The highly anticipated Djakout Mizik and Nu Look showdown on Saturday ended in chaos, and promoter Wes Productions is pointing the finger squarely at Nu Look for the events that led to the fiasco. In an exclusive interview, Wes detailed the behind-the-scenes tensions and disagreements that contributed to the night’s unfortunate turn of events.
Wes explained that he had a clear agreement with both bands before the event, with Nu Look scheduled to open the show. However, three weeks after receiving the deposit, Arly Larivière, Nu Look’s maestro, contacted Wes insisting that Nu Look close the show instead. “He was very adamant about it,” said Wes. “I told him that he should have made that request before I gave him the deposit. We left it at that.”
As the event date approached, the tensions between the two bands escalated. According to Wes, members from both groups met in the hotel lobby for a discussion. “Arly was speaking very aggressively to the Djakout guys,” Wes noted, adding that while some Djakout members, such as drummer Roro, were open to negotiating a solution, others, including Mamane and Shabba, felt disrespected by Arly’s tone. “They said they didn’t want to negotiate with Nu Look anymore because Arly was acting up.”
Wes also revealed that Nu Look’s New York promoter Country complicated matters by calling him directly and demanding that Nu Look perform second. Wes stood firm, stating, “I own Nu Look for the night because I paid them.” Despite this, Arly continued to insist that his band should not open the show, further delaying the start of the event.
With the party in jeopardy, Wes proposed a compromise—a 4-set performance where both bands would play for an hour each, twice. Djakout agreed to this arrangement, but Arly initially refused. By the time Arly changed his mind, it was already 1 AM, and the show had yet to begin.
Things escalated further when Nu Look’s promoter, Country, demanded the rest of the payment before the band played. Wes expressed his frustration, stating he was ready to cancel Nu Look’s performance altogether. Eventually, Nu Look took the stage, but the night took a darker turn when, during Djakout’s first song, a fight broke out on stage.
Reflecting on the night, Wes said, “I was very disappointed with what took place, and I must tell you that I point the blame at Nu Look and their camp.”
This event has undoubtedly left a sour note in what was meant to be a highly anticipated musical showdown, and fans are left wondering whether this feud between two of the HMI’s biggest bands will escalate further or be resolved.
