Spare a minute for all Bengaluru folks who braved the Bengaluru traffic to see Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah's comedy tour hit a rather unexpected pothole when his shows in Bengaluru were cancelled due to what he termed "bad acoustics", sending shockwaves through the Internet, prompting an outpouring of reactions from fans and observers alike.
What
The South African comedian and former TV host, was in the midst of his Off The Record Tour in India, performing in various cities. His shows were produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live, promising an evening of stand-up.
- Bangalore was a significant stop on his tour, with live performances scheduled at the Manpho Convention Centre on September 27 and 28.
- However, Noah seems to have found himself on the wrong side of acoustics as he took to X(formerly Twitter) to announce the unfortunate cancellation of both Bangalore shows.
Cancellation and apology
In his tweet, he expressed his eagerness to perform in the city but cited insurmountable technical issues that made it impossible to proceed.
Dear Bengalaru India, I was so looking forward to performing in your amazing city but due to technical issues we’ve been forced to cancel both shows.
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) September 27, 2023
We tried everything but because the audience can’t hear the comedians on stage there’s literally no way to do a show. We’ll make…
Tickets for the event ranged from Rs 3,000 to a whopping Rs 12, 500.
He assured ticket holders of full refunds and apologised profusely for the inconvenience and disappointment caused by this unexpected turn of events.
Bengaluru, we are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused at Trevor Noah’s Off The Record show at Manpho Convention Centre on September 27th. The Bengaluru leg of the India Tour for both September 27th & 28th stands cancelled. All customers who purchased tickets for both…
— BookMyShow (@bookmyshow) September 27, 2023
The Internet chips in
While Noah's explanation seemed genuine, many fans and observers on the internet raised eyebrows and questioned the validity of his claims.
Many raised a skeptical eyebrow, wondering if "bad acoustics" was just code for a comedy show that got lost in translation. The Internet's collective side-eye was hard to ignore.
The reactions from fans who had purchased tickets were swift and passionate. They took to social media platforms to vent their frustrations, highlighting a range of issues they had encountered at the venue.
Complaints included not just the alleged bad acoustics but also problems like dysfunctional air conditioning and difficulties in accessing the location.
That was @Trevornoah saying sound guys can’t figure out how to fix this. I won’t be able to perform like this. Sorry for the situation. He said everyone will get their money back. Just want to add, the venue didn’t even have proper bathrooms. Dei @bookmyshow pic.twitter.com/UXVEyRfNQq
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) September 27, 2023
Some attendees voiced concerns about the seating quality and the overall management of the event.
An example of epic project management failure. A case where everyone lost due to poor planning by organisers. #TrevorNoah show canceled in #Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/TRGo94zUE6
— Richa Srivastava (@risri21) September 27, 2023
Another user described the conditions inside the venue, emphasizing the high ticket prices and subpar experience.
In March I'd attended Daniel Sloss' Delhi show organized by @bookmyshow. They REALLY fucked up – weird rules of people with e-tix having to collect physical tix etc. Show started an hour late & he had to shorten his set. Now this Bangalore Trevor Noah shit... wtf is going on?
— Ria Chopra 🐍 (@riachops) September 27, 2023
Disappointment was palpable among fans who had travelled from other cities to attend the shows.
Trevor Noah Show postponed by 30 mins due to less attendance because of Bangalore traffic. pic.twitter.com/ImblXY1BVG
— Surbhi Jain (@surbhiskjain) September 27, 2023
They also criticised the event management for failing to provide a suitable experience for the audience, particularly those who had paid a premium for their tickets.
This has to b the shortest performance I have ever paid and braved through Bangalore traffic to watch!
— Aanchal Bhargava (@BhargavaAanchal) September 27, 2023
Beyond disappointed about @Trevornoah ‘s show getting canned in Bengaluru!! I only have @bookmyshow to blame for their absolutely shoddy job of organising the most basic thngs pic.twitter.com/Q6TaMz2ufv
Humour found its way into some reactions, with people connecting Noah's late arrival in Bangalore due to traffic with the cancellation.
Trevor Noah got stuck in Bengaluru Traffic & reached his own show late. People stuck in ORR traffic for 2-3 hours unable to move, sold their tickets on IG/X. Some reached & Trevor cancelled the show cause of bad acoustics.
— Waseem ವಸೀಮ್ وسیم (@WazBLR) September 27, 2023
He's probably already writing jokes on BLR's traffic. 😭 pic.twitter.com/ZmM9L2xySu
Many speculated that the comedian was probably already drafting punchlines about the city's infamous gridlock.
Trevor Noah in his next show in the US!😌 https://t.co/Doz0CtdFoi pic.twitter.com/oUmBgVmzJa
— NEO (@normaly_abnorml) September 27, 2023
Take note, AR Rahman
The incident in Bangalore drew comparisons to another recent event mishap involving Oscar-winner AR Rahman's concert in Chennai.
Rahman's concert, held at Chennai's Adityaram Palace City, attracted a massive crowd of over 45,000 people but was marred by mismanagement and chaos outside the venue. Attendees faced long queues, traffic jams, and issues with ticketing, leading to concerns about safety, especially for women and children.
First Chennai got paralyzed by AR Rahman concert
— West Coast Weatherman (@RainTracker) September 27, 2023
Now Bengaluru by Trevor Noah
Indian metropolitian cities badly need world class convention centre with 1 lakh capacity, parking facilities and more entertainment options in general
There are people with spending power but… https://t.co/nD8QXOCGFi
While Rahman refrained from pointing fingers and opted for a philosophical reflection on Chennai's passion for music and art, some critics chastised him for not offering a more substantial apology, especially when compared to Noah's more apologetic tone in his cancellation announcement.
Dear @arrahman
— Raja 🖤 (@whynotraja) September 27, 2023
Kindly take a look at this following statement by Trevor Noah. https://t.co/D96MGSPcgj pic.twitter.com/7Mh2OXOeSi
The series of events has left fans and concertgoers pessimistic on the prospects of live shows and their future in even big metropolitans in the country.
We want the best comedians to perform, fancy music artist to tour India but when we don't get basic shit right it just fucks up the entire momentum. Watch this Trevor Noah shit show ruin the scene for a year or two now https://t.co/pm4QNaTJs4
— arvind sista (@arvind_sista) September 27, 2023