Cost of musical shows by Keith Richards, former head of Guinness Nigeria

So, musical concerts featuring International Artists……

are they good for Nigeria? For that matter, are they good for the organisers, the sponsors and last and apparently least, are they good for the paying public?

The Independence Day concerts were, without doubt, the most ambitious staged in Nigeria in recent times. To bring such major American stars as Beyonce, Jay Z, Buster Rhymes, Snoop Dog and the others was a major achievement. That Mary J and Missy E went AWOL was hardly noticed given the rich talent that was on show. Lets not ignore the parade of Nigerian musicians that were also featured; talents in their own right. Bringing such an array of stars is a major challenge. Even though the party was somewhat of a ‘package’ because this was one stop on an African tour the amounts concerned must have been enormous. My experience tells me that these Americans do not come cheap. A quality artist still on the way up or maybe a bit ‘old school’ can cost anything from $50,000 to $150,000 a show; reducing a little if multiple shows are made or if they play with ‘Playback’, rather than with live support. A top artist with current hits can command up to $250,000 or more if they have a big band with them. In addition, the on cost can be enormous. Rumours have it that the Beyonce party was around 40 people. There were something like 20 musicians and dancers, add to that management, security, personal staff and a few hangers on. These have to be flown in, accommodated, wined, dined and generally pampered.

On top of the performers and their entourage there is the simple matter of putting on the show. Did I say simple? If I meant simple, which I didn’t, I certainly didn’t mean inexpensive. The stage and lighting rig, sound systems and consoles for this weekend were brought in specifically for, I am told, $250,000. I have to say you could ‘taste the difference’. The quality of the equipment was outstanding and guaranteed that the audience could hear the parade of hits as if they were on record. The venue has to be secured and paid for; security (a major issue and a major cost), infrastructure, logistics, catering and all the extras necessary for such an event are an expensive headache anywhere and even more so here.

So, by the time an organiser or promoter has brought in and paid for all the aspects of putting on a show, the total cost is enormous. I just cannot imagine how much the This Day events came to. Two million dollars? Three? More? Even with more straightforward events such as those put on in the past by large companies like Nigerian Breweries and Guinness the economics are such that it is impossible to break even on ticket sales or locally generated revenue. Even for a sponsor with deep pockets it is hard to find a commercial motive for this kind of outlay other than to support more traditional forms of marketing.

The most simple description of the purpose of marketing I have heard is that it exists to achieve three main goals; win new customers, keep existing customers and persuade existing customers to consume more than they already do. So, in the most basic sense, the Joe, Sean Paul and Boys II Men concerts were part of the marketing development of a new brand, Gordon’s Spark, i.e. to win new customers. Wyclef was justified in heralding a major change in a brand heritage, the change in the Guinness bottle, and providing an opportunity to introduce and explain it to consumers. I.e. to win new Guinness consumers, keep existing consumers and persuade them to consume more. The NBL events like Usher and 50 Cents were focussed on maintaining and increasing consumption by the Star brand’s consumers by rewarding their loyalty. In these terms it is hard to see a marketing motive behind This Day and the other sponsors funding of these events. It may be that there were other motives; political, egotistical or altruistic. It is also likely that the scale of the events enabled other revenues; sale of the film of the concerts to ChannelO or MTV, the sale of a documentary on them or payment for one of the artists to make a ‘state’ visit.

So, if there are reasons why such events might be good for the promoters or the sponsors, can it be true that they are good for Nigeria? Certainly some shows in the past have been anything but. A number of American stars that have come here in the past have returned with negative impressions and have badly ‘dissed’ Nigeria to their compatriots. As a result there are a number who, to my knowledge, after having a bad experience actively tell their peers not to come. Let’s be clear, some of these artists are themselves pretty pathetic. They stay in their hotel until the last minute and refuse to visit clubs or mix with their Nigerian fans. There have been ‘gansta rappers’ who pride themselves on their macho image. One look at a few Okada riders at the airport and they are ready to go home. Heaven knows the physical effect on their underwear if they met a true member of OPC or Bakassi! Equally, there are unfortunately some genuine reasons why they might gain a negative opinion. Usually this is associated with security around the events. There have been times when the acts themselves have felt insecure, such as when Usher fled the stage, or when they have witnessed beatings and rape among the audience, such as 50 Cents and Eve. Security is a major nightmare for anyone holding these events but choosing exposed venues or having the wrong ticket prices is just foolish. I also have to take issue with the use of the Area boys as ‘security’. This happened at the This Day shows. I was manhandled personally and witnessed fighting between themselves and beating up of members of the audience. Using these guys ‘empowers’ them and gives them legitimacy and is utterly irresponsible.

The attitude of the artists is mixed. Some, like Wyclef, enter into the spirit of things and embrace their Nigerian fans. That he actually recorded with young Nigerian musicians and paid Royalties on the track they featured in is a major plus.