Dynamics of raising music show fees 

Locally, entertainment is viewed mainly as pass-time that people can forgo, something that is not worth spending money on.

Oftentimes, people who patronise various entertainment events are frowned upon by others. They are accused of lacking a sense responsibility and having their priorities upside down. It is with little surprise that entertainment events do not enjoy the followership that they mostly deserve.

No matter the investment event organisers make, no matter how big the artist or artists involved are, no matter how new a production is and regardless of how much one invests in marketing their event, the returns are generally dismal and disappointing.

It is by sheer luck that the very few people who are behind the organisation of these events haven’t thrown in the towel by now. The disappointment which they face every time they organise events is enough to knock them down in an instant.

But we have these individuals whose passion for the trade is just so huge that giving up is not part of their vocabulary I guess. So, they keep coming no matter the setbacks they face. They just have to offer a service to the nation.

There have been incidents where event organisers have ended up in disagreements with artists they hire for failure to pay them their agreed dues after their appearances. This has mostly been spurred by the losses that the organisers incur due to poor patronage.

This turnout is always a sorry development as it mostly descends into public spats. The organisers are pushed to tight corners. Maybe it is not out of their wish for things to turn out that way. Maybe we should even sympathise with them.

I remember of some event last year which took place in Salima. Noticing how poor the patronage was like on the first day of the event, the organiser was forced to start calling some of the booked artists to cancel the booking.

Some, who were travelling from long distances were already closer to the venue since they had to leave their base in time. The situation turned nasty as the artists still demanded a cut. But where could the organiser fish the money from?

It is not like people don’t like or enjoy entertainment events. You can hardly go wrong with a three-day event at one of the beautiful beaches along the Lake Malawi while enjoying performances from some of your favourite artists. It is always a refreshing experience.

But it all boils down to how tiny our economy is. There is little or no extra penny that one can allocate towards an entertainment budget. For the few who patronise these events, it is a big sacrifice they make. Mostly what follows is a month of agonising financial pain.

All this reflection is coming in the aftermath of the announcement by the Music Promoters Association that starting from April 1 the minimum charge for all music shows will be pegged at K5000.

They have delivered their justifications for making such a decision. Their case is compelling yes! If it were in a normal set-up, that figure was supposed to be arrived at long time ago. But given the limitations that are prevalent in our economy, the fee being mentioned appears like an absurd idea.

But if we factor in all the reasons that they have raised, the decision is justifiable. In an economy where the cost of almost each service has risen, you wouldn’t expect one thing to remain constant.

The artists are players in the same economy and as the costs rise elsewhere, their income need to reflect the same to enable them survive. Their needs are mirrored by what everybody is offering elsewhere.

But here is an industry that is not very well supported already. The biggest fear now is whether this hike wont completely kill off the little pull and interest that was there in live events. How long will it take the fun-lovers to adjust to this change? I hope it is soon.