Why you will not see any leaked Dave Chappelle clips from the Nairobi show
American stand-up comic icon Dave Chappelle gave a two-hour performance in Nairobi but there were no smartphones allowed at the Louis Leakey Auditorium to document the recital.
The sold-out event’s tickets went for Sh7,000 but as is now the norm Chappelle enforced his strict ‘no-phone’ rule.
That meant there were no video clips or comments on social media about how the show went on until it was all done.
The show’s attendees only got to share their experiences once the show was done and dusted. Although now a tradition in Chappelle’s show, the policy got many Kenyans wondering why he wouldn’t allow the devices on during his live performances.
In a past interview with popular American TV host Jimmy Kimmel, Chappelle explained part of the reasons behind the policy.
“There’s a lot of reasons. One, it became a thing where I’d walk on stage, I’d see a sea of cellphones. So I knew that anything I was saying in the room, I was saying to everybody; which is not an empowering feeling as a comedian,” Chappelle explained.
“The other thing is, comedians need an element of surprise. So if someone sees a joke that I’m doing, then I’ve got to do whole new jokes that I couldn’t write fast enough,” he added. Even though cellphones aren’t allowed in his show, one is at liberty to use theirs, but they will have to step out of the room.
In many of Chappelle’s act the venue provides a locked pouch for people to stash their phones during the entire duration of the show.
Last year Chappellle cut short his performance in Florida, US after he spotted one of the attendees on their phone.
The policy is also to ensure the exclusivity of Chappelle’s performances not to be recorded and distributed without his consent.