Can anyone tell us anything about the event at Metro Pan yard?
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Can anyone tell us anything about the event at Metro Pan yard?
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This episode may have done well to expose the situation with pan in Brooklyn. Tony's yard was about average as Panorama yards go in Brooklyn. I've been in far worse ones, and some quite nice ones, but Tony's yard was typical of what Brooklyn offers. Overgrown vacant lots, half-empty parking lots, decaying or otherwise vacant buildings.
The situation is different from Trinidad, few bands can afford to pay rent 12 months of the year for a space they only use for two. Some Brooklyn bands don't yet have a yard to use for 2015 Panorama. And if you are only in the space for two months and are not sure you'll be there next year, you're not going to invest in permanent infrastructure to fix your yard up. After all, it is the music and the members that are important, not the panyard.
To add to the situation. most bands, including Metro haven't started Panorama rehearsals yet, so if they have a yard, they probably haven't cleaned it out yet.
Making things worse is the "gentrification" of Brooklyn. Many former panyards now have been built on, as property values have risen, landlords have found their property is finally valuable enough to sell to someone as a building lot.
So now if any of the St. Margaret's young people had any notion that New York streets are paved in gold, they know the truth now. Actually, I spoke to a few of their musicians Friday, and they said they were enjoying themselves. The parents, and managers were, quite rightfully, insulted.
What I can't understand is why the "sponsors" of this event didn't look for an indoor venue. It has not been unusual for some of these venues to rent an unbooked space for nothing or nearly nothing, if they can keep the bar money. They make far more on a cash bar than on the rent for the evening. I've been to a number of indoor pan events recently in Brooklyn (the most recent being the Arranger's concert). The bands that ran them were able to find a venue. Why not this event? When I first Googled the address, and looked at Street View, I said, what a lousy place to greet St. Margarets. There had to be better.
I also have a question no-one has answered: Where were the people who originally announced this event? I might have missed them, but I didn't see them at the venue. There was no-one at the gate to collect the supposed $5 admission charge. I saw USSA people there, but it was my understanding that they were not the ones to originally promote the event or its location.
There have been comments suggesting that young people should take over leadership roles. While they need to become involved in leadership, the first thing they need to do is get a good education and a good paying job. Most of the New York steelbands only survive because the individuals who run them dip into their personal funds to pay the band's expenses. I have held most bandleaders in high regard because they care enough about their culture, and/or the young people who join their band to be willing to meet the costs from their own funds. If you are going to take over a steelband, your pockets had better be deep enough to pay to run it.
Finally, regarding mosquitoes, A little unfair. I've been bitten by mosquitoes, sand flies, ants and I don't know what else at a number of Trinidad panyards. If you are outdoors, you become a target for insects, anywhere. Blaming Tony, USSA, or the original promoters for that is unfair. Do what I do, apply some Deet.
I would to know when are we going to see the performances
MakeItPlain and Bugs summed it up very accurately. But it must not be ignored that St. Margarets and the few NY bands that did choose to perform -- ADLIB, Harmony, Pantonic, and Despers -- were all very good. The players & arrangers did their part, at least.
The bands came to play and I commend them for playing but that don't have anything to do with the state of the venue, the error was in the preparation of the place.
From Carnegie Hall to Metro pan yard is what these young panmen will remember of their 2015 tour.
It was reported that the event at Metro pan-yard was an embarrassment to the pan community. The environment was unfit for children, at 8pm the venue was still being cleaned, there were pools of water and mosquitoes, there was also no chairs.
One can clearly see the there was insufficient funds to rent a proper venue for this event, the big question is why they did not cancel the event? instead of being an embarrassment to guest from T&T and their home crowd.
It was an embarrassment indeed. All of the senior management members of the New York Pan fraternity should be held responsible. Someone needs to apologize and fall on the sword.
bugs
Bugs, Why is it in these modern times Steelband people still have to put up with situations that leave a sour taste in the mouths of it's people, and is inflicted by it's own, when is this going to stop?
After a successful show at Carnegie Hall to come in the hood and deal with a sub slandered venue clearly signifies a lack of respect, not only to the young panmen but to all those that came out to support.
This is not something that we should just sweep under the carpet and forget because it shows the inability of the organizers to make a elementary decision, if you don't have a adequate venue, cancel.
Yes, the venue was very bad - no fault of Metro, however, because it is my understanding they were only asked to help out, and it is the beginning of the pan season. No pan yard is usually ready, especially when you rent one for the first time, and it is overgrown with tall weeds, has vehicles parked in it and more.
Give Tony a bit more time, and for the regular activity - the yard will be ready, for Metro, and other bands as usual, but not yet.
I was talking with a couple of the Metro people, and they personally did not invite St. Margaret's steel orchestra to perform in Brooklyn at their panyard. So please, let us not go after "Metro Pan Yard" like this was their doing. Please people, do some homework before starting the shit talk.
Instead, start asking the PROPER questions - who was responsible for arranging for the St. Margaret's Boys steel orchestra to perform in Brooklyn? Who approached Metro to use the yard, etc.?
And for Christ's sake - quit with the embellishments already. Things were bad, very few chairs, little to no light, yes with mosquitos, etc. But it had been a bone-dry day, hot evening sun around 7:30-8:00. There were NO POOLS OF WATER. I walked around where the majority of people were when it was still daylight, and repeat, I saw no pools of water. Dusty, with grass and old stuff, wood, and more, because as said before, Metro is not 'open' for business as yet.
Mosquitos yes, "pools of water" no.
And as we’re on the topic - to the point, for the usual NY pan people behavior, tell us WHY for a task of this magnitude, trying to clean up a yard with this amount of work for a presentation, were there only two people on the job, Tony and one other person? Seriously? When will pan people come together and assist in aspects dealing with Pan, instead of criticizing and running their mouths after the fact? It is like watching a steel orchestra before and especially after a performance where generally, (though not all the time), some players waltz around like prima donnas, while very few lift pans and stands and carry them in or out. Two people to tackle that yard? Sad, but c’est la vie.
But to get back to the point - the blame for this fiasco is squarely on the shoulders of whoever organized St. Margarets' to perform there. And where was the management of St. Margaret's itself? A band manager, if the group has one, makes arrangements, checks the venue beforehand, investigates, etc. to make sure all is well for performances. Between whoever invited St. Margaret's to perform in Brooklyn at what ‘will be’ Metro's yard, and St. Margaret's band management, (especially BAND MANAGER/MANAGEMENT, whoever was "in charge" with children involved in a foreign country!) - should answer these questions, issue an explanation, and an apology. Not Metro from my point of view. A shame, from Carnegie Hall to a ‘dump’ – but not through Metro’s initiation.
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