When we thought we had seen it all in 2020, 2021 showed us that we were just getting started. From the COVID-19 pandemic dragging into 2021, which was supposed to be our year, we began to deal with other variants of the virus (Delta, Omicron, and only God knows what next) which made most countries ban our innocent country Nigeria. Truth be told, Nigerians have seen it all!
2021 has been a tough one, especially as a Nigerian. From work struggles to our politicians disappointing themselves, Twitter ban, several other moments that left us heartbroken, speechless, or both. Frankly, the major industry that came through for us this year is the Nigerian entertainment industry. With them, we topped Billboard Charts, broke Spotify’s record, sold out 02 Arena, won a Grammy award, had lit international collaborations, and even came up with trends on TikTok. Nigerian artists have consistently put us on a global map this year. So, it’s understandable when you want to bam bam and chill with the big boys of the music industry, the guys who made us proud this year.
Thankfully, organisers of Livespot x Festival understood the assignment and created a perfect way to escape from a chaotic Lagos life. With headliners like Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, P-Square, DJ Spinall, and Tems, as well as some of the best Nigerian artistes of 2021 performing on stage with them, the festival was the best way to end the year.
Tiwa Savage opened the concert on December 17 and we saw her perform on stage with other young and rising stars like Blaqbonez, Ayra Starr, AV, Dai Verse, Dice Ailes, Lojay, Ruger, and more. She was also the first artiste to bring out the singers (Goya Menor and Nektunez) of the Detty December anthem to perform their hit track “Ameno Amapiano Remix” on stage, and the crowd went crazy.
DJ Spinall’s concert of DJs exceeded our expectations. The energy on stage was contagious and it made us wonder why no one had thought of a concert of DJs before Livespot X Festival saw a gap in the industry and decided to fill that gap.
P-Square’s concert, which we fondly refer to as a concert of collaboration and reconciliation, was my favourite. Aside from the fact that it’s P-Square we are talking about, seeing performances from artistes like Bracket, J Martins, and May D, who have been off the music scene for so long, was super exciting to watch. I was also thrilled that the concert was instrumental in squashing so many industry beef, like that of Timaya and J Martins as well as P-Square’s beef with May D.
Although we wish Nigerian concert organisers could be more punctual, we can’t discredit the fact that they got several other things right. The events were lit and it was obvious that everyone who attended had a great time. It is common for fights to break out at crowded events like this but with the tight security at the venue on each show day, we felt safe to let ourselves enjoy every performance without the thought that things could go wrong. To the best of our knowledge, there wasn’t any news about stolen items; it was simply music and good vibes all through.
There was foodddddd. A lot of it. Livespot X Festival wasn’t one of those events where you’d struggle to find what to eat or drink during the concerts. They had a full-blown food court where attendees could grab something to eat on the premises. Altogether, we must applaud their level of organisation and professionalism.
Since wahala no dey finish in this country we at least got an opportunity to unwind, feel refreshed, and get ready to kick-asses in the new year!
Written by Gift Wogu