Greetings. It's almost 24 hours after the incident. On behalf of the organizer / promoter not much we can say for the first word other than Sorry. We feel sorry for the fans, for those who already bought the ticket, for those who travel across the sea, across the state, and across the country, for those who promote, those who helps us selling the ticket and last but not least for Mille & Co.
As the rumors spread, show is forced to take down due to interference by a religious enforcement department. Everything else is well-planned and all documents are ready, the band has already there, venue is ready with all the equipment, and not to forget the fans are also there. We have no intention to cancel the show at the last minutes at all as everything is almost ready to kick start. If we got nothing, we wouldn’t even publish the show info in Metro Ahad on Sunday, April 20th.
Everything went smoothly until at 4pm on the show day (just another 4 hours before Kreator supposed to take over the stage), we got a verbal warning through a phone call by DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) asking to cancel the show due to the fact that the society complaint and believe it’s a “Black Metal Show”. If we proceed, they are ready for the raid together with IPK Dang Wangi.
We have 3 options at that moment:
1. Continue the show and get ready for a terrible certainty.
2. Change the venue for the last minute.
3. Cancel the show.
First option seems to be too risky. We just ignore the warning and continue with the show, so that you guys can enjoy 2 or 3 songs from Kreator before the raid. However, the major issue is the band members and their crews. Sure there will be a diplomatic issue as it involved Germany’s and Austrian citizens. Worse, they have to cancel all their remaining 4 tour dates until this Sunday, April 27th. Some of you guys may also get the risk of staying in lock-up for a night or up to one week. And sure last but not least, another episode of mega stories of Black Metal issues will boom in the newspaper for almost a month.
Second option is much better. Right after we got the warning, we tried our best to get an express venue although the set-up is almost done at Scandals Club and Kreator just began their sound check. First alternative is Bentley Music Auditorium in Damansara. Unfortunately, the venue is booked for 2 days as they get an event on the next day, April 24th and the organizer have already start their set-up at the time we get in touch. While Black Box @ Solaris Dutamas isn’t possible at all as the venue is fully booked the entire month of April for exhibition. Last option that bears another high risk is the nearest KL Live, it just take few minutes walking distance from Scandals Club. However, due to security issue we have no deal as it won’t change anything. Other venue such as Alt HQ @ Fahrenheit 88 and Malaysian Rock Café (as suggested by few) does not meet the specification required by Kreator and their management. Everything seems impossible.
At around 5.30pm, two DBKL officers come to the venue to hand over a written short notice to the club’s manager to cancel the show and close their business for the night or else just get ready for any possibilities. With the official and formal last warning, in regards of the security issue of the band members and their crews, the crowd itself and the venue, we eventually come to the hardest decision to choose the third and last option, cancel the show at last minutes; less than 2 hours before the doors open.
As for the tickets, we gain nothing out of the sold early birds and pre-sales ticket. Perhaps, we even loose all our capital. Band already got paid in full. Not that they didn’t perform, they will not get paid. Band payment is already settled in early April, or else they wouldn’t even be in Kuala Lumpur at all. Hotel, flight, venue, backline and rider are also booked and paid. Everything is ready for the show.
This is the summary of where your money for the ticket and our capital goes:
1. Bands (Payment + Fees + Permit Purposes): RM32200
2. Flight cost: RM12000
3. Backline & Rider: RM17800
4. Venue rental: RM5000
5. Hotel (8 rooms of 4 star hotel x 2 nights as required): RM2600
6. Meal (2x Lunch, 2x Dinner + 1x Breakfast for 8 people): RM3400
7. Transportation (Van rental + fuel + toll + parking for 3 days for 3 cars & a van): RM1500
8. Miscellaneous (Printing of ticket & flyers, band ride around town etc): RM500
Total summation of all cost is RM75000
Now, we take a look at the pre-sales ticket:
Early Birds: RM100 x 130 buyers = RM13000
Pre-sales: RM120 x 340 buyers = RM40800
Total collection: RM13000 + RM40800 = RM53800
As some of you lost your RM100 or RM120 for the ticket, so do us. We also lost more than RM20000 of our capital for canceling the show. However, as mentioned earlier, the security of the band members and their crews, the crowd itself, the equipment and the venue are more important than money.
As some of you asking for refund, we’d love to do that if we could. However, the show is forced to cancel not to our fault. We have completed all things that required. As according to PUSPAL, ticket fees should be refunded if the show is cancel by organizer / PUSPAL but in this case it’s beyond our control and none of us is taking the action. There’s another third party that interference and forced to cancel the show due to society’s misunderstanding.
Until then,
PROMOTER & ORGANIZER
KREATOR LIVE IN KUALA LUMPUR, 23rd APRIL OF 2014 (CANCELLED)
Editor: Gua dah tukar kepada benda yang diluluskan. Luorg bila lagi? Jom.. masuk free jer.. kita bergelek sambil londeh seluar.. (Sufian Mohamed Salleh)
