Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1506448
ALTHOUGH I didn't go my- self, it is clear from social media that the Robbie Williams con- cert was a resounding success - as a born entertainer, he gave an incredible show, connected with the audience and made two people picked out from the audience, ecstatically happy. His interaction with Priscilla, especially, was heart-warming and genuine in a way which not every mega star is capable of, and it endeared him to the audience even more. More significantly, he opened up about his struggles with de- pression and feelings of low self-worth - a very real mental health issue which affects so many people, whether they are famous or not. The magic of attending a live concert is incomparable to anything else and while there have been a number of great shows in Malta over the years, not every singer has that spe- cial something, a magnetic charisma, which makes them so beloved by their fans. Robbie Williams is one of those who has 'it', judging from the rave reviews by everyone who attended. The vibe, even just from the video clips, was electric. When fans know the words to all your songs it must be the most exhilarating feeling in the world, and those who at- tended did not disappoint him. He reciprocated by saying in a post the next day that it was one of his best concerts ever. But this is not to say that there weren't any hiccups or fails; for a start, the placing of the port- able toilets smack in front of the Floriana parish church was a distasteful, insensitive move. After residents and local coun- cillor, James Aaron Ellul, raised an uproar they were removed before the concert, and placed elsewhere. Had they not spo- ken up, it seems it would not have occurred to anyone in- volved in this decision to think, 'hmm, maybe queues of people urinating in front of a church is just not done?' There were also members of the audience who had spent €100 per ticket only to find themselves behind the plat- forms for the lighting, camera crew and sound technicians, blocking their view of the ac- tual stage, so they had to be content with watching the performance on the big screen instead. Being forced to watch it on a big screen, not because one is far away but because the section one has paid for is ob- structed, is just a way of fleec- ing audiences. They might as well have saved their money, stayed home and watched a re- cording of the concert later on TV. Which brings me to the con- cert site itself. Apart from the damage being inflicted to the historic Granaries, which should be preserved and not trampled on by thousands, and apart from the enormous amount of litter left behind each time, one also has to won- der whether it is even the best venue for large-scale events. I know that, historically, the 'Fosos' was the 'go to' site for when you are expecting a big audience - politicians especial- ly love the place to hold their mass meetings where they can gauge their core base by how much they have managed to fill the space as it becomes jam- packed with their loyal sup- porters. "Fqajna il-Fosos," (we filled the Granaries to bursting), has been the rallying cry of many an election campaign. Thank- fully, mass meetings are only once every five years. But for annual major musical events it does not seem to be the best venue, logistics-wise. Visually, unless there is tiered seating, you will always get people who find they have paid good money to be stuck behind structures and platforms. The location is also a bottleneck which results in snarling traffic for anyone who has to go to- wards Valletta as access starts being closed off in the early afternoon. Parking tends to be limited for the number of cars which descend on this town, further bothering the residents (although these days most peo- ple are sensibly opting to go by taxi). The point is that if we are go- ing to keep having these regu- lar events, then other venues need to be considered which can cater for large crowds and have the right infrastructure for sound and cameras with- out interfering with the views of the paying audience. People should be discouraged from using their private cars by pro- viding a good shuttle service to the venue. The Fosos and its long-suffering residents should be given a break. At other summer events, the issue was not so much the venue as the way clients were ripped off. The Summer Daze music festival, which was held at Ta' Qali was harshly criti- cised for its token system to buy drinks as pointed out by one person who went: "The event employed a system of drink tokens with a minimum spend of €20. Alcoholic bever- ages were intentionally priced at €4.20. This pricing strategy meant that the 20 cents dif- ference would cover the cost of only 4 drinks, leaving a bal- ance of €3.20 (insufficient for an additional drink). To avoid leaving any remaining funds on the card, as these cards were intentionally made non-re- fundable and non-reusable, one could only opt to purchase a bottle of water for €2, leaving a remainder of €1.20. Consider the number of these vouchers purchased and their cumula- tive impact. The same scenario applied to food, where a Turk- ish kebab was purposefully priced at €10.50. Consequent- ly, purchasing 2 kebabs with- out spending a total of €40 was impossible. Individuals such as students or those unable to spend €20, but wishing to buy a single soft drink, found them- selves at a disadvantage. The event touted a "water foun- tain," offering free water from dispensers. However, these dispensers were empty by 8pm and not refilled." Each time these token sys- tems are being utilised, the general consensus is that the organisers are being sneaky and cheeky in the way they try to scam patrons because of the way everything is priced. If one adds up how much unused bal- ance there was on these tokens, and the fact that tens of thou- sands of people attended every day of the festival, it means the organisers were potentially raking in quite a chunk of mon- ey. This same person went on point out other shortcomings: lack of sufficient waste bins, and poorly-lit toilets which were not being cleaned regu- larly despite the presence of cleaning staff. Why do we keep accepting such a shoddy ser- vice whenever a major event is organised? As long as we keep doing so, nothing will improve. The Maltese public are not ex- actly novices when it comes to attending concerts or festivals as low-cost airlines have made it easy to travel over the week- end to watch their favourite artists. This means they have a basis of comparison when it comes to the professional way things are organised in other countries with great attention to safety and hygiene, and the logistics of getting masses of people in and out of the venue with as little chaos as possible. They also compare the prices they are being asked to pay, not only for food and drinks, but the ticket itself, and what kind of vantage point they get in return. In reply to the above complaint about tokens, many pointed out how much more practical and ethical the sys- tem is abroad where people are given a bracelet topped up with the amount they have paid, which is scanned at the bar and they are then refunded for any balance not used. As a nation, we are not averse to spending, and splurging on a concert or festival as an annual treat is something which thou- sands obviously have no trou- ble doing. But, let's face it, no one likes to feel they have been cheated. The organisers of these con- certs need to get their act to- gether and treat the public with respect - there have been just too many instances where greed has taken over. They should not take it for grant- ed that audiences will always come to these events, because those who have been bitten once too many times will stop going and save their money to watch a concert in another city instead. 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 AUGUST 2023 OPINION Josanne Cassar People are willing to spend money on concerts and festivals - just don't rip them off OPINION Why do we keep accepting such a shoddy service whenever a major event is organised? As long as we keep doing so, nothing will improve