Chris Martin refuses to sing to 'chairs' as his show flops

Just like any flop, the chairs were so much in excess. Photo By Batte Edgar

What you need to know:

By 6pm, a truck loaded with speakers and a loud emcee parked at the entrance of the venue announcing to passers-by and other travellers that Chris Martin was in the building. Not sure people had listened his music, the emcee also made effort to give titles of some of the songs the Jamaican reggae singer is known for

Did you know Jamaican artiste Christopher Martin, he of Paper Loving fame, was in town? Yes, he was. He was slated to perform at Freedom City but he did not step on stage, owing to an empty house - one with hardly 50 revellers.

By 6pm, a truck loaded with speakers and a loud emcee parked at the entrance of the venue announcing to passers-by and other travellers that Chris Martin was in the building. Not sure people had listened his music, the emcee also made effort to give titles of some of the songs the Jamaican reggae singer is known for.

At 4pm, on Friday, this reporter established that the organiser of the show, David Kibuuka who flew in Martin under his One Nation Entertainment Promotions, had not fully cleared payments for equipment provided by Fenon Events. As such Fenon’s director, Steven Jean, switched off the machines awaiting his payment.

Chris Martin. PHOTO BY EDGAR R. BATTE

Management of Freedom City then switched on the venue’s sound system. But that was not all that was amiss. The concert was not well publicised. They were only a few banners advertising the show, mostly on Entebbe Road. There was no hype on radio stations, on social and online media avenues, newspapers and television stations.

The windy evening on Friday did not help make matters as the skies remained cloudy, gloomy and pregnant with a looming downpour. The handful of revellers were irked with power disruptions that momentarily left the venue in darkness and silence as technicians reconnected the sound equipment.

There were no stage performances as organisers kept fingers crossed, hoping for a miracle of revellers turning up in droves to happen. It never did. For a concert which was supposed to attract a big crowd, service providers like caterers and vendors as well as security personnel were more than revellers seated in both the ordinary and VIP sections of the audience.

It remained a sombre mood not just for the confused revellers but for the anxious service providers who had expected to make some cash. Without any announcement, the music went low and the machines thereon switched off at about 11.15pm. The lights went out bringing the night which was meant to be of fun and ecstasy to an informal end.