Grammy winner Ricky Kej blasts Trevor Noah over Bengaluru show: 'complacent, irresponsible'

Trevor Noah was scheduled to perform in Bengaluru on September 27 but the show was cancelled. (Image: @Trevornoah/X)

South African comic Trevor Noah's recent show in Bengaluru has ignited a debate about artist responsibility and event management in the city. Noah shared a goodbye note from India – replete with pictures – and had a message for Bengaluru, where he couldn’t perform due to a technical glitch. Multiple Grammy award-winning musician Ricky Kej has now hit out at the former Daily Show host calling him "very complacent and irresponsible artist" over the show that was scheduled to be held on September 27 at Manpho Conventional Centre in Manyata Tech Park.

Noah's Bengaluru show took an unexpected turn when he shared his unusual backstage experience during his Mumbai gig. He described having to reach the backstage area through an alley filled with dogs, half of which were in cages, a stark contrast to his usual venues. The comedian's humorous take on the situation in Bengaluru during his Mumbai shows didn't sit well with everyone.

Ricky Kej, a renowned musician and composer, criticized Noah today after his farewell post for his lack of preparation before his Bengaluru show. Kej pointed out that artists typically conduct soundchecks and venue reconnaissance before a show, ensuring that the sound and other technical aspects are optimal. He also expressed his shock that Noah did not follow these standard practices in Bengaluru, leading to a disappointing experience for the audience.

“If Trevor Noah really bothered about his ticket purchasing fans, then he would have made it a point to arrive earlier in the day (or previous night) and personally carried out a reconnaissance of the venue, tested out his microphone and ensured that the sound was optimum. I am sure he does that at other prestigious venues all over the world, and I am shocked to realize he did not bother to do this in Bengaluru. This is the artists responsibility,” he wrote.

Kej also emphasized the importance of artists communicating their technical requirements and specifications to event organizers.

“If Trevor wanted screens as he mentioned in his Mumbai rant, then he should have asked for them, given specifications. If he wanted a specific venue, he should have asked for it,” he added.

He cited examples of other international artists who have had successful events in Bengaluru by collaborating closely with event management and ensuring a great experience for their fans.

He continued: “When Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, Metallica, Symphony Orchestras, Russel Peters, etc. have had super successful events in Bengaluru, why is Bengaluru being trashed now? YANNI had performed in the EXACT SAME VENUE in 2014.. and the sound and experience was fantastic, because Yanni worked with everyone involved to deliver a spectacular concert. Yanni cared about his fans.”

Furthermore, Kej expressed disappointment in Noah's generalization of the incident, attributing it to "India" as a whole, which he deemed in bad taste. Kej stressed that the issue was primarily related to event management and an artist's responsibility, not a reflection of the entire country.

“Trevor also attributed this incident to "India" as a whole, which is in very bad taste. This is definitely a case of terrible event management, but more importantly a very complacent and irresponsible artist with a complete disregard for his paying fans (and India)… who blames everyone and everything but himself,” he concluded.

While I do agree that there were many Event Management related problems in the Bengaluru show for @Trevornoah .. there is something known as a "Soundcheck" and "Venue recce" that every responsible and caring artist caries out before a show.
If Trevor Noah really bothered about… https://t.co/uzhjGyLcya

— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) October 4, 2023

“India. What an experience it was coming and performing in your country for the first time. Thank you for sharing your rich history, your delicious cuisine and your fantastic arguments with me. Thank you to everyone who came out to the shows in Delhi and Mumbai because you made it truly unforgettable. Bangalore, our story isn’t done, I’ll be back and next time we’ll make sure it’s the best show ever,” Noah wrote today as he signed off sharing pictures from his visit to the Taj Mahal and other historical places.