Leading concert promoter calls for relaxation of planning laws

Concert promoter Peter Aiken has called for a relaxation of Ireland's planning laws to allow a series of major concerts to take place each year at stadia such as Croke Park and the Aviva.

Mr Aiken said he has had discussions with the government in the wake of the Garth Brooks debacle last year which saw the American singer cancel five sell out shows at Croke Park.

Dublin City Council refused to grant a licence for the final two concerts on July 28th and 29th after earlier granting licences for concerts on consecutive nights from July 25th to July 27th.

Mr Aiken was critical of the planning laws governing such concerts when asked about adding a possible third Ed Sheeran concert to his two sell-out shows at Croke Park in July this year.

“I won’t be going down that road again I can tell you. I can’t do it. I wouldn’t go down all that planning issue again. It is just crazy – hopefully the laws are going to changed,” he said.

“We have met the Government about this and what we would like to see happening is that there will be changes, but nothing happens fast in this country.

“Hopefully going into 2016, things will be a lot clearer and a lot easier. I do believe there has to be provision somewhere in the system so that we have proper laws in place.

“This business comes in cycles. It’s not every year we have a demand for five or six concerts in Croke Park. When that cycle comes, it should be allowed to happen.”

“Last year in Croke Park we wanted to do a number of concerts with Garth Brooks and One Direction but the previous year there were no concerts there or in the Aviva.

“There has to be provision when there is a knock-on like with Ed Sheeran – where you have a guy with a guitar who can sell 160,000 tickets – that another concert is possible.

“There are a lot of disappointed people who would like to see him but are not going to this summer ... It’s a crazy set-up for a country that loves music and going to live events.”

Mr Aiken acknowledged the demand for Sheeran tickets was such that he could have sold a third concert at Croke Park to add to the British singer’s gigs there on July 24th and 25th.

“It was unbelievable (Sheeran selling out two shows in less than an hour) – here was a kid I saw when he was about 19 in Vicar Street when we sold a thousand tickets,” said Mr Aiken

“He was nice kid but I’ve met a lot of nice kids in my time and I would never have foreseen that in a couple of years time, he would sell 160,000 tickets in a hour for Croke Park

“We definitely left a show behind us – we could have done more Sheeran concerts but there won’t be another show, there can’t be [because of the licensing issue],” he said.

Mr Aiken was speaking in Cork where he revealed Ellie Goulding and Beck have been added to the line up of this year's Live in the Marquee which is the biggest to date with 27 shows.

Starting in 2005, the Live in Marquee series has continued to expand and this summer is set to attract up to 130,000 music fans with many of the acts already after selling out.

“When you look at the line-up this year, it just goes to show you how strong Irish music is at the moment – Irish acts to do really really well in Cork,” said Mr Aiken

“The Coronas sold out 10,000 tickets, Kodaline and The Frames both sold out instantly – Irish music is so much stronger now than when we started Live At The Marquee in 2005.”

Among the other artists lined up for this year's programme are Van Morrison, Status Quo, Iggy Pop, ZZ Top, Lionel Richie and Billy Idol as well as recent Oscar winner John Legend.

Also making a return to the Marquee for what has become an annual occurrence is Christy Moore while other Irish acts include Damien Rice and Dara Ó Briain as well as Riverdance.

Other acts scheduled for this year's series which runs from June 11th until July 13th include British popsters, The Vamps, Liverpool-born country star, Nathan Carter and The Waterboys.

For further information on this year's Live in the Marquee concerts, please visit www.aikenpromotions.com