Report: Tatu cancelled performance in Japan, 18 august 2006

Time of publication: 18.08.2006

An Eruption of Anger!! Tatu Cancel Their Live Appearance in Nagoya at the Last Minute! The Whole Story.

I want to defend them, but this is just impossible!! I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be at this venue. However, I witnessed everything!
The venue was the live house Holiday in the Sakae 3-chome area of Nagoya. Tatu were due to start their live performance at 10:30. This live performance was advertised on the Tatu official homepage and had also been announced countless times on the Aichi FM radio station ZIP-FM.
First of all, I'll document what happened.
It was 10 p.m. when I arrived at the venue. In the office of the live house, when I jokingly said, "It would be interesting if they cancelled at the last minute", someone who worked there said, "Don't joke about it. They ought to be leaving the hotel before long."
10:30. The band enter the venue. They do a sound check onstage.
10:40. The staff stream in. There are 50 fans at the venue. The venue gets them in the mood by playing Tatu songs at full volume.
10:45. Some muttering begins around me.
"What's up?"
"Oh no…"
10:50. Tatu arrive at the venue.
At that instant, a Japanese member of their staff says, "Take the equipment offstage! Get the band off."
"Get off! Get off! Don't let the two girls go on!"
This was the moment when Tatu's live performance was cancelled suddenly. Of course, this may not have been the responsibility of Tatu It may all be down to the judgment of their Japanese staff. However, that judgment is the responsibility of Tatu This is only natural. It is precisely because of this that staff should be careful.
The reason for the last-minute cancellation was that "the audience was too small." Frankly speaking, that was the case. But the lack of people in the audience is Tatu's problem: it isn't the responsibility of the live house. Moreover, Nagoya may well be a difficult place for artists like Tatu
However, Tatu's staff first of all said the reason for the cancellation was that "not all of the equipment is in place." After that, they gave the excuse that there were only around 20 people in the audience.
However, the equipment was all there. The band was onstage and standing by. The band was willing enough.
There's no point talking about the size of the audience, whether there were only 20 people or whatever, because there is now no evidence from the scene. But there were 50 people there.
However, even if there were 20 people… Or even if there were 10… If they were professionals, they should have done the performance. Even if there was only 1 person in the audience, getting on stage is what they should do. Or rather, if they had got on stage even in that situation, they would actually have looked better. And I'd have been able to sing their praises and say "Tatu are great!"
Thinking back, when the last-minute cancellation of their appearance on TV Asahi's Music Station happened, they went home even though they'd been on at the beginning of the programme. The person who told them to do this was their producer Ivan Shapovalov. However, this time, it was their Japanese staff giving the instructions.
"Ultimately, the staff around Tatu are bad. However, even if the staff are bad, the responsibility is Tatu's."
During this visit to Japan, Tatu appealed to the public again and again by saying, "We've been reborn." However, people will now say that, in fact, they haven't changed at all. Their Japanese staff should more than adequately understand the position in which Tatu have been placed. In other words, professionals should understand what kind of a situation cancelling a live appearance here will stir up. Of course, the two girls from Tatu saw my face from the car and greeted me, so they should have said, "We want to do the live performance." Well, I wish they'd have said that.
They just don't have the ability to learn!!
The live house made various preparations for this performance. They made posters and conducted promotional activities in the local mass media. Naturally, they've lost a lot of money.
Just because of this, the manager of the live house is in a really difficult position because of this last-minute cancellation. More than anything, there is nobody on whom he can take out his anger.
The staff of the live house are even more baffled than the fans about Tatu's last-minute cancellation.
There were parents who'd brought their children. They said, "I was looking forward to seeing Tatu live." Do Tatu's Japanese staff understand the feelings of the fans?
The Japanese staff who have ruined Tatu's image have a huge responsibility.
Tatu are apparently staying in Japan until the 23rd.

Juzhi Vatanabe
Translated by LenochkaO
18.08.2006

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