Getting used to two hour shows
They say, change is a fact of life, right? But, as is commonly the case, a certain group of people have issues embracing “change”.
For example, in 2010 when R. Kelly performed in Uganda, and availed a sneak peek of how live shows are done internationally, a good number of us complained, wailed and prematurely caused hell on earth.
Then later in 2012, when KCCA ordered all city concerts not to go beyond midnight, both musicians and their fans mumbled, and made a mountain out of a molehill.
Many did not notice that change was actually happening.
Now just last week, at the recently concluded “Maurice Kirya Live” concert, the dude went by his word and gave a live performance that lasted less than two hours. And guess what? The usual sleeping dogs who have not yet realised that things have moved on, went ahead to complain and rant mbu they had not got their money’s worth.
Okay, for once, let us wake up and smell the coffee. These things of expecting shows to start late and end in the wee hours of the morning, after which everyone floods all clubs, causes heavy traffic jam in the name of “partying harder” should be buried deep into the “memory boxes”. Of course like any normal person who has paid for the show and made it early enough to the venue, I would get mad if the artiste did not keep time. But I shall not lie for one bit that, having a clean show, free from all the monotony of upcoming wannabes to curtain raise, would not make my day.
I mean, I have had issues of intentionally going late for most music shows here, because I know that the “main artiste of the night” will hit the stage towards midnight.
After a one weirdly named artiste like “Captain Dollar” performs after “Master Blaster” to give way to say the “ghetto president” who will invite the “heavy weight” and the story continues.
And I am very certain that I am not the only culprit in this boat. So when I see people complaining about the money paid vis-à-vis the hours of performance, it beats my understanding.
News flash; international music artiste Beyonce Knowles under the “Mrs. Carter World Tour” performed for a maximum of at least two hours in Dallas and other affiliated shows. And this is a common occurrence with other international music artistes like R. Kelly among others, who simply get to the point, and give the best they can (in terms of performance, popular tracks, stage presentation etc) before they hit the road.
Now please spare me the, “that is international, this is Uganda” jazz because I will not listen. Let us simply get used to paying for quality and not quantity.
These things of congesting a show with all the knowns and unknowns in the music industry only for it (the concert) to drag in the middle are so not cool, you know?
So, if I were you, I would gear more to the positive direction in this equation for it’s about time we stopped yawning at shows that last 10 hours (as if life depends on that one evening) simply because we want to account for every penny invested in the ticket, time spent queuing to get in, blah blah blah… ahem!
