More difficulties have taken place on the R.Kelly/Jay-Z Best of Both World’s
2 tour, the result being two show cancellations.
A few hours before
a show at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was to kick off, the event
was canceled due to “technical difficulties.”
Fans that had purchased
their tickets were notified hours before the concert was slated to take place,
leaving many disgruntled fans in the wake of the cancellation.
Fans that purchased
tickets in Hartford, Connecticut are also going to be disappointed, as that
show has been canceled as well.
The show will resume
when the tour rolls in the Nassau Coliseum in New York on Thursday (October
28th).
"The artists
want to apologize to everyone who bought tickets to the Milwaukee and Hartford
shows," a spokesperson for Kelly said. “They are as disappointed
as anyone that they won’t be able to perform as scheduled. These concerts are
extremely complicated stage shows with a multitude of special effects, dance
numbers, and lighting and sound cues, and unfortunately we need to take a few
days off to work out some technical problems."
Saturday’s
concert seems to be when the technical difficulties arose. According to witnesses
at the concert, Kelly lost his temper during a performance of “Happy People”
Saturday at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Ironically, as
he performed the song, he hopped off the stage and was involved in a verbal
altercation with the soundmen.
“During the
song, Kelly stepped into the crowd and walked to the rear of the arena floor,
where he got into a heated argument near the soundboard, all captured on the
video screens,” said Kevin C. Johnson, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Pop
Music Critic. “When Kelly got back to the stage, he took a bow and wasn’t
seen again. Problem was, the show wasn’t over.”
Johnson said that
the two men, who have a hit single on the radio together, shared the stage for
about 15 minutes.
“They never
addressed each other and didn’t appear to look at each other,” Johnson
revealed. “After their set together, the show was broken down into several
mini solo sets.”
Kelly, who was
indicted on child pornography charges in June of 2002, is due in court on November
5th for a hearing pertaining to the charges.
The Wisconsin show
will not be rescheduled. As of press time, there was no information about Hartford’s
concert, other than the cancellation.
Fans seeking a
refund from tickets ordered online or by phone from Ticketmaster can send the
tickets with name and order number to Ticketmaster, Attn: Customer Service Refunds,
Event: R. Kelly & Jay-Z, 4445 Corporation Lane, Virginia Beach, Va., 23462.
