Chidi Okereke
As I type this, my body still hurts. I cannot remember the last time I stood for 6 hours straight, without a place to even recline-on or rest my back. Soon as I publish, I’ll be calling someone to give me a full massage, because my body deserves it after all I experienced at the Davido 30 Billion Concert. But let’s start from the very beginning – before people began flooding the Eko Convention Center venue of the last major concert this year.
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Event Publicity
Got to hand it to the guys who promoted the 30 Billion Concert – online and offline. While Davido has lots of fans who would’ve shown up regardless, the publicity team did a damn good job making people want to attend the show. There were daily online conversations discussing Davido, his person, life, music, family, comic side, philanthropic side, and the concert itself, and in no time, regular/lower class tickets sold out. Followed by VIP, then VVIP, then all the tables. As a matter of fact, they sold more tickets than the hall could take, but we’ll get to that. For now, kudos to them.
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Ticket classification
The same hand that was used to hand it to the guys who promoted the concert is the same hand we need to use to slap the foolishness out of the people who decided to classify tickets into 8 different categories in an event happening at the Eko Convention Center. Slap the insanity out of them, because unless it was just a way to make more money, they should have known the Convention Center doesn’t really allow for more than 3 categories – Regular, VIP and Tables. Maybe if the National Theater was functional, tickets can be categorized like that, but till then, show promoters need to really chill. SMH.
GRATEFULL!!❤️❤️❤️❤️ SEE YALL TONITE!! #30BillionConcert pic.twitter.com/EDlp0fvt9v
— Davido (@davido) December 27, 2017
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Worst sitting arrangement ever
This is a direct result of the ridiculous ticket classification above. One can also blame this on the fact that the 6000 capacity Eko Convention Center had like 10,000 people in it, but it’s not enough to justify the worst hall-positioning set-up ever. Let me attempt to describe the hall. Surrounding the stage were people who paid N30,000 (VIP) and N50,000 (VVIP). Directly behind them, facing the stage was an elevated platform for the 30 Billion Gang – those who paid N5million per table. If you ask me, these two categories are the ones who enjoyed the show the most.
People who paid N3million and N2million per table were on lower elevated platforms to the left and right of the 30 billion gang. Some of those who paid N1million per table were positioned close to the kitchen, and had to either stand on their seats or watch the less-pricey ticket holders surrounding the stage.
So we paid N1million for Davido tickets only to find ourselves at the end of the hall. Regular and VIP are at the front. I don't understand this 😤😤😤😤. #30billion
— D. (@Outtheboxx) December 27, 2017
@Chydee lol. How can we pay N1m for a table and we are at the back by kitchen? Guys that paid 15k are in front of the stage. Davido owes me money. Rubbish 😤😤😤The first shall be last 🤦♂️ #30billion
— D. (@Outtheboxx) December 27, 2017
For those who had regular tickets – economy and premium regular (I still do not understand these categories because while one cost N5,000 more, all of us faced the same struggle), and came after 10pm, all I can say is we thank God for life. When I got in with my friend, all the possible seats were already taken. There were places to stand, but none gave a clear view of the stage. We decided to go round, for greener pastures, but by the time we returned to our original spot, it was already taken. There were no places to even stand – without blocking someone else. In the end, we had to watch the show on one of the screens, and at some point, when the table guests (who were already on elevated platforms that blocked our view) stood on their chairs to see the stage better, we lost complete vision of proceedings. Only our ears were functioning. So, yeah; worst sitting arrangement ever.
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The upcoming acts
I’ll try to be as nice as I can here. I know it’s not unusual to have upcoming acts perform at concerts, before the main act(s) come on. But one would expect the biggest African Act this year to do a better job at selecting opening acts for his concert. One would expect he take it so personal that he screens them all before putting them on. That was definitely not the case as we had the strangest set of people get on that stage and lambast our ears with horrendous sounds for more than 2 hours. I hope that is the case at least, because I don’t want to believe Davido listened to all those guys and thought, yeah, come perform at my concert. Eiish. I mean, while the regular ticket holders may not mind anything they get, I don’t think anybody paid N5million to watch some wannabe-reggae net-wearing-ass attempt to sing about marijuana, or some blonde-wig wearing kid – who should be at home sleeping – sing about how he can’t ‘smile and suffer’ or something like that. Nobody deserves that, Davido. Nobody does.
