Both the icons ended up performing for the few VIPs who were sitting upfront rather than the students who were placed at the back of the venue. This incident prompted rock star, Ali Zafar to get vocal about the growing VIP culture at concerts as he let it out in an open letter addressed to the organising committee.
“There is a recurring culture of special or VIP seating areas at concerts, placed right in front of the stage and assigned only to ‘special guests’, faculty members, head of departments, principals and owners of institutions,” Ali wrote on Facebook. “Therefore, the students or, indeed, actual fans are almost always made to stand and watch and participate at a considerable distance, well behind the VIPs. This creates distance between the artist, and the audience, who have paid to be there. Please appreciate that as a performer, I cannot help but feel this defeats the very purpose of having us perform, denied any direct interaction.”
He further added,
“Speaking specifically about school concerts and without meaning to moralise, I must mention it is my belief that education is to teach equality to children. I myself have been raised by two career educationalists and speak from what I have been taught by example and with the utmost respect for educational institutions and academics. Having this physical divide at concerts goes against equality. Concerts are arranged mostly for students to be able to enjoy a form of healthy entertainment and by having them stand at huge distances from the stage to allow for other more ‘special’ guests, I feel is setting a very wrong precedent.”
He ended the post by requesting organisers to not have this VIP seating area in front of the stage, therefore, allowing the real audience, students and fans to be at the front in and centre.