Please don't mis-quote me. Below is what I posted with the key difference being the word "Perhaps". Also, please do not use this as a statement of fact when it is clearly a question.
And why the delay? Because;
Perhaps he knew the 3 night limit but decided to wait very late to lodge the application, taking the "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" approach?
Please don't mis-quote me. Below is what I posted with the key difference being the word "Perhaps". Also, please do not use this as a statement of fact when it is clearly a question.
No offence intended, I was intentionally omitting the 'perhaps' and taking the remainder as a statement of my opinion of what happened.
Aiken is no fool, and knew well that the 3-gig limit was in place, but chose to ignore it and sell 400k tickets. If DCC or the Govt pander to him and let him away with it, it creates a charter for every promoter in the land to ignore planning requirements for the future.
No offence intended, I was intentionally omitting the 'perhaps' and taking the remainder as a statement of my opinion of what happened. Aiken is no fool, and knew well that the 3-gig limit was in place, but chose to ignore it and sell 400k tickets. If DCC or the Govt pander to him and let him away with it, it creates a charter for every promoter in the land to ignore planning requirements for the future.
I think that's the core of the issue. DCC, the government, the state, the Mexicans, Obama etc where not the problem. Brooks and Aiken were the problem.
But when they saw a problem DCC, the government & the state were all found wanting.
There was a compromise. They allowed three out of the five concerts to go ahead, which is double the amount permitted. Remember Garth originally planned just two concerts, but for some strange reason, refused to go ahead with three.But when they saw a problem DCC, the government & the state were all found wanting.
There should have been a compromise on this.
.. but for some strange reason, refused to go ahead with three.
IMHO .. Brooks has always been a businessman peddling a brand.
He received a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he competed in the javelin.[15][19] Brooks graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising.
Nonsense. Rainyday is correct.But when they saw a problem DCC, the government & the state were all found wanting.
There should have been a compromise on this.
Is Croke Park not to be used as a type of psedo national stadium?
There was a compromise. They allowed three out of the five concerts to go ahead, which is double the amount permitted. Remember Garth originally planned just two concerts, but for some strange reason, refused to go ahead with three.
DCC did compromise - Garth/Aiken didn't - so now you know who to blame.
Croke park is a pseudo national stadium.
If DCC made their concerns known 6 months ago - a lot of this stuff could be avoided.
We really need directly elected mayors that are accountable.
A lot of lessons have to be learnt from this.
The one lesson we have learned is that the planning laws should not be circumvented by ANYONE in this country.
Maybe if Aiken has applied for licence 6 months ago, then DCC could have made their concerns known. He didn't - he waited till April - 3 months after selling 400k tickets.Croke park is a pseudo national stadium.
If DCC made their concerns known 6 months ago - a lot of this stuff could be avoided.
Instead, we have 330,000 spending their disposable income locally, in their own pubs and restaurants, with some maybe spending it on weekends away etc. They'll certainly be getting better value for money for their spend, as they'll be avoiding the price-gouging tactics operated by hotels around these big events.Our planning laws are still a joke and we don't get 400,000 people spending money in the city. Hardly reason to celebrate and say job well done.
Maybe if Aiken has applied for licence 6 months ago, then DCC could have made their concerns known. He didn't - he waited till April - 3 months after selling 400k tickets.
For the record, it's not up to DCC to make any concerns known. There is a process for getting a licence. It takes about 10 weeks. Therefore, you need to apply for licence 10 weeks before you need to sell your tickets. How hard is that?
Instead, we have 330,000 spending their disposable income locally, in their own pubs and restaurants, with some maybe spending it on weekends away etc. They'll certainly be getting better value for money for their spend, as they'll be avoiding the price-gouging tactics operated by hotels around these big events.
And overall, we won't have a huge amount of disposable income heading overseas in Garth's back pocket, or paying for overseas equipment and crew etc.
Great, that is one import leakage stemmedThat may be true in the short-term, but if you were a big act and you were planning a world tour would you look as favourably at Ireland as a destination now?
I really don't see the problem. The same process applies to all outdoor events, so there is no competitive advantage or disadvantage. All similar venues have the same issue. If the acts want access to Irish punters (who tend to pay a lot more than UK or European punters for each ticket), they play it our way.The fact it takes 10 weeks, or two and a half months, to get a license for a concert may well be an issue too. Given that the promoter is trying to secure a large act (and possibly fend off competition from other venues) it probably means he must go the route he has gone, by selling the tickets in advance of a license. In addition this process has been going on for years so one could argue that DCC should have aired their concerns before now. It's still ultimately the promoter's fault in this particular case...he would have known the Croke Park limit being in the game so long, but it doesn't help that the process takes so long for what is only afterall a concert.
The process may have worked, but is it fit for purpose?
What I've seen fits the description of price gouging nicely thanks. You're right that some of the money will indeed leave the country, but really, is this significant enough to override a sensible planning process?That's debatable. Maybe fans will book a flight to one of the other concert destinations, thereby bringing the money out of the country.
Also, price-gouging is a subjective and emotive term. Pricing according to demand would be more fair no?
If I was a big act, I certainly wouldn't be looking at Aiken in Croker if another act already had 3 gigs there. Apart from that, if the Irish market continued to be as lucrative as other destinations, I'd be in like Flynn.That may be true in the short-term, but if you were a big act and you were planning a world tour would you look as favourably at Ireland as a destination now?
IMHO .. Brooks has always been a businessman peddling a brand. When he saw ticket sales hitting 400K, his motivation was set. When EUR (400K tickets * his cut) was no longer available to him, he made a cold-eyed decision to walk away. Like closing a factory that no longer makes the money you want from it.
All the hokum about "favourite child" and "my mother's face" is about as sincere as a politican's promise.