Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy Kane

Every music festival veteran knows that at some point, a billed band won’t take the stage and it’ll be announced that they won’t be playing because they missed a flight or got put in jail or something. Booooooo! Festivals are logistical nightmares for organizers and musicians aren’t easy to control at the best of times, so when Big Daddy Kane didn’t turn up for his performance or between-show MC duties at the Soul Music festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, last weekend, it should’ve been taken as a frustrating but ultimately tolerable annoyance. Unfortunately, Chaka Khan didn’t turn up either; or Slick Rick, or Chuck Brown, Doug E. Fresh, Musiq Soulchild, or Rob Base. "I kept waiting, and they never showed up," resident Melissa Peoples told reporters for the Raleigh News and Observer. "This is ridiculous," Cynthia Benjamin said. " A waste of my time. We sat on the grass out here all day for nothing." Not exactly nothing – Monica, Ginuwine and Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band showed up to perform – but three performances out of ten isn’t a good success rate. "The performers that did perform met the expectations of the fans," Bob Robinson of sponsors RBTC said, emphasizing the positives, but refunds of the $36 ticket price have been offered to disappointed fans.