KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — Event management companies said "mistakes", like the one that led to the cancellation of a trance music festival over the weekend, make it hard to attract notable performers to the country.
Internationally renowned DJs Ferry Corsten and Standerwick were set to headline Transtellar until authorities pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.
A source within government agency Puspal claimed Hybrid Entertainment’s failure to submit an application to City Hall on time led to the cancellation.
(Puspal is the Central Agencies Committee for applications for filming and performances by foreign artistes.)
Livescape Malaysia general manager Matthew Dason said things like that will only make it harder to pull in big names to play Malaysia in future.
“It puts everyone’s events in jeopardy,” said Dason, referring to companies like his that bring in international acts to Malaysia.
Livescape staged annual It’s The Ship and The White Party events in 2017, which featured EDM sensation Marshmello and many more top artistes on the star-filled bills.
Dason said chances of bringing in acts of such calibre in future will diminish if fellow organisers don’t get the basics right.
“Malaysians had to travel to Bangkok and Singapore last year to see Foo Fighters and Coldplay. We already suffer getting these acts because of the ringgit,” he said.
“The guidelines for holding a concert here is all online. If the paperwork is in order, it should be fine.”
Dason added that if the problem was indeed a late application submission to City Hall, there should be ways to circumnavigate the issue.
Hybrid Entertainment issued an apology on Sunday to hundreds of ticket-holders hoping to attend Transtellar, assuring fans they did get the authority’s approval to hold the festival but an “unsatisfied party” lodged a complaint that caused the disruption.
Future Sound Asia (FSA) managing director Ben Law echoed Dason’s fears of how the cancellation might affect their business in future.
“These types of events getting cancelled for no permit... artistes will question the credibility of promoters in Malaysia,” said Law.
Law once suffered a similar fate in 2015 when authorities forced FSA to scrap their Thirst event.
The cancellation denied 4,000 music enthusiasts a rave which was set to bring foreign DJs Dash Berlin and R3hab to Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC).
Law said he had obtained the relevant permits for Thirst but the event was sabotaged by a local activist.
He added that agencies representing foreign artistes in the past have contacted FSA to see if event management companies they are unfamiliar with could be trusted.
The Thirst fiasco prompted the formation of Arts, Live Festivals and Events Association (ALIFE), made up by a number of established event organisers in Malaysia.
ALIFE originally called for a change to the approval process of securing overseas artistes, saying Puspal should be a one-stop shop for organisers to get all the relevant permits to hold an event involving international performers.
Last Tuesday, ALIFE held a conference at KL Live calling on various event management companies to come together to ensure events are protected from authorities who aim to shut down shows at the last minute.
Among the speakers were ALIFE president and PR Worldwide managing director Para Rajagopal, vice president and LOL Events CEO Rizal Kamal, Warner Music Malaysia managing director Darren Choy and Dason.
Law said the non-profit organisation welcomes organisers like Hybrid Entertainment. “They will see ALIFE is a good organisation to join.”
