’ve got to come across as a band in totality, a whole and unique musical package,” he says.

“The test for me is, as an audience member, would I want to see them again? A lot of people can practice all day, but at the end of the day, technique can only take you so far — it’s what you do with that technique, how you approach the audience and the songs.”

Original article by Rob Garratt

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MTV India’s talent hunt The Next Big Thing hits the Gulf