GNR Singapore Snags

Guns N’ Roses‘ first-ever concert in Singapore, which took place Feb. 25 at the Changi Exhibition Center, was sold out but nevertheless marred by a number of logistical problems.

Apparently, some members of the audience had in advance bought concession credits that were then stored in a radio frequency ID (RFID) tag on wristbands, but during the performance food and drinks ran out, so many were not able to use their credits, according to the Straits Times. 

LAMC’s Facebook page contained complaints about long lines for food, drink and merchandise. 

One woman told the newspaper that she waited two hours for a shuttle bus. Another person wondered why, considering how steep the tickets were, no one checked them when people entered the venue. 

“Anyone could have gone in for free,” the person told the newspaper in a message. 

AP Photo – Axl Rose of Guns N
Palace Grounds, Bangalore, India

Ross Knudson, LAMC’s co-founder, subsequently explained the problems during an interview on local radio station One FM. 

After apologizing and admitting that his organization had “left some people unhappy” and his company had not hired enough staff for the concert, he reasserted his commitment to the venue. 

“The Changi Exhibition Center is the only decent option for a big rock and roll concert,” he said in response to complaints that the arena had serious logistical problems, especially with regards to transportation access. 

The problems with the wristbands occurred because LAMC miscalculated how long it would take to “transfer data to the wristbands,” and ended up opening the doors an hour late, even though the transfer wasn’t completed. 

For that same reason, they didn’t tear the ticket stubs so that concertgoers could still “top off” their RIFD tags while in the venue. 

“We should have also put a lot more effort into the food booths and the layout,” Knudson said. 

He promised to refund the balance on unused credits on the tags, but LAMC would not be giving refunds for the concert itself. 

Knudson said that the band thought it was one of the best shows they’d ever done and was looking forward to returning to Singapore in the near future.