Dashni Morad – CRAZY TOUR STORIES

In this Crazy Tour Stories segment, the pop artist, Dashni Morad, talks about some of her crazy moments from touring. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Where I’m from in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, touring has never really been a thing. The culture of people going to a gig and dancing hasn’t really taken off yet, and concerts are still reserved for major calendar events, such as New Year’s parties.

However, the opportunity to tour Kurdish communities elsewhere in the world has presented itself now and again, and in 2010, I toured Germany and Holland along with some fellow artists. We did seven cities over the period of a month, ending in Berlin on New Year’s Eve.

Unfortunately, it was a poorly organized tour. We faced challenges the whole way, and to be honest it put me off the whole thing.

The tour organizer cut corners everywhere. We didn’t feel like we were being treated like respectable artists. Despite getting significant sponsorship, they didn’t pay us what was promised, and when we refused to perform at one of the shows, the organizer told the crowd that we had all been paid, but are holding him to ransom for more money! Suffice to say that show didn’t go too well…

At the same time, there was a bit of a slur campaign going on back in Kurdistan, where some of the more conservative media outlets were spreading vicious rumors about us, trying to get the tour axed. Of course, we didn’t give up. We carried on and finished what we had set out to do, which was to perform for our fans (apart from one gig where almost nobody showed up!).

We ended up finishing the tour with a big bang in Berlin, in front of a full house. And in the end, after complaining to the main sponsor, we got paid too. However the experience wasn’t one that I’d like to relive in the same way, and so because of that, I have rejected numerous opportunities to tour over the years. I promised myself that next time I do tour, it would be glamorous tour buses, glitzy hotels, and massive crowds! One day I hope!

My live performances these days tend to be more in the political arena. I recently performed at an International Woman’s Day event, which was attended by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and other Ministers and foreign ambassadors. I feel that these sorts of performances help me get my humanitarian message across.

There’s a social issue in Kurdistan when it comes to artists. I don’t think they get the respect they deserve, and that needs to change. That’s why I select where I perform so carefully, in case you’re faced with the wrong type of crowd. It can be intimidating, but mostly, it’s disappointing.

Now I’m based in London, things are different of course. I have connected with a new band in the capital, and we’re gearing up for some live performances this summer. It all kicks off for me early May at the Wow Festival in Liverpool. Excited and nervous! Hopefully a better experience this time!

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