McCartney rumours may be just sour grapes
Timing is everything in the music business. Acts have to strike out on the road when their latest music releases are getting airplay, their names are front page news on the gossip tabloids . . . or if they just need to pad their bank accounts with an extra $50 or $100 million.
Which makes Sleuth more than a little bit suspicious about the timing of the "Paul McCartney may come to Halifax" story that broke early this week.
Concert promoter Harold 'Hype It' MacKay suggested he was "90 per cent sure" McCartney would play a concert on the Halifax Common this July. Harold is already promoting a Keith Urban concert at the Common this summer, a show Sleuth hears is not doing very well in advance ticket sales.
So how do we separate truth from hype?
We do know for sure that McCartney's tour people accepted an invitation from the Halifax Regional Municipality to tour the Commons site. While MacKay put a positive spin on the McCartney team visit, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly has been a little more cautious. This is the guy who has already been bitten hard by the Celine Dion Debacle, and countless other rumours of bands expected to play HRM that never materialized.
Now for the fiction part. McCartney so far plans only one concert this year -- despite the need to pay ex-wife and a seal's best friend Heather Mills several million. Aside from a show in his native Liverpool on June 1, there's nothing else on Sir Paul's plate.
What is also interesting is that AEG Live, one of the world's largest tour promoters and the people bringing The Eagles to Moncton on Aug. 2, usually handle McCartney's tours. Do you think they would bring in another top act within weeks of their Eagles' show to split the concert take at both sites?
What Sleuth has heard whispered in the backrooms of Moncton and Halifax this week is the McCartney rumour was conveniently planted just a few days before tickets went on sale for The Eagles show in Moncton. Could it be a nefarious attempt to undercut Moncton's big summer show?
The concert biz can be cutthroat. But Sleuth has been told Moncton fans have nothing to worry about. We'll get to enjoy one of the top acts in music history this year at the Hill, and if we are patient and play our cards right, we will get at least one other huge act for next year.
Who knows . . . maybe it will be Paul McCartney.
***
Sticking with concert news for just a bit, it seems the City of Moncton was taking no chances with its Internet-based sales for the big Eagles' show yesterday.
The worst thing that could happen is for people attempting to buy online experiencing slowdowns, so the city's IT department went to work.
An e-mail sent to all city employees late Thursday said a large volume of sales was expected through the city's Internet network. It asked city workers to eliminate "unnecessary" Internet usage on Friday.
"So use the Internet when you have to for work, but please don't listen to Internet radio, don't watch the hockey game on tsn.ca, and don't download any content you don't need on Friday," the missive stated.
Let's hope city employees don't watch tsn.ca on less busy days, too!
***
Sleuth's spidey-sense was tingling earlier this year when the four bids to operate New Brunswick's first casino were revealed. Conspicuous by its absence was one name that had been touted as a sure-fire player. Great Canadian Gaming Corp., based in Richmond, B.C. had indicated an interest in bidding on the New Brunswick project. It seemed a natural extension of the company's casino business, considering they operate both the Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax and the casino in Sydney.
Why did Great Canadian pull out? The answer became apparent this week, when the company announced between 100 and 120 layoffs at the Halifax casino and cuts to the Sydney operation. It seems business is down at both locations, which forced the layoffs and a reduction in hours of the Halifax casino. Great Canadian wasn't going to expand into New Brunswick when it was scaling back in Nova Scotia.
This poses an interesting question for New Brunswick bidders: Just how large is the market here if revenues are down in Nova Scotia? Have some of the grand plans floated earlier this year by some of the New Brunswick bidders been scaled back?
***
Sleuth was pleasantly surprised yesterday when nominations closed for the May 12 municipal elections. No fewer than 65 candidates have offered to run for council seats in Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe. There was fear earlier that interest in running for municipal office was waning, but a rush of last-minute candidates has shown democracy is alive and well in Metro.
Sleuth has always had inside sources at City Hall. So, where will the most interesting races be?
Look for tight contests in all four Moncton wards, as well as Ward 1 in Riverview, where Ron Davis is the incumbent but is up against three tough contenders.
And then there's Dieppe. Sleuth hears no one should consider themselves safe in Dieppe!
* Have you heard the latest gossip? Do you know some juicy rumours? Send your best info to sleuth@timestranscript.com, fax it to 859-4904, or drop it off to Sleuth c/o The Times & Transcript, 939 Main St., Moncton.
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I am happy that ticket sales for the Eagles went so well today, looks good on the Hill.
Celine Dion has never Cancelled on Moncton ? Moncton now has Real Bigtime Promoters in Donald K Donald and Phil Anschultz's AEG who have not suffered from yet another tentitiive unsigned show for the Commons. Mainly a Paul McCartney who will backout.
Phil Anschultz is a very powerful player in the Business owning the O2 Dome in London, the Staples Centre in LA and the MENS arena in Manchester England. AEG books into Bonfide Venues that are not Fields in the middle of a City with Apartment buildings cutting down the possible buyers of Tickets and also providing a new dimension to security concerns . Paul McCartney will cite security concerns and the Seal Hunters. Keith Urban is a 10000 seater act in the the US so how is he a outdoor 30000 plus artist in Canada? Hyper Harold
loses again
Clearwater Foods is one of the HRM's larger companies , National Sea products in Nova Scotia is very big too.
Imagine you are John Risley and your Tax dollars are going to pay 175,000 dollars for security for a Paul McCartney concert to enrich a Man part of an effort that could destroy your business in nova scotia.
Peter Kelly probably Signed a big political liability cheque being associated with Sir Paul. The Fishing villages in the HRM I am sure would be pleased as well. MACCA a choice worse the Celine to compete with Moncton LOL because he will be a PR disaster for the HRM
Magnetic Hill has Camping Locally, a sloped viewing area, a venue in tune with the needs of touring acts who are clients like the fans, Moncton has a Gr8 action plan not bidding on the impossible like the Commonwealth Games. The placement of the Colusuem is excellent, with Expansion Room and Parking. The Metro Centre Well downtown with no expansion or parking. A wasted of resources as it is a dead end.
The grandstand for the IAAF world juniors on a greenfield site on the campus of the UNi of Moncton. All of Monctons venue plans makes 4 expansion. A second outdoor venue for smaller concerts ? CFL in the Futu Fifa U20 ?Womens fifa? CFL Moncton is closer to being realize with simple logic or steps over time.
Moncton is Knoxville Tennessee in 1920s on a course of logically planning. Google Neyland Stadium .18 development stages and the second largest sports stadium in the US. 650K people in Knoxville