Today’s Notes and links
This one’s for Sring.
Will update as I go along.
Also, Izzu, I still can’t get into beyondirc. What server are you on?
Also, How can we tolerate such stupidity?
Jakarta gets KL’s N.E.R.D effect
Mar 25, 09 11:04am
An Indonesian promoter threatened yesterday to sue the management of US hip-hop group N.E.R.D. for cancelling a show in Jakarta after they ran into trouble with the law in Malaysia.
N.E.R.D. were due to play in the Indonesian capital on Sunday but called off the gig at the last minute over fears of similar trouble with Indonesian police, local promoters Java Festival Production said in a statement.
The trio was “depressed” by their treatment in Malaysia, where they were questioned by authorities after a performance in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Malaysia’s Bernama news agency reported on Monday that immigration department officials took statements from the group as they had not received official permission to perform there.
“We are going to file a lawsuit against N.E.R.D.’s management for their unilateral decision to cancel,” Java Festival Production spokesman Rezanda Tamaputra told AFP.
He said the band only notified his office about the cancellation a few hours before they were due to go on stage on Sunday evening.
“They have to pay all the costs we incurred over this cancellation,” Tamaputra said.
Some 3,000 ticket holders would be reimbursed this week, he added.
Malaysian apologises to fans
“N.E.R.D. cancelled their show in Jakarta because the band members were afraid to come to Indonesia because of the bad experience they had in Malaysia,” Java Festival said in a statement.
“N.E.R.D. were very depressed about being threatened with detention for up to two weeks. This has never happened before in the music industry…
“Shortly after the show finished all the band’s passports were confiscated. This is a very bad precedent.”
In a comment on The Jakarta Post newspaper’s website, someone identifying himself as a Malaysian reader apologised to N.E.R.D. fans on behalf of his country.
“Things like this have a knock-on effect on everything else. Makes our country and our region look like a bunch of AK-47-waving lunatics to the world community,” the post by ‘chak’ said.
“On behalf of all Malaysians, I’d like to say sorry to all N.E.R.D. fans, good Malaysians, good Indonesians and the poor concert organiser in Jakarta who’s probably now bankrupt… because of the stupidity we tolerate.”
- AFP
Originally published at Broken Shield and Sword. Please leave any comments there.