Music

The Game got confused and flew to Australia instead of New Zealand

by Jeremy Mersereau

Most of us Northern Hemisphere dwellers (North siii-iide!) can be forgiven for occasionally getting New Zealand and Australia confused. Just remember: NZ = lots of sheep, AUS = spiders put you to sleep. When you’re a rap artist expected to perform at an Auckland festival, though, expectations of basic geography get a little higher.

The Game was slated to perform at the Ragamuffin Festival in the Canada of Australia, New Zealand, last Saturday but didn’t show up, which is the definition of a ragamuffin move. Apparently, The Game didn’t make it to because he and his management got their countries confused and somehow flew to Australia instead. *Checks map* Wait a second, that’s where New Zealand is? OK, I totally understand now.

Festival organizers accused the Compton rapper of skipping his flight to New Zealand from Dubai to go home early, but The Game tells a different story. “I didn’t miss my flight, we were denied entry once we landed at Customs,” he said on Instagram… conveniently neglecting to mention the part where he reportedly flew to Australia instead of New Zealand, where he was turned away for having the wrong visa.

Ragamuffin’s director pleaded his case on Facebook in response to angry inquiries about just when festival organizers knew The Game wouldn’t be performing. “The Game was 100 per cent approved to enter New Zealand. His management and I know this as fact,” said festival director Andrew McManus.

Sadly/hilariously, this marks the third time The Game has no-showed a scheduled performance in New Zealand: in 2007, the rapper failed to appear for the Roc the Block festival, and in 2013, he didn’t make it to Auckland for another show. A contrite Game has promised a 20% discount for all disappointed Ragamuffin ticket holders to his September tour of New Zealand, provided he doesn’t accidentally fly off to, I don’t know, Indonesia.