Marginalized by law, alcohol companies have found a good match in India’s metal music scene. The Guardian reports on the supporting role of big liquor brands at Bangalore’s metal concerts with “surrogate advertising,” another term for subsidized tickets. Since 1995, ads promoting alcohol have been banned across India’s print and broadcast media forcing companies to reach audiences with alternative methods. Concurrent to the ban, Indian IT companies sprang up attracting a young workforce, which “brought with it much of the college culture of rock bands and music, and a thriving subculture began taking shape in Bangalore’s many pubs and clubs.” Eventually, liquor brands took notice and created an alliance boosting both alcohol consumption and interest in the alternative music genre. As Indian metal finally reaches a global audience, alcohol companies can take credit for nurturing a nascent scene. [The Guardian]