Lady Gaga Tours South Africa

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It was officially announced today that Lady Gaga will be “touring” South Africa, i use the word ‘touring’ lightly as she’ll only be doing shows in Cape Town and JHB. Living in South Africa means that we are somewhat starved for LIVE international music and when an artist that’s ever been on any chart of sorts comes to SA, we freak a little, and today is no exception… the problem is that the “freaking” that’s going on on Twitter/Facebook is a little shocking, and kind of embarrassing.

The way people are “hating” on Twitter and Facebook, i’m wondering whether Lady Gaga has committed some kind of human atrocity that i’m unaware of? Has she slaughtered an African village? Maybe infected an entire country with dysentery? Or is her only crime that she makes music that you don’t like? Here’s a revolutionary idea… if you don’t like her music… DON’T GO TO THE FREAKIN’ CONCERT. I doubt Lady Gaga would be offended if your Royal Musical Genius doesn’t attend… chances are, she won’t even notice. Do you know why? She has thousands of fans, hundreds of thousands.

I’m not a Lady Gaga fan, not by a longshot. Her music makes me kinda stabby, but is this kind of statement really necessary : “If Lady Gaga gets shot in the face when she gets here that would make me proudly South African”. Wow. Just wow. I know that the Tweeter was making a joke and just wanted to get a giggle out of a couple of people, but unfortunately my timeline has been inundated with tweets like that.

How did we become this self entitled? We’ve hardly been overwhelmed with international live music acts, so i can’t even say that we’ve become a collective spoilt brat that throws a tantrum when it doesn’t get it’s way…

I’m also not sure if you’re aware of this, but you do realise that the music act themselves (or their management) actually need to say yes to coming to SA? If you don’t understand what i mean, let me explain it to you… Your beloved Red Hot Chilli Peppers aren’t coming to SA because they don’t bloody want to. Or their management doesn’t bloody want them to, and it could be for any number of reasons; money, time, the fact that we live in Africa and a large amount of foreigners shit their pants when a trip to Africa is mentioned, etc.

We should be thanking Lady Gaga for coming to our beautiful country. The more commercially massive artists that come to South Africa, the less “unusual” it will be and then maybe your Foo Fighters, or whoever it is that you have wet dreams about, won’t have an excuse not to come anymore.

I make my living thanks to the music industry, I’m lucky in that i’ve been exposed to so many different genres over the years that i now appreciate music in most of its forms, as well as what it does for us as humans. The thing about humans though, is that we are all different. I know right, how cool is that? Imagine if everyone loved the same kind of music… then you Indie junkies wouldn’t have those high horses to ride anymore, everyone would know who Deyarmond Edison is and Frightened Rabbit would have a Billboard #1 HIT!

Am i excited about Lady Gaga coming to SA? Not particularly. Would i have preferred a different international artist? Hells yeah… judge me all you want, i honestly don’t give a fuck… but i’ve been waiting patiently for: Linkin Park, Bon Iver and Taylor Swift for years. Yes, i’m being serious, those three… in that order.

So, please, stop acting like that kid kicking and screaming on the floor of Spar because your mommy won’t buy you a packet of Nik Naks… the cute girl from your class is watching and now she doesn’t want to hold your hand anymore. Also, you’re embarrassing your mom.

 

42 thoughts on “Lady Gaga Tours South Africa”

  3. “We should be thanking Lady Gaga for coming to our beautiful country. The more commercially massive artists that come to South Africa, the less “unusual” it will be and then maybe your Foo Fighters, or whoever it is that you have wet dreams about, won’t have an excuse not to come anymore.”

    I said pretty much the same thing this morning to someone else. I can’t understand all the hate that people put out there, but quite simply, the more big name acts that come out to these shores the more likely others will follow.

    Sadly I think the “tour” will consist of a JHB and CT date… and while I’m no fan by quite some way, it’s disappointing that the big name acts (which Gaga certainly is) don’t really get to see more of SA. But ultimately I’m sure there are a long list of perfectly understandable reasons, money no doubt being the number one concern. With the amount of digital “sharing” that goes on can you really blame an artist for milking a tour for all it’s worth?

