Three-time Grammy award-winning musician Ricky Kej criticized comedian Trevor Noah’s recent ‘Off The Record’ India tour in a lengthy social media post. The comedian’s shows in Bengaluru were cancelled due to audio issues at the venue, which sparked debate and discussion. In his post, Noah promised he would return to the city.
Kej, however, was not convinced by Noah’s note and partly blamed him for the show’s failure. He emphasized that every responsible artist conducts a thorough soundcheck and venue reconnaissance before a show. While Kej acknowledged event management problems, he expressed shock that Noah did not personally visit the venue or communicate technical requirements to the organizers.
“If Trevor Noah truly cared about his ticket-purchasing fans, he would have arrived earlier in the day or the previous night to conduct a reconnaissance of the venue, test his microphone, and ensure optimal sound. I’m certain he does this at other prestigious venues worldwide, so I’m shocked he neglected to do so in Bengaluru. This is the artist’s responsibility. Every artist, comedian, or band has personal sound requirements and preferences… To show up for the event without even checking sound is highly irresponsible,” Kej wrote.
Kej also mentioned other international artists who have successfully held events in Bengaluru by working closely with everyone involved to deliver outstanding concerts. He questioned why Bengaluru was being criticized when artists like Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Beyonce, and Metallica have had successful events there.
“Trevor also blamed this incident on ‘India’ as a whole, which is in very bad taste. While this is undoubtedly a case of poor event management, it is more importantly a complacent and irresponsible artist who has no regard for his paying fans or India… He blames everyone and everything except himself,” Kej concluded in his post.
Noah was scheduled to perform at the Manpho Convention Centre in Bengaluru but both shows were cancelled due to audio issues. He apologized to his fans and offered full refunds. Noah successfully performed in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai as part of his tour.
Waiting for response to load…