Why a concert may be cancelled

Show them the money

The likeliest reason for a concert to be called off is when the performing artiste is not paid on time, said LAMC's co-owner Lauretta Alabons.

"It's standard procedure. If you don't pay the artistes, they won't have confidence in the show."

In this case, 1 World Festival organiser Retfar said all artists have been paid in full.

Visas and genres

Sometimes artistes encounter problems entering Singapore if they don't have the required visa, said Midas Promotions director Steven Woodward.

There are also occasions when they are not allowed to play because of their genre of music, added Live! Empire's managing director Rudy De Rozario.

"If their songs contain lots of vulgarities, or if they are a death metal band, they might face roadblocks," he said.

Clashing schedules

There are instances when an artiste's schedule clashes with the concert date, said Ms Alabons. "We (LAMC) had to postpone Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons' July concert to next year because he wanted to shoot a film with Clint Eastwood in the same month as our first target date."

Logistics

The logistics set-up for a festival is 100 times that of a standalone concert, said Mr Woodward.

"Things can go wrong if the organisers need to make last-minute changes that cannot be authorised, such as important equipment or gear that cannot be allowed through customs."

Licences and permits

Permits are applied for a concert way in advance, immediately after the artiste is confirmed.

However, a music festival's licences are different from a concert's, said Mr Woodward.

"The application process is not so simple, cut and dry. There is the entertainment licence, liquor licence, and you also need to get approval from the police and the Media Development Authority."

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