Bruce Springsteen Concert in Kilkenny
Tipperary GAA Chairman Mr Sean Nugent has confirmed that his board want to stage a lucrative music gig at Semple Stadium in the Summer of 2014.
Mr Nugent indicated that having recorded losses totalling more than €650,000 in the previous four years, the county board could record a financial profit for 2013, from their ‘Tipptoberfest’ upcoming event, latter a series of sporting and other music activities which will take place at the Clonmel Park Hotel, over the course of the October Bank Holiday.
Mr Nugent is confident a money-spinning concert will go ahead at Semple Stadium next year and claims that a major gig at the Thurles Semple Stadium venue would revive memories of the spectacular Féile concerts in the early 1990s.
If ‘Tipptoberfest’ runs successfully, then some of the promoters involved are thought to be very interested in running a larger scale concert event in the Stadium, with next summer as their target.
For many local businesses this event would be most certainly welcomed as good for the commercial life of Thurles, while also serving to alleviate the financial pressures on Tipperary GAA coffers.
Recent Bruce Springsteen Concerts held around Ireland attracted crowds averaging attendances of some 45,000, resulting in a massive economic boost for the towns and cities involved.
Hear is hoping that the GAA County Board will now enter into public discussion on any future music gig, so that other annual standing events are not compromised by this very welcome proposed idea.
Didn’t know where else to post this but have you heard George that the GAA have put forward Semple Stadium to the IRFU in its bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/gaa-funded-for-stadium-upgrades-in-rugby-world-cup-bid-1.2026383
Yep, I think Thurles is mature enough now in 2014 to deal with a large festival again in Semple Stadium, though it must be admitted that we might have been a bit too hasty in pulling the plug on the Féile in 1994; since then there are many ‘new’ festivals around the country which have successfully taken it’s place and have become annual calender events.
The competition for concert goers will now be much stiffer which means that the promoter (whoever that may be) will have to be very shrewd and ‘in the know’ to set up a quality line up to attract the punters.
I hope, whatever the final decision that ‘local crew’ are given preference to outside contract crew, as was the case with the Féile’s back in the 1990’s. Much of the work involved in building such an event is primarily a question of labour with a bit of cop-on, and once crews are managed and directed properly there is no reason why the majority of those employed cannot be from Thurles. This stipulation must be part of any negotiation.
Specialised technical work (Sound reinforcement, lighting design, power supply & stage scaffolding)is obviously the realm of experienced professionals, but that is not to say that local people from Thurles do not have many of the ‘specialist’ skills necessary. At Féile 1993/94 there were only two Thurles men involved in the technical crews, and later discovered they were on labour pay instead of a specialised technical rate. I know this because I was one!