What's Your Status - Kayola, VIP or VVIP?

Back in the day, when it came to concerts, we all sat in kayola class. Then, we paid a flat fee and once in the grounds, seating was on a first come, first served basis. Then Concert Organizer had a Eureka (!) moment and figured he could make more money if he had a VIP section. Of course back then, being in VIP was not like it is today. Then, to get into VIP, you most likely had to be some bigwig in government or industry.

Everybody Wants VIP Or VVIP Status

Today it’s different. As long as you have the cash to afford tickets to the VIP section, that’s it. But it caused problems because people who were used to VIP treatment ‘complained’ about sitting next to the ‘rift raff’ and unschooled Kikuubo Class who didn’t go to Budo or Gayaza and who make their money by selling mivumba clothes and importing spare parts from Japan. So Concert Organizer went a step further and introduced a VVIP section.

Let’s pause a tad there. At Sylvia Owori’s first Miss Uganda in 2001, she introduced the concept of corporate tables, and when selling tickets to Road Construction Guru, she told him: “A VIP corporate table, means you sit at the front.” What he didn’t know was that even in the VIP section, some will sit in the front and others at the back.

When he turned up with entourage, they made a beeline for the font and took up the tables that had been reserved for Total and MTN – two of the shows biggest sponsors. When Usher told him that all the front row tables were reserved for sponsors he snapped back – “Sylvia told me that I would sit in the front and now you want me to go to the back?!.” With that, a stern exchange of words ensued that had Owori frantically trying to calm him down and trying to get it through to him that when she said he would be sitting at the front, she didn’t mean on the front tables, but in the front section.

Davido's 30 Billion Concert Banner

Getting back, over the New Year, Davido was in town for what he dubbed ’30 Billion’ concert. The little that I knew about Davido is the one song – Fall - that Nina and Wasswa to play back-to-back for me whenever I go to Kachaps.

Davido In The Video - Fall

Tickets for the show at Perl of Africa Hotel, started at 50k for kayola, - going up to 100k, sh1m, sh3m for VIP and 5m for VVIP. Now one would think that by the time you fork out sh5m for VVIP, they would be sitting right at up front – so close to the stage that they would be able see the sweat trickle down his brow or see the malusu splatter from his mouth as he hit the crescendo of a song.

Instead, it was the other way round. It was 50k kayola peeps who were up font and close to the stage. By the way, the difference between a 50k ticket and a 100k ticket was err….the toilets. Kayola had to make do with mobile toilets that never have tissue while 100k had use of the hotels swimming pool toilets.

From VVIP (In Background) Davido Could Hardly Be Seen

I don’t know what the difference was between sh1m, sh3m and sh5m except, they were at the very back – in the hotel that all they could see of Davido on stage was a mere spec – almost an ant size, so they had to make do with watching him on screens or through binoculars.

So why would any sane person fork out sh5m, to go watch Davido or any other artiste on a giant screen? They might have as well stayed home and watched his previous shows on Youtube. Or was it something to do with having been a VVIP? 

By the way, I was in kayola.

Pictures: Uganda Mirror, Davido, Tejano Explosion.com