There are many things to admire about the story of Olamide the rapper.
His rag to riches story, his ever-strong connection to the streets, his fecundity as a rapper and the relentless ability to come up with witty metaphors and unforgettable catchphrases in his bars.
But when it comes to his concerts, there is nothing really worth emulating about them.
Olamide Live In Concert 3 held only a few hours ago at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island.
OLIC3, because OLIC2 held last year at the same venue which was built on the success of OLIC1 two years back.
There was even an Olamide concert in London only a few months ago.
Both previous shows were roaring successes; maybe even victims of their own success, as the concert venues were filled to capacity right on the edge of being overbooked.
Indeed for the show in the United Kingdom, the concert was cut short because the authorities in the land considered the sheer number of people in The Apollo to be a safety risk.
Olamide is a popular rapper, one of the few rappers in Nigeria able to crossover into mainstream. So it is quite expected that any show with Olamide as the headliner would be fully booked.
What is however not expected is that the same mistakes made in previous shows would be repeated for the third.
Overbooking an event even when it is well known in advance that the demand would surely outstrip the supply quite over the point of stretching.
And part of the blame goes to the choice of the venue for the concert. The Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel is not fit for purpose for a concert. This we have known for years.
Holding such a show deep in the bowels of an upscale hotel with limited exits and entrances is not the ideal setting for over one thousand excited youth to gather on a regular basis. Plus, one is not sure if it is the kind of footfall the management of Eko Hotel be wanting.
But most of the blame surely goes to Olamide/YBNL/whoever is in charge of making decisions for the planning of the concert.
First time was probably bad luck; second and third time is surely indolence and recklessness.
So we had a situation throughout the concert where far more people had paid and were willing to pay for tickets than could possibly squeeze through the doors.
And for those that managed to squeeze in, they had to mostly contend with other people’s elbows while they stood during the awkward breaks and silences between the noisy performances.
Yes, Wizkid was there. Yes, Davido performed. Yes, Olamide and Phyno reprised their ‘Fada Fada’ collaboration on stage. But it mattered little to the vast majority who couldn’t even get in.
Olamide likes to call himself the voice of the streets, a man of the people. But a cursory glance at the venue where multi-million tables occupied the vast majority of the floor really puts that appellation to the test.
The people came for Olamide. In their various sizes and shapes; the high and the mighty. Old and the very underage. And they were mostly disappointed.
Even for those that made it in, they had to be content with listening to performers singing over their tracks. This was no live concert.
OLIC3 didn’t really promise much but somehow still failed to deliver. Olamide promised days ago that his concert would be talked about for years. Doubt that.
No Fields Found.