There are concert attendance problems and there are concert attendance PROBLEMS. Brandy fell victim to the latter when she showed up for a surprise gig in South Africa on Monday.
The R&B star was in the country for its annual Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day, and was slotted to perform an unannounced concert at the conclusion of the events. The problem is that organizers took "unannounced" way too literally, and failed to spread the word that there was going to be a concert at all, much less one by an artist whose 1998 album "Never Say Never" has sold more than 16 million copies. The result: an estimated crowd of 40 in a stadium that holds 90,000.
"Brandy performed to an empty stadium. With the stadium lights on," tweeted South African musician, Kabomo. "People didn't know there was a concert after the games. No one knew Brandy was around. Maybe a 40 people audience ... She sulked after two songs and walked off."
FNB Stadium, the host of the day's events, was packed for numerous other activities throughout the day, including soccer and rugby games. In one instance, South African soccer legends played against renowned Italian stars in a friendly match. There were multiple musicians opening for Brandy but the crowd, not realizing there was a notable headliner, called it quits early and went home (the opposite of how American audiences always skip the openers at concerts). Those who showed up tweeted their surprise.
"Brady performing for the chairs!" wrote one, and another said "Brandy is going to perform for herself and Mbaks only," a reference to South African Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula.
Brandy's representatives haven't released a statement on the incident. The performer will continue onto a tour of Europe.
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