Chapter 01

It was that time of the year again. When media’s extravaganza is at it’s best (and worst) and when people are actually treated like circus animals. If there was any actual version of hunger games, it would be this, ‘Rookie band of the year’, the most awaited reality show in South Korea. You may ask, what was so bad about a singing reality show? There were, after all, plenty of them on each channel. Not only is this scouted by top entertainment agencies-SM, YG, JYP, FNC-you name it, but winning it was like a shortcut to fame and success. The winning band would not only get the choice to pick their label which would launch them, they can write their own songs, compose their own songs, direct their own videos and also bypass the usual training period that trainees from these agencies have to undergo before debuting. So no wonder, thousands of bands turned up for the auditions from where only twenty were handpicked by the judges. Though the first episode with the selected 20 is yet to be aired, many of the groups have already gathered their own followers and supporters.

Though it was my second year working as the stylist for ‘Rookie Band of the Year’ I still could not get used to the hubbub and hustle of people backstage who always seemed to be busy. Maybe it was because today was the first day the crew meets their bands. Each band will have their own crew-Stylist, choreographer, video editor: you get it, until they get eliminated from the show.