Was opening for Il Divo a good idea?

[stevemacdonald]

Just last week I was praising the people who signed Hayley up to open for Il Divo since it seemed like a win-win scenario for the two acts. Now, I'm not so sure.

Hayley is forced to perform while the audience is still getting seated and is not given the benefit of a proper introduction nor mention in the concert program (last I heard).

What's more, the audience is overwhelmingly partisan for Il Divo, to the point where Hayley's participation is practically negligible as far as they're concerned. The critics barely take notice of her as well, and who can blame them?

The tour is young yet, but the trend is disturbing nonetheless. If I were Hayley's management I'd seek immediate redress in the following ways:

1. She MUST be included in the program!
2. She MUST be announced prior to taking the stage!
3. All concertgoers MUST be seated before her performance!
4. Her CDs MUST be included in the concession areas.

These aren't extravagant demands, just common courtesy that should especially be accorded to someone who's as talented and successful as Hayley.

[roger]

Hi Steve,

I totally agree on all four points. Do you know for sure that she is not mentioned in the program? It is outrageous if she isn't.

Last year, I saw someone else who we all know supporting a well-known crossover group. The lights dimmed and a voice came across the speakers saying:

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name's Nick Garrett of Amici Forever. Please welcome Katherine Jenkins".

That's all it takes.

As has been said, the Il Divo tour should help to spread Hayley's name in a big way. But, if she is not introduced and not named in the program, the best we can hope for is, "That girl at the beginning was good - I wonder who she was".

So, in answer to Steve's question, no, it wasn't a bad idea. Hayley's name will still spread as a result of her being there, but perhaps not as much as it could have done.

Roger

[Richard]

Hello Steve, Roger and everybody!

I've just read the report of yesterday's concert in Toronto, and I'm very worried. It sounds as though the road crew on this tour are incompetent, and they might be using Hayley's set to adjust the sound equipment ready for Il Divo, which would be a total disgrace. I just hope things are sorted soon, because Hayley deserves better than this.

Best Wishes,

Richard

[roger]

Here, here.

One wonders what the sound check is for.

Roger

[Andrew]

Hi All,

Yes, Let's hope the Organisers improve their standards in terms of "repenting" from their "mistakes" very quickly. Otherwise they will leave themselves wide open to a lot of complaints from some very disgruntled Hayley fans...

On the basis of the report submitted, I feel dreadfully embarrassed for Hayley

Andrew

[Richard]

I've had another thought. I bet Hayley calmly carries on with her performance while everybody else, including Il Divo, is panicking!

Full marks to Hayley for showing true professionalism! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Richard

[roger]

I think you are right, Richard. We have seen Hayley in that sort of situation before (in Carnegie Hall), when she was far less experienced than she is now and she coped admirably then. Hopefully she will be given credit by the audience for her professionalism.

Roger

[roger]

Hi Jeremiah,

The stragglers who pile in late *may* not be an insult but it sure is disruptive to the rest of the audience and most disconcerting to the performer, even if they do cope well with it.

I do not accept that these errors being put right by show #32 is sufficient - that is no consolation to the people who paid good money for any of the first 31 shows and have a right to expect something better than this.

A number of people may well have been be at fault in Toronto but nobody is blaming Il Divo themselves. It is not their job to ensure that the sound equipment is working properly, for example.

If things were really as bad as described, I would have complained to the management of the venue. My complaint would not have been against Hayley or Il Divo but, if anything, on their behalf. They ALL deserve better and so do the audiences.

Roger

[stevemacdonald]

Let's face it folks, Hayley is a class act. She's not a preening diva or a prima donna. She dutifully goes out to sing when told to. She doesn't come unglued when sound systems go berserk. She doesn't pander to screaming crowds aiming to toss their undergarments onstage. At least not yet, anyway.

I do hope her fine example will rub off on those who perform with her, more than the other way around.

[Steve H]

Hi Steve, Roger, Andrew Richard and Jeremiah!

This is an interesting and very delicate thread, which has prompted a good balanced discussion, Steve has a good point, although I personally think that the thread should be under a general heading and not in the concert reviews.

