An Eyewitness Account
From A Renegades Steel Orchestra Player
Renegades Steel Orchestra files an
injunction against Pan Trinbago over Semi
Finals failure to ensure fair performance
conditions
by Leon Chandler
Trinidad
and Tobago - As a Renegades player I have,
with great restraint up until now,
avoided any comment on this issue as
to avoid any appearance or
representation of bias.
I think I now need to step in if
for no other reason that
clarification. Renegades has no
issue with being left out of the
finals if it was based on the
judges' interpretation and
subsequent location of points only,
however, these are not the grounds
for which we have lodged our initial
complaints to Pan Trinbago and now,
after that body has delayed us for
almost a week, our subsequent action
in the High Court.
Our performance was marred in
this way......we were fully set up
on stage and ready to perform at
6:57pm, the announcer did the
necessary and the lights came on,
all players charged and adrenaline
pumping......only to be overshadowed
by the loud music and thumping bass
emanating from an "All Inclusive
Fete" being held on the greens next
to/behind the North Stand.
On no less than 3 occasions the
MC had to request that the music be
turned off.....to no avail....each
time our players became more and
more agitated and the adrenaline
rapidly seeped away.........it was
only when a request was made of the
Police to intervene, did the music
get "turned down". This, I must
indicate, was after the bands
performance was announced to the
audience 4 times!!!!! Each announce
and subsequent stoppage contributing
to an emotional roller coaster for
each of our 120 players.
To add insult to injury, from the
moment the band was eventually able
to commence it's long-delayed
performance (this was now 7:16pm),
the music resumed at full
blast.....thus creating both an
audible and mental distraction to
those players located on that side of
the band.
It was only at this stage, when
music and PAN were left to compete,
that the Police intervened, thus
ensuring that NO OTHER BAND suffered
the same fate. Footage shows that
there were no further requests,
prior to other bands performing, by
the MC for turning down/off of music
after the incident that affected
Renegades.
So, my brothers and sisters of
the Steelband World, our grouse is
not one based on the fact that we
feel we MUST be in every final, but
on the following -:
The
emotional effect on players caused
by a 19-minute delay in our
performance;
The
effect of the external music on
those to the back of the band being
unable to hear/focus on what was
being played;
The
fact that, this entire arrangement
for the All Inclusive activity, must
have been sanctioned by Pan Trinbago
and, if not, should have been
detected and properly managed prior
to it escalating to this ugly
incident.
The
noise was not the 'regular' one that
comes with a packed North Stand, but
something new....something much
bigger.
This protest action is meant to
represent ALL Bands for the future,
to tell our so-called "Governing
Body" that they can no longer, in
the interest of profit, allow
activities that work against the
essence of the occasion....which
remains our "National
Instrument"......our beloved
Steelband Music!
We should be happy that it was a
"Big Band" that was affected, since
it has the resources to take the
appropriate action, so the message
can be sent, thus ensuring that ALL
bands in the future, do not suffer
from this level of disrespect.
I will Always love and fight for
my beloved instrument, let's give it
and the players love and
respect.............................