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    • So well said! It’s frustrating, but we’ve literally only recently had a couple of international acts come to SA, so we’ve just got to be patient. You’re also right about the money thing, the music business is called a “business”, because it’s just that – a business 🙂

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  4. This is awesome Steph. I totally agree. Hate Lady Gaga alllll you want (which i do, fully), but it is still a massive coup for the SA music scene, and it does something important – it makes other artists curious. Maybe you’ll get the chance to see Taylor Swift one day 😉 Very well written. x

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  5. RESPECT! So true, also been reading some seriously awful and disgusting hate messages on twitter. Just because we have a public platform to voice our feelings doesn’t mean we need to be such haters. As you state this may encourage all the other bands we so badly want to see to come to SA. Super happy to read an honest, truthful and to the point article on the matter.

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  7. Hey Stephanie,

    Being the loyal visitor to your blog that I am I saw this article and was I surprised to see that my tweet made your article. I do however feel that I should explain my tweet and so I have decided to do so in a comment. So here goes…

    First of all comics will tell you that exaggerating a situation is what being a comic is all about. Not completely all about, but it’s a big part of how comics construct jokes. They take a premise and exaggerate it to the point where a silly thing can become a funny story or situation.

    To be fair, I’m not a comic. And yes it was a cheap shot on my behalf because I took a hot topic, put a evil twist on it and combined it with the “Proudly South African” idea. Before I sent the tweet the thought that this might turn into a controversial one crossed my mind and therefore I decided it should definitely be posted.

    Some people took it for what it is. A joke, a cheap joke but a joke none the less. I mean Lady Gaga and all her followers no harm. But being controversial and funny at the same time is kind of what I’m known for and the people that read my blog and tweets every day will tell you the same.

    I don’t really look down on any person that listens to Lady Gaga or Bobby van Jaarsveld. Different strokes. But there a lot of tweets flying around that everybody that is hating on Lady Gaga is just jealous of her success. I don’t see anybody coming down on them with a hammer because they make such idiotic statements. Just because you make fun of someone doesn’t mean you are jealous. Lots of people make fun of Julius Malema and I don’t think it’s because they are jealous of his massive intelligence.

    Either way obviously my blog, tweets and point of view is not for everyone. I just wish people would stop taking everything so god damn seriously. That is a big thing for me, it’s like people look to hard for the negative kak in stuff, instead of just smiling and being happy. But that is a story for another time.

    I hope to see you at my stand-up comedy show one day. Maybe my point will come across a bit funnier in real life than it does via Twitter.

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  8. We get a few acts come to down and suddenly we think we get to choose who comes here. We don’t. some years back, I was so excited to see Limp Bizkit years, but they never came. They postponed twice and eventually cancelled the trip.
    For most artists they only hear the “Africa” in “South Africa”. For most of them we are in the same cluster as Sudan & Libya. South Africa has only just emerged from the ashes and we have to appreciate that we are the glass wearing, geeky, pimply faced kid in the back of the class that’s lusting after the most popular blonde, who’s the captain of the cheerleading squad. If we just exercise patience, grow up, swap the glasses for contacts, hit the gym, then in a few years she’ll be chasing us. Patience.

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  9. I am actually very excited about the prospect of Gaga coming to South Africa, all that you are saying is so true, people have a tendency to act stupid and spew out negativity when there isn’t even a need.
    Born This Way Ball Hitting Our Shores http://wp.me/p2hgZS-37

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  11. Effectively you’re asking a twitterverse, which is majority 14 year olds, to behave themselves on the internet? Pointless? Exceedingly so. Normally I’d avoid pointing out the redundancy of a blog post because of the obvious irony in it but you manage to fill your article with so much snark, I couldn’t resist.

    Before you berate people for their twitter posts try learn to keep a civil tongue instead of brazenly insulting the ability of Foo Fighters fans to keep their bed sheets dry as well as the respective heights of the indie kids’ horses. Never mind that you BOLDLY have to accentuate the ground breaking idea that everyone is different. As if we didn’t know that? (note how rhetorical questions tend to insult the reader.)