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Established acts
Mercifully, the horrendous 2 hours were interspersed with flashes of some – to an extent – established acts. The likes of Teni The Entertainer, DNA Twins, Terry Apala, the ever-brilliant T-Jan and Nonso Amadi – who was lowkey singing off-key helped save our sanity. DJ Cuppy, Dremo, Dice Ailes, Niniola, Davido’s cousins – B-Red and Sina Rambo, Mayorkun (who won this category hands down), Humble Smith, and so on also got on stage.
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Special Spesh
First, I need to let you all know there is nothing special about this guy. Now that is out of the way, I need to let you all know he was absolutely horrendous throughout the show. Now that is out of the way, I need you all to know who Special Spesh should be. He should be Davido’s personal hype-man; basically the guy who gets the crowd hyped before Davido comes out, and then ensures it remains hyped throughout his performance. That is his only job, and today, he failed woefully. When he got on, he did nothing to connect with the tired crowd, before asking us if we were ready to see Davido. Fam, we’d been there for hours, frustrated by the ridiculous pre-performances and this mass of flesh was asking us if we were ready. Are you alright upstairs?
https://twitter.com/KobokoGCFR/status/946205224984817664
Still do not understand why someone with Davido’s discography thinks he even needs a hype man. He is ‘globally’ known, has back to back to back hits, and has mad stage energy, so why does he need someone to hype him up again? Anyway, if he insists on keeping one, he should get someone with the energy and crowd control ability of Dotun or Shoddy The Turn Up King. Special Trash can be his bodyguard or something, he shouldn’t be allowed to touch a mic, ever again. Ever!
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Eniola Badmus and Pencil Comedian
If Special Spesh was horrible, Eniola Badmus was utterly miserable. She was supposed to be the host, but her ‘final performance’ – something that seemed like pep-talk/hype, was the most painful 5 minutes at the concert. It was irritating, retarded and completely unnecessary. Whoever thought it was a good idea to bring her on needs to be flogged. Rubbish.
https://twitter.com/iamBussmarn/status/946174884039847936
Again, I am wondering if this concert was actually planned, because, with the many many funny people in Nigeria, Pencil Comedian had no business mounting that stage to disturb our senses with the driest jokes ever. Where are the Bovis? The Basketmouths? Or if they wanted a younger person, the Kenny Blaqs? The Chief Obis? The Craze Clowns? No, Davido, no.
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Solo performances
Somewhere two sub-heads ago, we mentioned Davido’s discography, and how he has too many awesome songs, bangers and super hits. This year alone he has dropped 3 monster hits, and his song is the biggest in Nigeria right now. Therefore, his solo performances couldn’t have been bad even if he wanted. If he liked, he could have just cued the instrumental, point the mic at the crowd and we will sing the songs for him.
He began his solos with ‘Dami Duro’ – the single that changed his life – then ‘Gobe’, then (someone said he went to sleep small) left the stage for other supporting acts. He later came back, did a couple other classics, and when the time came, a medley of ‘If’ and ‘Fall’. He finally ended the show with ‘Fia’, before shouting out his late friend, DJ Olu.
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Superstars
The best part of the show was how superstars came out to support and show Davido love. It began with a beautiful rendition of ‘Daddy’, featuring Reminisce. Runtown performed ‘Gallardo’ with him, then did ‘Love You For Life’, before bringing out Nasty C, with whom he performed ‘Said’.
Nasty C – who sadly didn’t get enough love, probably because he hasn’t achieved mainstream popularity here yet – did a few of his songs, then Davido joined him for ‘Coolest Kid in Africa’.
His new ‘best friend’ Wizkid came out and performed ‘Manya’ to massive applause, then others like Reekado Banks, Falz, Tuface, Daddy Showkey, Terry G, Olamide, Lil Kesh, CDQ, etc, came out to show love. In the end, the biggest highlight of the event was when …
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Mo’Hits Reunited
Yes. You probably know this already, but from someone who was there, let me re-emphasize how this was the biggest event of the night. He said it took him two months to make it happen, and it was totally worth it. The whole Mo’Hits – as in – Don Jazzy, D’Banj, Wande Coal, Dr Sid, D’Prince and K’Switch got on one stage and dropped classic after classic. Each act also did one of their huge solos – Suddenly, Wine am well, Pop Something, Over the moon, Give it to me, etc., and everybody felt it. It was amazing, brought back memories, nostalgia, some tears and made the whole stress we’d gone through worth it.
Ending this review on this high, so the very best feedback can be the last you read. Thank you Davido.
