Noah’s arc: Trevor comes and goes

So, Trevor Noah put Bengaluru on the map. A map of where not to go and what not to do… For all those who bought tickets and braved the city traffic for the international comedian, deliriously excited about his show in Bengaluru, the roadblock was not the high price of the seats or the usual denseness of the drive to or fro, and not even the lack of parking space in the narrow lane where the show was to be held, but the plain and simple lack of technical savvy at the venue. The stand-up comedian refused to take the bad acoustics lying down. When he realized that backbenchers could hear him not, he refused to tell his jokes. He disappeared from stage, never to return.

The audience immediately had a meltdown. Trevor tweeted: ‘Dear Bengaluru 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. We tried everything but because the audience can’t hear the comedians on stage there’s literally no way to do a show.’ And though both Trevor and BookMyShow immediately clarified that the tickets – upwards of Rs 2,000 – would be refunded soon, everyone who had somehow reached the venue for the show had a loud opinion on what happened and why it should not have happened.

Apart from the sheer traffic the audience had to brave to reach there, and the fact that the star in question himself was late by half an hour owing to the same reason, the insanity of arrival was only compounded by bigger problems like a lack of sound. With such a large crowed having already booked tickets and the organizers having a precise idea of the numbers expected, why did this technical glitch happen at all, and why wasn’t it resolved in time?

These are questions that the city will grapple with along with the larger ones about its roads and the lack of public spaces with world-class facilities and a respect for artists and their time. Does this city take its commuters for granted?