I would not want any new visitors to this thread to be sidetracked from just reading the reviews.

Opening for Il Divo would be difficult for even the greatest artists, and in my opinion Hayley is a great artist and performer, and will shine through this difficult start.

We must rely on Steve Abbott's experience to sort these problems our, problems that I feel would not have happened in the UK.

I agree that the programmes needs to at least mention the supporting artist and announce them out of pure professional courtesy.

I am not too sure about the merchandise issue, that decision is probably for the tour organisers and Il Divo to agree. The late arriver's should be left outside until the break, if they can not get there on time it is not fair to disrupt Hayley's performance, How many of us would scramble to our seats during a performance.

We must try to be as positive as we can, even during this bumpy start to the tour, this forum is all about support, to Hayley and to each other!

Steve H

[roger]

stevehome said:

.....I personally think that the thread should be under a general heading and not in the concert reviews.

Steve H

Hi Steve H,

Thank you for the thought but there was a unilateral Admin decision made prior to the tour that ever thing relating to it would be kept together within one board.

We can only hope that everyone is happy with that!

Roger

[Dave]

Well I'm still feeling positive about the tour.

We don't know for certain that Hayley isn't mentioned in the programmes, that's something we've surmised from reading one or two (only) fan reports. And if the programmes were printed for the entire tour well in advance, and it wasn't known at that time which concerts Hayley would be attending (e.g. Australia), that may have been why she was left out (if she was left out).

The problem of latecomers still taking their seats while Hayley is on stage is a difficult one. If these people are shut out until Hayley has finished, they will not be able to see and hear any of Hayley's performance so they will not know what they were missing and will be less likely to buy her albums than if they were let in. In Hayley's shoes, i would let them in if i could handle the distraction. I think Hayley can handle it and all the fan reports so far seem to confirm this. She is a true professional.

The sound system problems have not only been suffered by Hayley but by Il Divo as well. This is not a case of Hayley being made to do Il Divo's sound checks while performing!

As Steve H said, the apparent absence of any Hayley merchandise may have been insisted upon by Il Divo's management. In a case of "take it or leave it" Hayley would, I think, be right to "take it". But we don't know for certain if this has been the case at all the concerts so far.

There is no excuse whatsoever for a failure to announce Hayley when she takes the stage. However, we only seem to have one report of that, so it may have been an isolated incident; I hope so!

Overall, I am convinced that supporting Il Divo - *the* band of the moment Worldwide, was and still is a good idea.

Dave

[Oksana]

Hi everyone!

Steve, touring with the "next big thing" cannot be a bad idea, but I'm extremely disappointed with the organization of everything. It's easy to understand that a crowd of enthusiastic fans impatient for the group to come onstage might not be the perfect audience for an opening singer, but they should at least announce Hayley's name for those who might be interested! It's shameful to have someone help the show begin smoothly and not even mention who they are. I hope this will not happen again.

However, it's obvious that Hayley is getting some recognition, but not nearly as much as she could have with a little bit of planning and consideration.

Oksana

[Joe]

Hi all,

I think Hayley opening for Il Divo is a very good idea. However concert goers have not been made aware of Hayley. We've heard reports of her not being mentioned in any signage at the venue nor in the printed program. This is what I feared most.

Hayley MUST get a proper mention, perform only not as the "opening act" but between Il Divo songs as well. An insert of Hayley info should be included in the program if avail.

[spiderman]

hi everyone,

just a few thoughts.... i dont think her tour with ll divo [who are???] was a bad idea. i gather that they are rather high profile and being at their concerts could be good for her to getting exposure to new audiences that havent heard her singing before; even if they dont think they noticed much. it only matters that they notice and maybe even tell a few folk. not an easy way to take over the world but it does work.
not to say that there dont appear to have been problems but if they are dealt with appropriately they could be an important learning experiance for all involved.
in any case, the sucess or otherwize of her tour depends on what her and her management wanted to achieve and whether they get it. currency is everything.

thank you for your time,
robert