By Teino Evans, Staff Reporter 
Assassin (left) and Kartel (right)
PROMOTERS OF local dancehall stage shows say that proper stage management is vital to the production's smooth flow and success.
The question of proper stage management at these shows has been an issue for some time, as artistes have at times gone onstage without proper
authorisation, while others have been known to bring on their friends who had not been billed to perform.
Dexton Ennis, promoter of 'Follow the Arrow' and 'Magnum Party By The River', has been in the business for more than six years. According to Ennis, many promoters face this problem largely because they cannot manage the artistes.
MANAGING THE ARTISTE
"When show time come, me stand up a my stage and me nuh move. Me tell artistes when fi guh up and if you don't do that then fren a guh call up fren and turn di show into chaos. Suh me always manage my ting. "Other promoters have that problem because they can't manage the artiste dem. I have my list and I work wid di MC and di artistes," Ennis added.
"Sometimes some likkle
adjustments have to be made and if you have the time, then you can squeeze in a man."
Ennis said that he has been to stage shows where the main artiste had two performances in one night and, therefore, had to do one early.
"I have gone to a show already weh nobody nuh work yet, it wasn't even show time, but as Bounty Killer come him did haffi work and leave because he had another show. But as him leave di show done an dat wi mash up a show, even though it is not done intentionally," Ennis explained.
A show such as Sting, however, where controversy and clashes among artistes are not uncommon, appears next to impossible to effectively manage.
However, in light of last year's bottle-throwing and stampede, Isaiah Laing, CEO for Supreme Promotions, the promoters of 'Sting', says things will be different the next time round, as more stringent rules for stage management had been implemented.
"Fans know we always try to please them. They asked for clashes at Sting in the past and we gave them, but this time everybody (artistes) will be going onstage to do their own work. No two artistes will be able to go on the stage at the same time, unless it is a combination, and we are remaining firm on this one. We think it is time the music moves away from this," Laing said.
Ian Coke, who has been responsible for 'Detour', 'Grammy Party', 'Eclipse Pool Party' and 'Camouflage', says one way of guaranteeing proper stage management was to outline expectations clearly in a contract and hold firmly to it.
EXPECTATIONS
"Once your contract reads and stipulates certain things and the artistes understand these expectations, then there shouldn't be a problem. You also need somebody backstage to brief each artiste before they go onstage," Coke explained.
Coke, referring to 'Camouflage', which featured deejays Assassin and Vybz Kartel, said many persons thought that the idea was unwise, as the two deejays, who had been tossing lyrics at each other, would use the opportunity to square off in a major clash.
However, Coke says that was not his intention.
"That's why when Kartel went onstage before his time we withheld the balance of his payment and he (Kartel) had to jump back off, because we wanted to wait until Assassin had left the venue before Kartel took the stage," Coke said.
Coke said another strategy that promoters could also use to effectively manage their stage shows is to stipulate which songs they want the artistes to perform.
"I think promoters in Jamaica should also tell artistes exactly what to perform. But that may not work all the time, because sometimes a beg di promoters beg di artistes fi do dem a favour, so they can't stipulate, like how it is done in the States," he said.
