We have had a good year in terms of live music thus far. We have had Lionel Richie and Nicki Minaj. Chris de Burgh is here this weekend. Following him is a host of other people, including Mariah Carey. One thing that promoters rarely talk about is what it takes to put together shows like this. There is a lot of work that goes on between the time the first call is made to the artist's managementand the moment they finally get on stage.
In E! Entertainment's Mariah's World, we will see how the singer operates behind the scenes when she is on tour. We get to meet her team, from assistants through to choreographers, and there is a lot that the multiple-award winning singer has to accomplish before hitting those high notes on stage.
This is the work side which should be educational to anyone who wants to be in the music events business. What's interesting is that even after paying these international singers whatever they want, there is no guarantee that they will pitch. After discussions with Nicki Minaj regarding her performing at the Tribe One festival in 2014, the promoters could not bring her to South Africa and she still got to walk away with a R10-million deposit! (Though she has since said she'll repay the money. Hmm.)
And when they do come through, after you pay them, there are some extras that you may need to consider to make their stay comfortable. Mariah Carey is known for making some of the weirdest demands. Apparently, in 2009, she asked for 20 white kittens and 200 doves to be released at Westfield London Shopping Centre as she turned on Christmas lights. The organisers declined.
Mariah also doesn't like "busy patterns" and will not climb stairs. Also, she apparently demands bottles of vitamin water to bath her dogs and she requests there be an attendant whose sole job is to dispose of her used chewing gum. Yup, that's what it is like at the top.
So, as we enjoy Mariah's World in anticipation of her return, the real question is, can we really afford her? The series will air globally across E!'s 17 international channels reaching 153 countries in 24 languages at date to be confirmed.
(Independent Online)
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