The weary traveller comes back to a beloved city 13 years later, sits in her favourite old bar and takes in the familiar air. Sounds like the beginning of a story? Not any more. Life is moving much faster than we imagined. And turn of the century seems a far away time.

Jane Richards, a 40-year-old British national, has returned to Bangalore to find it completely transformed — the laid-back retirement hub has caught up with the fast lanes of modern life. However, the change that has shaken this beer-lover the most is the turnaround in the pub culture. “There are so many new ones that have popped up, the crowd seems lot different, the ambiance has evolved radically and Pink Floyd has to share the room with Black Eyed Peas,” she says.

Not so long ago, an evening drink in the city was a slow and dignified affair at one of the classy joints, such as Mojos or Guzzlers, with a limited clientele comprising the well-heeled and defence personnel. The old timers are now trying to get a grip among a throng of college students and young professionals, whose main idea is to hang out and grab a fast drink, cheap.

“About 10 years back, the majority of customers walking into any pub were the more affluent lot. Today, it’s the young college and IT crowd that crowd these places,” says D V Raghunath, MD of Purple Haze and Jimi’s. Purple Haze is one of the most popular pubs in the city, known for its rock music collection.

Raghunath opines that a decade back, there were a limited number of people coming to Bangalore for work and education. “The whole of India seems to be headed towards this city now. Also, the rise in the disposable income is the main reason behind the young generation becoming an active contributor to this culture,” he adds.

Ram Manohar is a senior executive at a leading IT company in the city, and can’t agree more. Whereas before, the pubs were peopled with more distinguished clientele, today, the places are alive with the dizziness and energy of youth. “This change in the profile of the visitors has in turn led to the pubs opting to play mixed music in addition to the traditional rocks and blues,” he says.

Vinoo Mathew, the base guitarist of Ministry of Blues nods in acceptance. Today, pubs offer a wider variety of music to keep in tune with the changing demands. “While 20 years back, audience was smaller in number and preferred jazz and rock, standing in 2010, the crowd demands the peppier and funkier numbers,” he says.

Mathew also points out that many of the older traditional joints are gradually losing their sheen to the trendier Hard Rock Café, IndiJoe’s and TGIF. The dynamic crowd is always looking for something new, and some will not be caught dead in a “dowdy” joint.

The ban on the performance of live bands is yet another roadblock being faced not only by musicians but also by pub owners. However, pubs are now gradually allowing such performances, claiming that they attract more footfalls and a wider variety of customers.

Another distinct change that has affected the pubbing scenario in Bangalore is the restriction on timing, which has been enforced more rigorously in the recent years. Viraj Suvarna, owner of Bangalore’s popular Jazz bar, Take 5, says that although the 11.30 pm time ban has been there for a really long time, it wasn’t so strict as now. “We lose out on the crowd who work late because of this restriction and this in turn has led to the increase in the number of house or after parties,” he added.

Introduced with the aim to control the drinking level of the people, the time ban seems to pose more risk than safety. According to Suvarna, people who come after work tend to drink a lot faster and thereby are more susceptible to losing control on the road. The city culture has accepted the new wanderers into its fold, changing its face forever. But the party is not over yet. Correction. After-party.