When did the stage at a music concert become more important than the musician?
Haven’t you been to a show at the cricket oval where the stage later dominated talk more than the music?
Jose Chameleone’s stage being destroyed by a heavy storm on February 10 caused organizers to push for another date, but not before fans and critics alike dissected the destroyed stage for days. Chameleone held a sold-out show on February 24, but this did not stop people from talking about his Fenon-curated stage and comparing it to Spice Diana’s, which was done by ATS Events.
For Chameleone, at least even his music prowess got quite a bit of traction, but for Spice Diana, whose musical delivery was said to be not the best, it is her stage that created a lot of talk in camps of musicians and fans.
Many compared Spice Diana’s stage to her vocals, saying that the stage was far better than her because she reportedly could not sing with a live band. When Fenon, in particular, entered the business of events management, they turned everything on its head and sent into limbo formerly big players, starting with that Rema Namakula show a few years ago.
We may not remember much about what Rema did or sang, but oh, the stage production detail and that Christmas lights dress will stay with us for a long time! Well, good music or not, a singer can no longer run away from investing in a perfect stage, lights and setup, because it is those aesthetics that seem to draw fans to venues lately.
Speaking to Emma Carlos, who was once an artiste manager and now is a creative consultant and arts administrator, he said stages are causing more talk nowadays because there is a lot that comes from all the package of stage, lights, screen and sound – call it production.
The creative teams behind stage and production have improved tremendously; we now have visual graphics in the background that give an impression that is so memorable, and the LED lighting is as mesmerizing as the stars on stage. According to Carlos, there is a lot of research on successful concerts, creating and recreating, adoption and comparing notes.
He also said the trends, alertness of revellers to international standards, sponsors willing to foot the bill, and new players have all been game changers in production. He credited Fenon, Kadanke, ATS Events and EME as some of those who have recently outdone themselves and delivered the best in stage production.
Eddie Sendi, a radio presenter, music critic and promoter, said, “People no longer focus on the message of what the musician is singing about. The quality of music and people’s knowledge have gone to the dogs; people will walk into the show and instead of focusing on the message in the song, you will find people getting more interested in the stage.”
“Yes, a stage is good and I’m not saying a stage should be two pieces of wood put together, but the main ingredient should be the music,” he said.
And because singers are lately capitalizing on shallow or vulgar lyrics that don’t motivate anyone, fans show up and tune out the shouting and admire the technical aspects of the show.
He said in the past, fans turned up for artistes such as Elly Wamala (RIP), whose music was as educative as it was entertaining, regardless on which platform he sang or what production he had. So, who has switched things up in stage production?
According to Sendi, “The best game changer in Uganda’s entertainment industry has been Steve Jean of Fenon Records. I have known Steve Jean for about 30 years; he invests time and money and comes up with very good concepts, regardless the new companies that have come up like ATS Events – whose owner, by the way, was also nurtured by Steve.”
Tonny Ssenabulya, from ATS Events, said the battle of the best stages has become the talk of music shows because of the growing demand for top-notch experiences from the fans. The current pop culture is exposed to advanced global standards, and this has pushed expectations at local concerts. Production houses have been forced to elevate their creativity levels to satisfy the audiences.
“We are happy that ATS is a big player in this trend-setting.”
Ssenabulya also agreed that the stage setup plays a key role in crowd pulling. According to James Propa, a music analyst, lately a stage is an important aspect of any showcase. It is an important branding tool.
“A fake stage affects the brand of the artiste negatively. Great concert stages are expensive to pull off and this makes it worth to be talked about, to strengthen the artiste’s brand and show how much they are willing to spend on it,” he said.
Propa said setting up a stage ranges from Shs 5m to more than Shs 100m. A great stage coupled with great sound supports the artiste to give a perfect showcase. Unless they can’t sing, of course.
“We need to appreciate the old timers like Silk Events, Events Warehouse and those that are currently ruling like Fenon and ATS Events, whose future looks bright,” Propa said.
But veteran promoter and events manager Balaam Barugahara said there is nothing new and said modification of stages is like modification of a house because, as time goes on, things have to change. He said a good stage comes with a cost, and only makes sense when one has a big sponsor ready to invest big sums of money.
“Nothing different, surely; what matters is lighting, sound and backlight. Those other designs are nothing…” Barugahara said.
In fact, Barugahara said, “There is no game changer; it is just the taste of the artiste, where he or she comes up with his or her design, but most artistes can’t afford it. Things keep changing and artistes create unnecessary competition, which also affects their promoters because they lose a lot of money. Some designs come with more boards, which some have to get from Fenon, Silk Events, and all those are not for free.”
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Source: The Observer
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