ON January 26 I went with my girlfriend to the first Air Supply concert, having bought tickets for the higher priced section. What had promised to be an entertaining evening with two of the best songwriters in the world however turned into an evening I would rather forget.
I apportion no blame to the duo themselves, for despite Russell Hitchcock's unfortunate and indeed disastrous loss of voice, they went ahead with the show when other artists would simply have cancelled. It must be said though that as a result they were not able to rouse the crowd into giving the rapturous applause they would normally deserve.
Our enthusiasm was spoiled before the concert had even started. The ushers were clearly unfamiliar with the seating plan, and added to the confusion of spectators in finding seats. Three times we were subjected to the inconvenience of being misdirected and having to move for which not one word of apology was offered. Eventually we were hustled into seats whose numbers did not match those on our tickets, were poorly located next to a draughty corridor, and offered a poorer view than any of the seats to which we had been previously directed.
There can be no excuse for the total incompetence and rudeness to which we were subjected. Clearly, until organisers learn how to manage world class acts in a manner befitting their status, Hong Kong will remain just another venue where money is put before customer satisfaction.
RICHARD GOSS Macau