    I know you just wanted to get a giggle out of a couple of people but perhaps there are less aggressive ways of doing so? #justsaying

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    • I realize the irony of my blogpost, fully. If we try and find relevance in everything, there would be a lot of things we wouldn’t do. Watch sports, wear designer clothing, everything is, in essence… pointless. This piece might not change anyones opinion or make them stop hating on Lady Gaga, but i used as a segway into voicing an opinion i’ve had for quite some time – that South Africa is an emerging live music market and that International Artists will eventually start visiting us much like they do Australia (which is even further away than SA).

      Do i realize that rhetorical questions insult the reader? Why yes i do. I merely wrote this piece in my own tongue and i am a rather sarcastic/snarky person, so i imagine my writing reads that way too. As for using less aggression, no thanks. This piece had the potential to sound like a whiney Lady Gaga fan begging people to stop the hate, ala that famous Britney fan who cried in his youtube video. I’d rather come across as more aggressive than whiney.

      Thanks for reading my blogpost though 🙂 I genuinely appreciate any feedback i get!

      Steph

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    • “Effectively you’re asking a twitterverse, which is majority 14 year olds, to behave themselves on the internet?”

      I resent that. I’m far from 14 years old. People with the mentality of a 14 year old will be the people who take my tweet seriously. But you should research the SA twitter demographics a bit before you make statements like that.

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      • You’re stretching if you think the average age of people talking about Lady Gaga is much older than a teenager. All beliebers have a tertiary education? All harry potter fans have a strong literary background? I’d say the majority don’t.

  12. Your post reminded me of people complaining that water makes them wet. Whats your point? What are you trying to say? We have something called “freedom of speech” and music is possibly the best platform to do that hence music fans wil also use this tool. Please post your adres as I will need it to post you 5 boxes of green Nik Naks.

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    • Your comment reminded me of people complaining that water makes them wet. You mention “freedom of speech”, is it not in my right to have an opinion on people’s opinions? See, if we get too philosophical about it all, it could end up very complicated.

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  15. Hey Stephanie

    Well said.

    I found your post well balanced and spot on. Music by its very nature has something for everyone and as you say, if you don’t like Gaga, let those who do . . . well, do 🙂

    Mike

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  16. I can’t wait to see her show. Been watching videos on youtube and it looks amazing. I really don’t like all the hate being posted everywhere especially by religious people. I mean what would Jesus do? Seriously.
    I saw one person saying something like “She is not a woman of God. I hope she dies on the way here.” Disgusted!
    Oh and one person told me to “go burn in hell with Lady Gaga”. I just told them I wish them love and peace in their lives.
    Good grief.
    A nation of complainers and religious nuts.

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    • How about everyone can have their own opinion, and stop forcing theirs down others throats? P.S – Hate may be a strong word, but i used it intentionally. I abhor her music, not her as a person as (surprise) i have never met her.

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  19. Well said Lady! great article. I’m not really a fan either but am happy enough for Gaga’s little monster’s here in SA that that get a chance to see their icon. Comments on twitter like “Would you rather see #LadyGaga live or slam you head in the door?” make me wish that person would just go ahead and do it! -lets see who has the Poker face then!!
    And as for Linkin Park, -from your lips to god’s ears. 🙂

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  20. Yep I can’t wait my dream to meet my role model is going to become a reality yeppppppppppppppp……….. *all my monsters are beautiful…

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  22. You for president! ( or something equally classy, cool, and powerful._
    One gets a bit peeved sometime at the state of the ridiculousness of the people who populate our world, but ever so often things like this pop up that renews faith that there are still articulate and intelligent people out there. Haters gonna hate! Potatoes gonna potate!

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  23. Who ever made that tweet is an complete idiot. Too many places for people to share their dumb opinions. I wish the internet worked on an IQ system. Or one would have to pay tax if your opinion was disliked by hundreds of people.

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    • I’m the complete idiot who tweeted that. I mainly have one place where I share my dumb opinion, my blog. And that blog has picked up a few followers/supporters over the last 18 months. Here is my dumb opinion on Lady Gaga going to South Africa: http://gevaaalik.com/lady-gaga-kom-besmet-sa

      @Stephanie feel free to remove this comment if you feel it’s out of order.

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  24. Pingback: Lady Gaga- twisted is pretty – The Tilt Republic

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