LACK of sponsorships is a key reason why big name artistes have snubbed Malaysia for other Southeast Asian countries, said entertainment industry insiders.

Driving this is Malaysia’s bent towards conservative Islam, which frowns on sponsorships by companies selling non-halal products, such as alcohol.

Where neighbouring countries are not fussy about sponsorships from such companies, Malaysia is more constrained, making it harder for event organisers to source for funds and, in turn, make profits.

“A huge part of the reason (why artistes don’t come here) is because of sponsorship. Monetary backing is horrible here. Thailand has various brands, including alcohol, while Indonesia still has tobacco brands sponsoring (events),” said artiste manager Joe Lee.

Celine Dion is the latest A-list performer who has shunned Malaysia on her first-ever Southeast Asian tour this year. Her tour details announced yesterday listed Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore, Manila and Bangkok but not Kuala Lumpur. Her last concert here was part of her Taking Chances World Tour in 2008.

Lee said without sponsorships, organisers and promoters find it hard to make profits.

“Performance fees are too hefty after currency conversion and, with the lack of sponsors, there is no way organisers or promoters can profit. In most cases, breaking even is a challenge,” he said.

Industry activist and event manager Jennifer Thompson agreed that it all boiled down to numbers.

“It’s a big money game. It’s tough when we don’t have sponsors. And it also boils down to economic sense. Will we able to make profit? If the (ticket) price is too high, can people afford it? We are not music nation,” said Thompson.

Besides Dion, another A-list performer that skipped Malaysia recently was Coldplay, which performed in Bangkok last year.

Market base, in addition to lack of sponsorship, was another factor. Thompson said the sheer number of fans who bought tickets for concerts in Indonesia and Thailand were far bigger than in Malaysia.

“Album sales in Indonesia are in the millions. Album sales in Malaysia are in just the hundreds of thousands and that was long time ago. Now, a new artiste’s album sales can only reach 5,000 or 10,000 copies,” said Thompson.

Other reasons were bureaucratic red tape and religious policing, Lee added.

Malaysia has stringent regulations for international entertainers, including how they dress, and artistes don’t like to be told what to do, Thompson said.

“They need space and ability to perform to their fullest ability,” she said.

In the past, a Megadeth concert scheduled in 2001 was stopped over perceptions about the the group’s image and music. Norwegian metal band Mayhem endured the same fate in 2005.

In 2007, Beyonce cancelled her concert due to government rules on performers’ attire. Several reports at the time put the cancellation down to protests by conservative groups. 

In 2008, Queen of Dangdut Inul Daratista also had her concert banned over complaints about her dancing, which some considered “lewd”.

The last international artiste who performed in Malaysia was Ed Sheeran. His tour in November last year was sponsored by the telco company UMobile. 

In February, American alternative rock band Incubus will be performing in Kuala Lumpur. Tunetalk is the main sponsor. 

But for other favourites, die-hard Malaysian fans have no other choice but to fork out extra money to spend on overseas trips to see their idols perform.

Seri Kamal, a 38-year old freelance writer, has been to Indonesia, Bangkok and Singapore to watch Muse, Sigur Ros and The Rolling Stones perform.

Writer Joe Kaos Jr said he has travelled to the UK, New Zealand and Singapore to watch bands live in concert.

“I travel because the bands that I want to watch don’t come to Malaysia. The reasons why they skip Malaysia are simply because its too expensive and there are lots of restrictions to comply with, which makes neighbouring cities and country like Bangkok and Singapore more appealing,” said Joe.

The Foo Fighters, for example, played in Bangkok and Singapore recently, he said.

However, he said for die-hard fans, even cost is not a deterrent.

“The next music festival I’m going to will cost me RM1,000 for tickets. I also have to pay for the flights, which cost around RM3,000. What more, accommodation. 

“But it’s worth it because none of the bands playing at the festival will ever come to Kuala Lumpur anyway,” he said. – January 14, 2018.