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| CS |
Calgary offers free simulcast concert
MuchMoreMusic, CBC in talks with organizers
J. Kelly Nestruck
The City of Calgary plans to simulcast Toronto's upcoming Rolling Stones concert at the Saddledome, and CBC and MuchMoreMusic are negotiating to secure national broadcast rights for the event.
While the networks held discussions with concert organizers, Dave Bronconnier, Calgary's Mayor, called on his counterparts across the country to hold simulcast events in their cities and turn July 30 into a national event in support of the country's beef and tourism industries.
"I'm going to send a call out to all mayors letting them know through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that we have the simulcast and it's available to them if they wish to pick up on it," he said.
"I'd like every municipality, every major city in the country to get involved."
Mr. Bronconnier said the concert was a chance to showcase national unity in the face of severe acute respiratory syndrome and mad cow disease.
SARS fears have hurt tourism in Alberta, as well as in Ontario, he said. "Likewise many people are unaware that Ontario is the second-largest beef producer in the country; they too are suffering the challenges of BSE, just as Alberta is," he said.
Over the weekend, the City of Calgary secured the rights to show portions of the concert -- including the Rolling Stones -- on Jumbotrons in the Saddledome.
There will be no admission charge to the event, which the Mayor estimates will attract between 35,000 and 50,000 people. Public transit to and from the event will be free, and each concertgoer will receive a complimentary drink and beef on a bun.
The event's costs are being covered by a private-public partnership, headed by the City of Calgary and including the Alberta Cattle Commission, Alberta Beef Producers, the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede and Tourism Calgary. Mr. Bronconnier said the event would cost the city $50,000.
Though the city has just nine days to get ready for the concert, Mr. Bronconnier did not expect any difficulties. "If we pulled off the G8 in less than 300 days -- which was a huge event -- we'll pull this off too," he said.
Meanwhile, CBC and MuchMoreMusic were working last night to bring the concert to the rest of the country, negotiating a broadcast and cable package with the Rolling Stones and concert organizers MP Dennis Mills and Senator Jerry Grafstein.
David Kines, vice-president and general manager of MuchMoreMusic, said he hoped negotiations would be concluded by this morning.
"It would probably be premature to say at the moment, but ... I think [viewers] will get a flavour of the concert. Not the complete 10 hours or 11 hours, but you'll see selected performances, hopefully," he said.
"I emphasize the word hopefully, because it is not a done deal."
Mr. Kines said he did not believe the broadcast would take away from the concert itself.
"Nothing will compare to being here, but there will be some coverage of some sort on news outlets and hopefully something bigger on MuchMoreMusic and CBC," he said.
Mr. Mills said more details about the concert simulcast and broadcast rights would be released at a new conference this morning.
"We've just got to do a little bit of paperwork here; it's all going to happen," he said.
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| Lazy Bones |
Brilliant! Always loved those Albertans! |
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| Martha |
Yipee!
I think....I cannot get MUCHMOREMUSIC though, so am I still screwed?? Who around here gets this network? Will those of you that do be taping???? Please say YES. I need to see it somehow!
Oh, and just the AC/DC and Stones sets...I can live (longer, I suspect) without the rest of the show/madness! LOL
Thanks for the post CS.
You ROCK!
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| steel driving hammer |
From IORR;
"The Stones will be on stage with other bands," "and perform at least 10-15 songs," (I hope more) and also: "In Toronto, the stage is being set up, and, it rotates and is the size of a football field."
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| Lazy Bones |
Friday, July 25, 2003
Stones ducats are on a roll!
Free tickets up for grabs at area Co-ops
By NOVA PIERSON -- Calgary Sun
CALGARY -- Concerns from the fire marshal and Saddledome officials have forced the mayor to limit free tickets to a simulcast of Toronto's Rolling Stones concert next Wednesday.
And those 16,000 tickets will be available this morning on a first-come, first-served basis at Co-op stores in Calgary, Strathmore and Airdrie, with a limit of four tickets per person.
Originally hoping 30,000 to 50,000 people could pass through the Saddledome for what's being billed as the "Calgary Unity Simulcast Concert," organizers have had to limit it to the centre's capacity.
"We had hoped people would cycle through," said Mayor Dave Bronconnier, noting renovations have nixed the idea of having a second screen at the Corral and cost prohibits the partial rebuilding of the Nashville North tent.
But the mayor is expecting a good response for the 16,000 tickets for the event, organized in support of the tourism industry plagued by Toronto's SARS outbreak and those in the cattle industry stung by Alberta's lone confirmed case of BSE.
"The feedback my office is getting is: 'Where do I get tickets?' " he said.
The concert will be shown starting at 3 p.m. in Calgary.
The first 10,000 people who show up after noon for a street festival outside the Saddledome will also get a free beef barbecue.
Aldermen Joe Ceci and Linda Fox-Mellway will attend the Toronto concert -- which features AC/DC, The Guess Who, Sam Roberts, The Tea Party and others -- to serve up beef on a bun with other Alberta representatives.
Tickets to the Saddledome simulcast are also good for Calgary Transit service starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
City council endorsed a $50,000 expenditure for the simulcast, but Bronconnier said it's still hoped other cities get on board to help cover the $25,000 broadcast feed costs.
Local performers Jake Matthews, Duane Steele, Kelly J and The Villains will perform at Calgary's street festival outside the 'Dome before the simulcast.
In Toronto, the logistical picture of accommodating the every need of tens of thousands of revellers is being tackled, and organizers said plans are on track to transform a 3.2-sq. km area of mostly grass and dirt into party central, complete with toilets, concession stands and a hospital.
Dozens of tractor-trailers are working around the clock to haul food and materials into the park, including 250,000 hot dogs, 250,000 Alberta beef hamburger patties and more than 200,000 litres of mustard, relish and ketchup.
The 3,500 portable toilets and 600 hand-washing stations are already in place. |
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