Concert scandal ‘unfortunate’ but didn’t scare off Rocket Man
Posted Jul 15, 2011 05:01:02 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Another big concert is coming to Nova Scotia – but not to the capital city.
It’s rumored that Elton John will take the stage in Sydney this fall, which has some people wondering: why not Halifax?
The rocketman played two back-to-back sellout shows at the Metro Center in 2008, before the notorious concert cash scandal.
Stephen Tobin of Captive Promotions, who is organizing the Sydney event, says the scandal has cast a dark cloud over Halifax as a concert destination.
“It speaks for itself,” he said. “Unfortunately, Halifax received a lot of national media attention, and it wasn’t necessarily in the most positive light. So when you’re dealing with agencies or other promoters or managers in the United States or other parts of the world, they have access to that information.”
Halifax regional council learned in March that concert promoter Harold MacKay had received unauthorized forgivable cash advances tied to ticket sales for outdoor concerts on the Common, and a significant chunk of the two most recent would not be repaid.
Wayne Anstey, the acting CAO at the time, resigned over the revelation and Mayor Peter Kelly – who was privy to the negotiations – has refused calls for him to step down as well.
However, Tobin says while Halifax’s reputation has suffered, the scandal isn’t to blame for the fact that the next big event is headed to Sydney.
“I don’t think it plays well for Nova Scotia as an event destination of choice,” he said. “But in terms of this particularly initiative, I don’t think it had anything to do with the decision as for the location for our initiative.”
Tobin says as far as he’s aware, no one in Halifax even tried to get in on September’s big act.
He says he can’t yet confirm who’s coming to Sydney, but promises Monday’s formal announcement will be a big one.
