James Taylor’s canceled show—an issue of politics or poor ticket sales?

In this May 13, 2015 file photo, singer-songwriter James Taylor poses for a portrait in New York. AP

While some people lauded James Taylor’s decision to call off his coming show in Manila as a form of protest against the widespread extrajudicial killings in the country, there are others who accused the singer-songwriter of using politics as a scapegoat for poor ticket sales.

The concert promoter, Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions, denied the “malicious rumors,” pointing out that mere screenshots of the still relatively empty seating layout from the ticket seller’s website—on which the critics staked their claims—do not accurately depict the actual ticket movement for the show, which was set on Feb. 25, 2017 at SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The buying pattern of older concertgoers wanting to see adult contemporary acts, De Guia stressed, is starkly different from that of the millennials’.

“A seating plan does not explain that older people usually start buying tickets two weeks prior to the event. It is only the young fans who buy as soon as artists announce their concerts, because they know that tickets could sell out in minutes due to online sale. And though tickets to older artists’ shows are also available online, their audiences have not changed their ticket-buying ways,” he wrote in a statement.

“After having promoted various artists of different genres, from Taylor Swift to Tony Bennett to Broadway musicals for the past 37 years, we are keen observers of how people buy tickets,” De Guia added, insisting that, contrary to rumors, Taylor’s concert was poised to sell out.

He likewise noted that save for announcements in social media, Ovation has yet to begin its actual promotion. “For an event two months away, sales were good. We were getting a lot of reservations and requests for complimentary tickets. A lot of radio stations had shown interest to be media partners, too,” related De Guia, who believes that Taylor appeals to a wide market.

“His audience ranges from Baby Boomers to Generation X, perhaps even some millennials influenced by their parents,” he said.

In an earlier text message sent to the Inquirer, De Guia said that Taylor had already been expressing his concern to his management for the past few days. “We did our best to change his mind. But in the end we have to respect his decision and his personal reasons.”

Earlier this week, Taylor, who is known to have struggled with drug addiction for much of his early life, described the summary executions attributed to President Duterte’s war on drugs, as “deeply concerning.”

“I do not think of my music as being particularly political, but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand,” the five-time Grammy Award-winning music artist said in a statement posted on his official social media accounts.

“For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for the illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” he pointed out.

“But recent reports from the Philippines of summary executions of suspected offenders without trial or judicial process are deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law,” added the folk rock icon, who, as a teen, suffered from depression and later on got addicted to heroin and methadone.

It was not until in his mid-30s that he finally made a recovery. “The scourge of addiction is a worldwide problem and does serious harm, not only to the addict, but to the society,” he said, the issue seemingly hitting close to home.

Taylor, 68, was set to have a one-night show here, as part of the Asia-Pacific leg of his ongoing world tour. “I had been eagerly looking forward to playing for the Philippine audience … so it saddens me to cancel our concert there,” he related.

“I offer my heartfelt apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment it may have caused my Filipino friends,” said Taylor, who assured the public that tickets that had already been sold will be fully refunded. He added that his decision  to cancel his Manila stop will not affect his Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand dates.

Taylor, who has sold over 100 million records worldwide, is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and is behind such hits as “Fire and Rain,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Handyman” and “How It Is (To Be Loved by You).”