Poor concert organizing

Recently I attended music concerts by Kris Dayanti and Titi DJ at different times and venues, and although I was impressed with the performance of the said singers, I was appalled with the organization of the events. This is not the first time I have observed such lack of care for the paying customer.

It is never clear whether advanced bookings are accepted. I can ring the venue two days before the performance and be told tickets were sold out three weeks previously. Or I am told advanced booking are not accepted, only to turn up at 6 p.m. for a 9 p.m. performance and be informed that all seats have already been reserved. How is this possible?

On three occasions the concerts were advertised for 9 p.m. and 7 p.m., but the artist did not start performing before 10 p.m. I was clearly embarrassed once when I took some European guests for a supposedly 7 p.m. concert only for the artist to commence singing at 9 p.m. We had intended to go to the concert, then to dinner (allowing two hours for the concert). No announcement was made, either, leaving us wondering if they would ever get their act together.

Then there is the overloud sound system. Is the idea to entertain us, or to deafen us before our old age? In most cases, we are left straining to catch the melodious voice of the singer and the singer straining to outdo the band, as the accompanying band has its sound level too high.

This is not to mention the clear disregard for fire safety regulations and safety for patrons. As many customers as possible are packed into the concert venue, hindering movement. At one concert it was difficult for waiters to serve patrons, and to reach the restrooms, not to mention the lack of air circulation. This was for a sitting concert in a restaurant (closed area), with masses of people standing, making it a clear fire hazard in the case of evacuation. I dread to think what would happen should there be a bomb threat, an actual bomb blast, a fire or a riot. It would be a bit different if it was advertised as a standing room only concert, with no tables and chairs about to impede movement.

I am becoming disillusioned about ever attending another concert here. Is it really worth it to watch our favorite singers while cramped like sardines, gasping in the sweltering heat of body mass, crossing our legs as we cannot reach the restrooms? I can understand why my Indonesian friends do not ever attend their fellow Indonesian artists' concerts -- it's not worth the bother. However, we expatriates occasionally go, for the sheer experience of hearing a local artist singing, and in the hope that this time, the organization of things have improved.

Organizers, please take note!

MS. R. WAN ALI

Jakarta