Pitbull show raises doubts and hopes

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We’re a nation that loves music. Touching the pulse of the youth, Delhi/NCR is known for bringing international artists here, but of late it has earned a tainted image — thanks to the cancellation of a number of events. After Bryan Adams concert disappointed fans, cancellation of the Metallica concert saw fans trashing equipment. Now with Pitbull slated to perform on December 4 in Noida, fans are more than just cautious about buying tickets for this one.
Marketing professional Nimit is hopeful of a mega event but is unsure if he would buy tickets. “When Metallica got cancelled, many of us got our money back, so I guess at least those people would be willing to pay for another international artist. As of now, I’m not too sure about it,” he says.
The organisers promise that everything is in place, and there’s no room for last minute hiccups. Says Utkarsh Bansal, director, P3P E Ventures Pvt Ltd, “We are taking all the necessary steps to ensure a successful concert including state of the art production and artist security. Also, other permissions required are being ensured well in advance. Moreover, our venue in Noida works in our favour since we can monitor the crowd and there will be no security concern. Pitbull himself is looking into all the minute details for this one and is quite personally involved.”
Jaya Anand, who works with a media house, says the credibility of such shows has suffered damage. “But Noida being the venue, I’m hoping for something better. I don’t know if after Metallica many would be looking forward to this one. Why do they raise the hopes of fans when the events prove such flops? But I hope this show is successful,” she says.
Himanshu Garg, who paid for Metallica passes and never got his money back, says it all depends on the organisers. “If they’ve learnt their lessons from the past few events, then well and good. For me, these events now sound more or less like a joke as they’ve been cancelled so many times,” he says.
However, the spirit of Delhi is still high as they feel that this one could just turn the image of NCR. “So what if we’ve have events getting cancelled, Noida and Gurgaon have also hosted some great events. It all depends on who’s organising the event. I feel there should be a way of getting one’s money back if the event is cancelled, that adds to the event’s credibility,” concludes Sourav Pawar, a DU student.