Patrons cry for ‘partnership’ with nightclubs
MBABANE – “We just want to have fun!”
The nightlife post &29I'- in the country has lit up like never before, with events every other weekend, but the competition between the hosts¶ places has been causing a tug of war between the attendees. This year has been very big on hosting international names by popular entertainment stables in the country, with the past couple of months bringing in heavyweights. 6ir Trill was at 'waleni )arm /odge and on the same day Jazziq was firing up the turn-tables at 6olani¶s 6hisanyama on May st.
(nosoul brought his soulful, smooth ballads also at 6olani¶s 6hisanyama on May and on the very same day,
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the ever talented 'urban *ogo was dropping killer beats and moves at The ;&hange /ounge.
The kingdom has seen the likes of 2scar Mbo, 6un-(l Musician, and the list can go on. There has been a few big shows recently, but the main issue that has the social media abuzz is the host venues opting for the same day.
Opportunity
3atrons have complained about wanting to attend all these shows and to get an opportunity to meet these stars. The challenge is there¶s no partnership between them and the places that are in competition.
It¶s also impossible for fans to hop from one place to another because it has been noted that international acts usually perform after pm. That means it¶s not practical for fans to attend multiple shows for instance, also because of the proximity between each of these hangout spots. This was brought to light after a couple of )acebook users had put up posts on their stories about yearning to be at another event while at another one. This sparked conversations because it had been a mutual feeling among the fun-lovers who are loyal attenders at these places.
2ne )acebook user, Bonga Makhubu is one of the patrons who raised his concerns about the invisible tug of war. +e shared that it wasn¶t really about which place was bigger or which place one preferred over the other, but it really was about them meeting these sta they idolise. “I¶m out almost every weekend and when an international artist is coming to the kingdom, I look forward to attending because I¶m a huge music follower. But when another stable releases news of another act coming on the same day it becomes frustrating,´ expressed Makhubu.
This then boils down to a couple of scenarios that we can look at like the policies that each of these places have, the advertising period and their actual strategy. $lso how these places feel like they should cover more ground in terms of hosting for people in the vicinity of their location.
6olani¶s 6hisanyama¶ (ntertainment Manager 'ope 'eep broke it down for us.
Entertainment
“$s an entertainment stable, we are dedicated to bringing the best for our local customers, it¶s never really about who is doing what as we are a business that strives in entertainment,´ said 'ope. +e further explained that it¶s also not that these other places or 6olanis Must decide to bring out an artist. $rtists are booked months ahead and a date is set when they confirm against their schedule. When the artist avails themselves, then advertisement preparations are done.
They have a policy to advertise an upcoming act when the act has been confirmed. “We do consider other places, but we are in competition at the end of the day. The stables are far apart from each other, so we can¶t halt an event because Manzini stables are hosting because we¶d be ignoring people who are in the Mbabane vicinity,´ said 'ope.
The hype of having big shows with big names has also sparked the popularity of fake posters about events that are created to spark talk and attendance, only to learn that the act was never consulted or booked. With all these logistics to consider, it is a matter of stables only considering big events, with a huge line-up as compared to one man shows, because they are only trying to cover more ground. $lso, personal preference will overrule what patrons are asking for, because there should be an understanding that these places are also in business to make profits. It is also a safer platform for patrons to attend shows at places that have never disappointed them and attend shows with the line-up that they like.