- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
The Twin of Twins say people are too gullible and tolerate dishonest promoters time and again.
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
MANY ARTISTES active on the local concert circuit have complained bitterly that some promoters have been playing hardball over payment. This not only impacts on their willingness to work for the tight-fisted promoters, but when a deal goes sour the artiste usually ends up leaving the venue without performing, leading fans to believe that the artistes have no respect for them.
Deejays and voice impersonators Twin of Twins (Paul and Patrick Gaynor) say this is a familiar situation.
"A whole heap a problem wi guh through wid dem ting deh. Some promoters shady, dem pay yuh half a di money an nuh intend fi gi yuh a cent more an because yuh fans turn out already, if yuh walk away it a guh look a way pon you as di artiste an di promoter don't care. Him nuh even care if dem mek dem money a di gate... Is like dem stick yuh up," Patrick said.
ARTISTE, PROMOTERS
The Twins say "Normally, how it goes is to advertise the show, get half the money and then when you turn up at the actual show artistes are paid the balance. Ninety-eight per cent of the time, when a artiste don't turn up to a show or leave early it's usually a problem between the artiste an the promoter."
Deejay Kiprich has also had bad experiences with promoters and says the excuses are familiar.
"Mi have dem experience wid promoter. When yuh guh show dem a seh dem nuh sell enough ticket an dem vibes deh an dem a seh dem nuh mek enough money fi gi you as an artiste di next half, but all when di place full dem still a gi excuse. If wi guh a one venue an wi si seh di ting really nuh work out an wi try reach some agreement, den dat different," Kiprich explained.
In Black-er's case there is a slightly different twist.
"To how mi see it, yuh have some promoter weh a live inna di past an feel a only certain artiste dem fi pay. When a artiste claim seh dem bad an sing rude bwoy song, is like dem fraid fi dis dem, but fi di other artistes dem a gwaan like dem waan tek fi fool. A one ting mi waan fi tell any promoter; anytime dem put all me an Macka pon a poster dem haffi pay me to, Macka money a Macka money an Black-er money a Black-er money. No promoter caan pay me an nuh pay Macka, a nuh one somebody sing di song, everybody haffi eat food," he said, referring to his popular single with Macka Diamond, Bun Him.
WALKOUT
The fallout usually ends in a walkout. At the recently-held Puma Finish Line after-Champs fete at Market Place on Constant Spring Road, the promoter refused to pay Black-er who was about to take the stage with Macka Diamond. Despite calls by Macka and fans, he refused to work without pay.
It is clearly not disrespect towards the fans.
"If you see Twin of Twins come in a venue and leave, is because wi neva get the next half a wi pay and Twin of Twins nuh deal wid no show; a either wi sick or di promoter dem nah deal wid di artiste right ... A di promoter at fault, oonu fi hol' dem an beat dem, dem a tek uno fi eediat. My pickney dem nah dead fi hungry fi no one," Patrick said.
He continued: "Jamaican people have short-term memory loss. Look how much promoter keep tings fi years an dem shady an people nuh memba dem ting deh, a jus di hype."
However, at least one promoter believes artistes should try to be more understanding.
"Yuh si some a di artiste dem, when yuh a work wid dem dem nuh give yuh no advertisement an is like dem jus waan tek your money. When yuh give them the first payment is really fi get them involved with the whole promotion of the show, because if the show nuh successful den we caan pay dem the balance after the show. Mi hardly hear a artiste a big up a show unless a fi dem show or is a real top man show an di real top man dem nah pay dem," said Rohan Gunter, of Unxpected Projexz, organisers of the Eclipse Pool Party series..
Another promoter agreed with Gunter, but conceded a lose-lose situation whenever payment problems arose.
CREDIBILITY
"Dem ting yah mash up di promoter credibility and artistes look like dem a disrespect dem fans, suh it sometimes leave patrons wondering who to give the blame, whether promoter or artiste, but in any case it look bad on both sides," the promoter, who declined to be named, said.
According to Gunter, some artistes are harder to work with than others. "Di artiste dem weh jus a bus or nuh too long bus a dem hard fi deal wid, but the problems are varied because some established artistes gi da problem to," he said.
Gunter says the hype is not necessary, as the artistes need promoters.
"If we nuh keep show dem nah get nuh money. A di performance at shows really gi dem di up front money. Di likkle dub plate dem an dem ting deh nah really bring in much money fi dem," Gunter said.
Kiprich also said that things will have to be run differently, saying, "If it possible fi even get 75 per cent or even 100 per cent mi nah guh di show, especially abroad, worse if a somewhere weh mi have a bad experience already. Jamaica different, cause a man know seh yuh yard deh jus up di road, yuh wi drive out suh dem wi try gi yuh a next part a di money, but abroad, like how yuh done travel suh far already dem waan tek advantage more."
Gunter, as a promoter, is almost at his limit too, as sometimes promoters end up losing money even before the show is held.
"It come in like mi all a get fraid a di artiste ting now, cause is like yuh start lose even before di show jus a pay artiste. Venue a like $100,000, artiste a $200,000 an fliers an dem ting deh. The only way yuh mek good money as a promoter is if yuh get sponsors weh a control like di media aspect an dem ting deh, but once a out a your pocket, it hard fi mek money," Gunter said.
