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| Gazza |
thanks to stuie_mac on IORR for the link to this story :
http://nb.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nb-stones20050405
Will the Stones roll into Moncton?
WebPosted Apr 5 2005 04:45 PM ADT
CBC News
City officials want the Stones to play the Magnetic Hill site, with room for 65,000
MONCTON — The city of Moncton wants to bring the Rolling Stones to town this summer.
The department of community services is behind the initiative.
But the city won't be making any official comment about the possible concert until all the details are worked out with promoters.
According to city officials, two large concert promoters, Donald K. Donald and Michael Cohl, are assuming the financial burden of the show.
Cohl has been involved in many of the Rolling Stones' concert appearances in North America, including the SARS benefit concert in Toronto in 2003.
The buzz about the Stones coming to Moncton has been building on local music sites on the Internet and in music stores.
Eric Daigle is a musician who works at Spin-It records in Moncton.
He heard talk of a possible concert several weeks ago.
"I just dismissed it right away," he said. "Of all the bands to make a joke about, the Rolling Stones just seemed ridiculous."
Daigle isn't so cynical anymore.
He's been hearing from plenty of customers who are also talking about the plans.
Daigle says if the concert happens, it would show the city, and concert promoters, that Moncton is a good fit for major touring acts.
"If it went down, it'd be a successful thing. But if it didn't, then it'd be another five, 10 years before they tried to anything like this."
The city won't make an official announcement until the promoters confirm the dates, which is expected to be before the end of the month.
The show would take place at the outdoor Magnetic Hill concert site in the late summer, after the regular tourist season.
The site holds about 65,OOO people.
According to a planner, it could be part of a larger musical event, involving some major Canadian performers. |
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| Gazza |
and there's more
from canadaeast.com
Moncton woos Rolling Stones
City wants big ticket draw to headline summer rock festival
RHONDA WHITTAKER
Times & Transcript Staff
An official with the City of Moncton confirmed that he's actively wooing The Rolling Stones through their Canadian concert promoters.
"Yes, we have met with them, and are in discussions with them," said Ian Fowler, the City of Moncton's director of community development.
Fowler said he couldn't say anything more because nothing is yet confirmed.
Yesterday, the city issued a news release responding to speculation about the venerable rockers' arrival here.
It confirmed that officials are negotiating with Donald Tarleton of DKD Events to create an annual summer music festival in Moncton, with hopes to launch the event this year.
But the release said no act has yet been confirmed.
When asked about a Rolling Stones tour date in Moncton, Susan Rosenberg of The Next Adventure the band's Canadian promoter - said information about the band's schedule will be released in the next couple of weeks.
"There are all kinds of possibilities" for dates and locations, she said.
The city's news release mentions that summer festival plans are slated for both The Moncton Coliseum and the Magnetic Hill Papal Visit site.
In an interview yesterday, Fowler also mentioned that various downtown sites, including the riverfront and local bars, could be part of the event schedule, should the plans gel.
The Coliseum seats only about 6,500, and Fowler said that the papal site is a more plausible venue for a huge draw like the Stones, whose concerts attract tens of thousands of fans per show.
About 100,000 Maritimers flocked to the outdoor site to see the late John Paul II in 1984. In the late 1980s, the city spent $400,000 to renovate the area as a music venue. Fowler said yesterday that the 100-acre site can hold a concert audience of about 75,000.
The first concert ever held at the papal site saw 35,000 fans camp out over two days in July 1998 to see classic rock acts including Steppenwolf, Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Officials said the show generated about $8 million in local economic spin-off.
In 2000, they attempted another two-day festival, but it was cancelled just a week after tickets went on sale because promoters couldn't attract a headliner.
The site hasn't heard a guitar lick since.
Now the stars appear to be aligning in favour of a late summer Moncton tour date, should the Stones choose to play here. Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood told Virgin Radio in March that they wold embark on a new tour in September.
As well, it's almost certain that the Stones will be playing nearby in Boston in August. The Boston Globe reported last week that Red Sox officials asked city planners to approve Aug. 21 and 23 for a concert at Fenway Park.
Larry Cancro, senior vice-president of Fenway Affairs, told the Globe he couldn't reveal the act's name because of contractual obligations, but described them as "a group that has been around for 40 years and is known as being one of the greatest bands in performance history."
He said the band would officially announce its tour dates in May.
The Stones' past choice of big-city venues is perhaps the only thing working against a Moncton appearance.
Their most recent world tour, announced in May 2002 and launched in September of that year, saw almost 50 North American tour dates with only four appearances in all of Canada: three in Toronto, and one in Montreal.
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| Gazza |
well, at least there's some solid info about a tour announcement in May (for the record, latest I'm hearing regarding THAT news is around 3rd May, which is 4 weeks away)
Just checked out where Moncton is on an atlas. Looks very remote from other major urban areas, especially if they're trying to attract 65,000 people! (Ten Thousand Motels is in Maine, so there's a semi-local gig for ya, mate!)
Even though theres a novelty factor of a Stones show somewhere where they dont usually play, I cant see how they'd manage to sell so many tickets somewhere like that unless the prices were brought down dramatically from last time...especially with the fact that, as now seems almost certain, they'll be playing two stadium shows in Boston just 2 weeks earlier.
All the rumoured venues so far seem to be outdoor shows...at weekends. Could it be that we're going to get a stadium show each weekend and smaller scale shows during the week? |
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| Lazy Bones |
Moncton will draw people from eastern US and Quebec, too. Plan on going to the show, you better learn how to drink! Those easterners will make ya look silly.
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| Gazza |
Keith should feel right at home, then! |
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| Soldatti |
This is like a solid confirmation.
Thanks Gazza. |
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| lotsajizz |
I stayed in Moncton two years ago for a weekend. Those people can drink!!! Their beer is NOT the shit the USA thinks is beer! PREPARE Stonesfans!!! And the dollar goes a looooooooooonnnnngggg way..........eh... |
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| Lazy Bones |
quote:
lotsajizz wrote:
And the dollar goes a looooooooooonnnnngggg way
Still does, but not as much as it used to. There's about a $0.27 difference (less) to the dollar compared to 2 years ago due to a stronger Canadian dollar.
Beer's still worth it, though...
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| glencar |
Moncton has a good reputation as a party town. I think they also opened their homes to several thousand stranded Americans in the 9/11 aftermath. I hope they get the world's greatest R&R band to play up there. |
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| Lazy Bones |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Moncton has a good reputation as a party town. I think they also opened their homes to several thousand stranded Americans in the 9/11 aftermath.
True.
And, by year's end, they (as all Canadians) will require a passport to enter the US to keep America safe... |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
Lazy Bones wrote:
And, by year's end, they (as all Canadians) will require a passport to enter the US to keep America safe...
That sucks....and so knee-jerk unnecessary. Anyway I'm closer to Boston...alot closer to Boston....even NYC. |
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