A Recap Of Nigeria’s Livespot X Festival Headlined By Cardi B
One of Nigeria’s biggest music festivals of 2019, Livespot X Festival came and went with a bang. I’m talking about the one held on December 7, at the Eko Atlantic Grounds, Victoria Island, Lagos, headlined by Grammy award-winning rapper and social media sensation Cardi B alongside some of Nigeria’s biggest and fast-rising stars.
Hosted by Livespot Nation, the music festival presented an impressive lineup of music acts, from Tiwa Savage to Burna Boy. And while concert-goers came in their best street-wear outfits looking to have the best time of their lives, I couldn’t help but notice few shortcomings from the much-talked-about event that had almost made me quit listening to Beat FM Lagos due to the non-stop advertisements.
Enter: my honest review of the whole experience. Let’s just jump right into my first music festival, shall we?
SEATING AND ACCESSIBILITY
Right from the entrance, I could almost tell that the seating arrangement and its accessibility would be misplaced, but I resolved to keep an open mind and per usual, It ended up being a disappointment. Also, attending as a member of the press, I was thrown into confusion as to why a barricade separated me from the regular ticket bearers who stood directly in front of the stage?
THE AMBIANCE
The general mood of the festival was somewhat bubbly as well as dull. Majorly, the audience lazied around until a Naira Marley or Burna Boy song came on. Although this mood only lasted earlier in the evening and intervals between performances later in the night. Picture waiting minutes just to see the next artist, while having nothing to do but stand, eat and drink. That what exactly what it was. The official DJ’s playlist was quite boring as well.
THE PERFORMANCES
Music sensations in the likes of Seyi Shay, Joeboy, Ice Prince, DJ Cuppy, Reekado Banks, and Patoranking did not fail to impress with each encoring their biggest hits along with an overjoyed crowd. However, the time it took an artist to show up after another irritated many concert-goers. At some point, the concert’s well-known organizer singer Darey Art Alade had to mount the stage, preview a new song and even give a sponsorship thank-you speech just to keep the vibe going. And even after all that, some people weren’t still dazzled.
CARDI B’S SET
Let’s me start by saying, I became the newest member of the #BARDIGANG (Cardi B’s fanbase) that night because that’s how good of entertainer she was. The wait was definitely worth it as the reigning queen of hip-hop delivered an energetic 30-minutes showcase at midnight. Cardi twerked, stomped, flipped, dealt with technical difficulty and still ended up saving the night. A true entertainer. In her own words, “I have so much energy, let’s keep going.” One could tell that she enjoyed every bit of it.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t wait for Tiwa Savage and Burna Boy’s performances which did not kick off until after midnight. Videos that circulated online, however, showed that they nailed it. Overall, I would rate my experience a seven out of ten as there are few overlooked and mismanaged factors that could have made the festival a lot more than it was.
