Press members get cold treatment at Keys' show

 

 

A three-line review of Alicia Keys’ recent concert in Kuala Lumpur is spreading like wildfire on social media.

 

 

According to the GNC sources, the concert organizer had ushered media members ‘out of the concert venue right after the end of the third song’. It also said that the multiple Grammy winning singer/composer’s concert had begun an hour late.

So, why the cold treatment for the media? Guess what..

 

Here is the sequence of events: We learnt that prior to the concert, some Malaysian media members had been denied access to a press interview because their names were not on the ‘original list’ of invited media. After an exchange of words with the media, the organiser relented and allowed them to do the interview. “We were told after the interview that we weren’t allowed to cover the concert. But we went anyway. At first, we were turned down by the organizer, but they finally let us into the stadium.

 

 

We also learnt that members of the media who had registered with the organiser were given a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for their coverage of the show. Three songs later, they were asked to leave the premises.

“Why weren’t we allowed to stay and watch the show? We are harmless and we were on official duty,” she added. When contacted, a PR Worldwide spokesperson said that it was Keys’ management team had made the request for press members to leave the premises after the third song is performed.

“The directive didn’t come from PR Worldwide and when our team made a query, the management reverted saying that ‘it’s a worldwide practice’ for all Keys’ concerts and that press members aren’t allowed to cover the entire concert,” said the spokesperson. “And I have never come across any incident where I had to ask the media to leave an event. Totally ridiculous,” said Jennifer who has organised American hard rock band, Guns N’ Roses concert in Kuala Lumpur not too long ago.