Sunday, August 21, 2011

FOR show promoters, unreasonable requests from some artistes seem to be a deciding factor in whether or not to book the artiste for an event.

Chief among the 'unreasonable' requests that come in from artistes is the attendant costs associated with the throng of supporters accompanying a number of reggae/dancehall artistes. The entourage of supporters, usually all men, is popularly referred to as the 'mantourage'.

According to one promoter who didn't wished to be named, "it's a big headache. Half the time we have refreshments for artistes and our VIP guests. If three artistes turn up with about 20 followers each, just imagine the chaos this will present to who we catered for," he pointed out.

On the matter of safety these artistes' followers generally escape being searched as the specially designated entrance areas ensure they bypass this procedure.

According to Headline Entertainment's Jerome Hamilton, who has booked artistes for various promoters, 'mantourages' may or may not be a problem "depending on the contractual agreement and the relationship that exists between artiste and promoter.

He did concede, however, that artistes who travel with a large following normally request a lot of tickets. If the venue is really big then it's not such a big deal, but when it's a venue that has limited capacity, it could cut into the promoter's bottom line when every ticket counts.

This problem is not restricted to Jamaica as US-based promoter Sharon Gordon, now head of (Coalition for the Preservation of Reggae Music) shared, it was the unreasonable demands and disrespect from some artistes that has seen her promoting one single event instead of the multiple productions she used to do.

One of her prime events Reggae Cabaret, an upscale event held at the Manhattan Centre in New York, was discontinued as she said she found it hard to deal with the unreasonable demands from some of the artistes she used on the bill. In addition, she found that the many followers they insisted on taking into the event in turn affected her bottom line. Now she only sticks to one event and that's Reggae Culture Salute.

"Many promoters are left holding the bag, because these artistes come with their large entourage and still expect to be paid in full and expect that their peeps should be fed and accommodated; it puts a burden on the promoters," Gordon noted.

In working to put together shows, she says she now has a new clause in place and that is how many tickets will be allocated and if artistes turn up with more people than the tickets cover, the additional cost will be deducted from their fees.

She said this was done to deter this kind of behaviour, but even then it is not a foolproof plan as "sometimes, it's your own staff that violates and allow these artistes and their 'mantourage' to enter the venue because they, the staff, tend to be in awe of them and are more fans than anything else. So it's a very difficult situation."

While some artiste use their large following as props -- seen in the audience rallying the patrons through firecrackers, torches and roars -- the reality is that with so many there as support it can give rise to unpleasant situations.

The stories are many where friction develops between the 'mantourage' and patrons or between the 'mantourages' of rival artistes.

When it comes to accommodation, promoters will sometimes find that their bill has shot through the roof as not only do these artiste book into rooms with their followers and charging it to the promoter's account, but some promoters complain about the high phone bills and other hotel charges they are faced with after the artistes and their large throng vacate the facility.

Hamilton pointed out that "people turn up and there's a problem, some artistes try to accommodate other persons not on the bill."

For Gordon it's an annoyance, and she sees this kind of behaviour as being "over the top". Added to that, she says they refuse to share rooms and demand the best.

"People must understand that for legitimate promoters, who are not in the underground economy, these requests are very exorbitant and drive up the cost of underwriting a show.

Another danger that arises from these large contingents that some artistes insist on travelling with are altercations which usually develops at the gate if any of the followers are not allowed entry to the venue.

According to Hamilton "If there's a problem, most times it's always a member of the 'mantourage' and they become the problem and soil the name and reputation of the artiste."

There's also the issue of the overcrowding of small dressing rooms which were not designed for so many people.

On a positive not Hamilton pointed out that not all 'mantourages' are disruptive, but his sole problem with the whole scenario is "when it gets in the way of work and doesn't fit in with what the promoter plans".

For Sharon Gordon, she looks for the day when the trend will be discontinued as she says it tarnishes the industry over all.

"Non Jamaicans believe that we are all like these artistes and their 'mantourage', just look at David Starkey in the UK is blaming Jamaican culture for the negative behaviour being played out in their society. As a result, many bookers and venues have chosen to stay away from reggae music, which hurts the music," she concluded".