Vanessa Mae concert ends in fiasco, say organizers

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Organzers of the Sofia concert will claim legal damages from Vanessa Mae. REUTERS Photo

Bulgarian fans and organizers will claim legal damages from Singaporean star violinist Vanessa Mae after she “humiliated” the local audience, Bulgarian website novinate.com reported.

Mae was met with boos and hisses when she finally emerged on stage at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia for her concert on Dec. 3.

The 6,000 ticket holders were angered because Mae appeared two hours late and because of the oversold seats, lack of information and a long wait in the cold outside the locked entrances of the NDK.
Many spectators left before the intermission, while others demanded reimbursement.

Twelve bodyguards had to keep the outraged audience away from the star, who arrived from her hotel 40 minutes late and then proceeded to conduct a rehearsal and sound check during which fans were sent outside to wait in the lobby.

The organizers from Most of Evil Music Ltd. said they would seek legal advice on reimbursing the ticket holders and would also seek damages from Mae.

According to the company’s manager, Gani Kurshumov, the scandal was caused by the “irresponsible approach of the artist to the undertaken commitment.”

“What she did was not appear on stage at 8 p.m. as scheduled. Instead, she stayed in her hotel until that time and then decided to proceed with a sound check, irritating us and the audience. At some point we became fed up with her fits. For example, we spent quite of a long time sewing a dress with crystals for her and minutes before the concert Mae decides that she didn’t like it and will not be wearing it. And she approved it in advance. The problems with her started from the moment she set foot in Bulgaria. We paid fees and air tickets a week before the concert,” said Kurshumov.