So by now you should know about the big bacchanal with Jah Cure not performing in St. Vincent over this past weekend, resulting in patrons pelting bottles due to his non-appearance.
Well, if yuh didn’t know nuttin about it, here’s a bit of a summary on what went down and what is going on….
Last Saturday fans in St. Vincent were left angry and disappointed when the Jamaican reggae artist, Jah Cure, didn’t perform at the well publicized concert “Irresistible Temptations” in Victoria Park.
Thousands of patrons left the Victoria Park mad as hell when it was announced that Jah Cure would not be performing. Pissed off patrons even threw bottles at the stage causing the police fired gunshots into the air to restore order.
Jah Cure apologized to fans on via twitter saying, “St Vincent, I’m sorry for everything that happened tonight due to the lack of organization on the part of the promoters who have been giving nothing but excuses! I look forward to returning to deliver great music in a show by a legitimate promoter sometime soon.”
Allegedly, the promotion company responsible, Matrix Music Group, failed to meet their contractual obligations, therefore disappointing the fans who had paid EC$50 and up for the show.
Right after the unfortunate turn of events, St. Vincent radio station Hot 97, the official radio station for the “Irresistible Temptations” show, went into full damage control mode issuing this statement:
DEAR VALUED LISTENER WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM YOU, OUR VALUED LISTENER, THAT THE JAH CURE CONCERT HELD LAST NIGHT WAS A
PRODUCTION OF MATRIX ENTERTAINMENT AND NOT HOT97.
HOT97 WAS BOOKED TO PROVIDE THE RADIO ADVERTISING FOR THE EVENT. AS IS OUR PROCEDURE WITH MAJOR EVENTS WE UNDERTAKE A NUMBER CHECKS TO VERIFY THAT THE HEADLINE ARTISTS HAVE BEEN BOOKED PRIOR TO COMMENCING RADIO PROMOTION. THIS WAS DONE AND IT WAS VERIFIED THAT JAH CURE AND HIS BAND WERE BOOKED BY MATRIX ENTERTAINMENT AND WOULD BE IN ST. VINCENT FOR THE 10TH MARCH EVENT.
EVERYTHING SEEMED ON TRACK WITH JAH CURE CALLING INTO THE STATION NUMBER OF TIMES IN THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE SHOW AND EVEN MAKING LIVE APPEARANCE IN OUR STUDIOS FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES ON THE MORNING OF THE EVENT.
WHILE THERE WAS AN UNEXPLAINED DELAY IN THE SETUP OF VICTORIA PARK, BY 2PM ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW EVERYTHING HAD BEEN RESOLVED AND SEEMED TO BE ON SCHEDULE FOR THE EVENT LATER THAT EVENING.
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AT THE EVENT WE AT HOT97 WERE SURPRISED BY THE NONE APPEARANCE OF JAH CURE AND HIS BAND IN VICTORIA PARK WHICH WAS LATER EXPLAINED BY POLICE SOURCES AS BEING DUE TO THE FAILURE OF MATRIX ENTERTAINMENT TO MEET HIS FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO JAH CURE. WE, LIKE ALL THE PATRONS AT THE EVENT WERE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE TURN OF EVENTS AND UPTO THE TIME OF THIS PRESS RELEASE HOT97 HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN HOW THE PROMOTER INTENDS TO COMPENSATE PATRONS OF THE EVENT. HOT97 ENDEAVOURS TO KEEP OUR LISTENERS UP TO DATE WITH ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS PERTAINING TO THIS EVENT.
I don’t even have to go to St. Vincent to believe the story, I see it happen all the time in Brooklyn!
Anyhoo, despite allegations from Jah Cure, real name Siccaure Alcock, stating that he did not receive a deposit for the event, the promoter denies that claim. The promoter stated that Jah Cure was indeed paid a deposit of US$15,000, with the balance to be paid the day of the show.
If Jah Cure was given the $15k, it is his to keep…the promoter wasted the man’s time. If he wasn’t paid, well…he got a free trip to St.Vincent and should sue!
Meanwhile, according to an article in the Jamaica Observer, Vincy opposition legislator, St Clair Leacock, is calling for new regulations after Jah Cure refused to perform after the promoter messed up big time!.
Patrons had paid EC$50 (US$18.50) each to see the artiste, and the promoter said while he had paid the Jamaican singer US$15,000 as the deposit, he was unable to make the final payment because 2,000 bogus tickets had been collected at the gate to the park
Leacock, who was also at the show, said that he was among the disappointed fans.
“The artiste never performed. There was more bottle-pelting in the Park than you could have had. Police had to come and shoot off shots to take back control of the Park and so forth and a lot of patron didn’t get what they paid for,” Leacock said on a radio program.
Leacock, the shadow minister for trade, industry and commerce, said that if the promoter was ripped off, as is being alleged, “there is a need for tighter regulations in this thing.”
“Promoters cannot be allowed to put on a show and speculate that if they sell enough tickets or they collect enough money they will pay the artiste and people will get their show.”
“So we need to do these regulatory things to make sure that patrons are not left like this. And people could be exposed to all sorts of things because when you have to have bottle pelting and police have to resort order by taking strong positions, then something is not right,” he finished.
I feel sorry for the people that spent their money for tickets, new clothes, new weave, new weed and couldn’t even get to enjoy it at the concert.
JAYBLESSED.com will keep you abreast on new developments in this story.
Words to the wise – If you are a trying to be a promoter and DO NOT have the allocated funds, sponsorship or budget to bring an artiste or even organize an event, please – DO NOT WASTE THE PEOPLE’S TIME! This might not be the business for you…cut yuh losses and let a professional handle dat scene! Seen?
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