I thought we had a thread for concerts we are going to other than Eagles ones bit I can't seem to find it!
However I do remember posting that I would be going to Garth Brooks at the end of this month. Garth Brooks fever hit Ireland when he announced in January that he would play 2 concerts in Ireland at the end of July. The venue would be Croke Park, our premier sports stadium and headquarters of the GAA, the 'main' Irish sporting body.
Tickets went on sale and even though I logged in before 9am, two hours later a third date was announced and I still could not get tickets on ticketmaster. Stubhub were already doing resales.
About a week later 'due to unprecedented demand' a fourth night was added, to be followed by a fifth when it sold out. Thankfully I managed to get tickets for the fourth night, Monday 28th July......
Now, Croke Park is in the middle of a residential area, being about 2 miles from the city. Immediately the residents in the neighbourhood started to complain that these 5 concerts should not go ahead. Apparently there was an agreement in place that only 3 concerts per year could take place there. Those 3 have already happened with 1-direction last May.
The promotors offered €500,000 to the residential development fund, and it's also well known that these residents get comp tickets for any concrete that do take place.
They were still not happy and took their case to Dublin City Council last week. the city manager refused licences for the two later gigs, meaning only the original three can take place.
Now here's the twist....
Garth Brooks has now put an 'All or Nothing' statement out. he says he has been contracted to do 5 concerts and he will pull out of them all if he is only granted 3.
So we have
Possibility of 400,000 people being disappointed by not having a concert to go to.
Refunds having to be offered to all of us.
People who bought tickets through third parties possibly NOT being refunded
Local hotels have taken bookings from here and abroad now face massive charges in cancelled bookings and refunds
Staff working in those hotels will lose wages etc.
Pubs, restaurants etc in the locality losing out and again having made orders and provision for these gigs.
People have booked to come to these concerts from Ireland, Europe, the USA and as far away as Afghanistan I believe. They will not be refunded their flights.
Overall massive loss to our economy, just as we have started to recover
Massive loss of credibility to our nation.
Numerous petitions and representations have been made to the city council over the last few days, but the manager is adamant, he will not revoke the licence ban.
Now I know from travelling abroad to see Glenn and the Eagles that I DO take a risk, but IMHO this is ludicrous. A small group of people have held the whole city up to ransom, and the feeling is that they did it assuming they would be compensated financially for being put out!
Current situation is that no gigs will take place unless there is a massive u-turn by the city council on Monday .