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Fan attack: It’s a major security issue whenever a rogue fan rushes towards an artiste on stage

Monday, July 26th, 2021 00:00 | By
Nadia Mukami.

Sometimes, fans can get a little too carried away when their favourite artiste is performing right in front of them. Unfortunately, as Faith Kyoumukama writes, it becomes a major security issue whenever a rogue fan rushes towards an artiste on stage.

Having a legion of fans is part of an artiste’s life. However, just like any other job, being an entertainer comes with its own challenges too.

Artistes look forward to creating music that would move the masses, and to deliver electrifying performances to the crowds that pay and create time to show up at their shows.

The least of the expectations any artiste would expect, however, is to get attacked by a fan from the crowd. 

Recently, a video of Ugandan artiste Veronica Luggya aka Vinka went viral and caused great uproar in the social media streets.

The singer, who was in South Sudan for a number of shows, allegedly kicked a fan on the front row who tried to grope her during a performance.

In the video, a stretched arm said to be of the said fan is seen reaching out to her, a point at which she twice kicks it back.

Then the security team steps in to whisk away the singer from the proximity of the fans, and she immediately resumes her performance.

Although Vinka chose not to comment on the incident, a lot of people have since applauded her, for her retort on the stage and the choice to continue with the show besides the uncomfortable incident.

Unfortunately, some social media individuals felt that she provoked the fans by dressing indecently.

While appearing at the launch of the Swangz Avenue online radio, the Ketchup singer maintained that she was never going to react differently.

“He (the fan) was manoeuvring his fingers… that sexual molester, and yet such can’t be tolerated on my side (sic),” she said.

The insecurity

The video, which has almost a million views on Twitter, sparked a conversation on consent and protection of female artistes while in performance.

Kenya’s Nadia Mukami is yet another artiste who was allegedly attacked while performing on stage in Busia, a while back.

Similarly, a video doing rounds online shows the singer being guarded by the security team from some overenthusiastic male fans who allegedly wanted to harm her.

In the video, Nadia is heard saying in Kiswahili “Lakini wanawake waheshimiwe… Mwanaume hafai kuguza mwanamke. Shame on you!’’ Soon after making that statement, some of the fans are seen climbing up the stage in an alleged attempt to attack the Si Rahisi singer.

“I’ve had two incidents; one was in Eldoret where I was performing when a fan grabbed my butt, and it was not a good scene.

I was very mad that I almost stopped the performance, because I am someone who is firm against women harassment. You cannot just touch a woman without her consent.

The second incident was by a promoter in Busia, who had scheduled me to perform at 11pm, while the curfew starts at 10pm, which could have put me at loggerheads with the government.

So, when I protested, he started harassing me physically,” says Nadia, adding that the music industry isn’t for the faint-hearted, especially for female artistes.

Synonymous happenings

Intrusion of an artiste’s private space by fans is something rapper Femi One knows too well. She says it happens to her all the time.

“I can’t pinpoint just one scenario because it has happened to me many times when performing at concerts and shows.

Usually, at that time when it happens, your first reaction is to leave that part of the stage and move to another end.

Bouncers are there to at least handle the situation, but unfortunately, their intervention arrives a bit too late because the incident has already happened,” she tells Spice.

The rapper adds that this is a conversation that needs to happen, saying sometimes some fans feel entitled. She says, “There is a percentage of fans who feel like you owe them a lot, and so they touch you.

Some of them tend to view us as sex objects, which is so wrong on many levels.”

On her hand, gospel singer Size 8 says she is yet to experience such attacks from a fan before, but she is ever cautious when performing because she is conscious about such incidences.

“I haven’t been attacked by a fan before, but my peers prepared me fully for such incidents. I’m always conscious and I take caution.

I have heard other artistes tell tales of being attacked by fans while on stage, so I always stay woke and take precaution while at a concert,” says the Afadhali Yesu hitmaker.

David Guoro is a producer and artiste manager. He says when his label takes in artistes for management, they are groomed on matters regarding performances and made aware about the scenarios that they should anticipate while performing for a crowd. 

He says in conclusion: “Unfortunately, incidents involving fans attacking performers are happening.

Such acts should be taken very seriously, and it calls for all industry players to devise a swift working mechanism to protect the artistes.”

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