Compensation sought after rock concert

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 9

Compensation sought after rock concert

PA Auckland The Auckland Centre of the Amateur Athletic Association is seeking compensation from the promoters of the recent Tina Turner rock concert for damage to equipment and the all-weather track at Mount Smart Stadium. The aluminium kerb around the 400 m track was battered and bent, the covers for the pole vault and high jump landing pads were crushed, and the track surface was damaged in places.

The Auckland centre’s president, Mr John Cornaga, said the centre appreciated that it must live with promotions such as the Tina Turner concert, for they brought in considerable revenue to the Auckland Regional Authority, which hired the stadium. But the centre believed that those responsible for erecting the huge stages

required for the concerts and the paying public should take more care.

Trucks carrying the stages had been driven over the aluminium kerb and the stages had gouged the track. “It is difficult to put a figure on it (the value of the damage) for there are a lot of hours of voluntary labour by centre officials repairing the damage and putting things back as they were after such shows as the Tina Turner concert,” Mr Cornaga said. “But we are seeking compensation from the promoters and will take the matter up with the A.R.A. as well.”

Three other big pop concerts are booked for the stadium this summer.

The Thompson Twins are due to appear on February 1, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty on February 7, and Dire Straits on March 2. Because of the expected crowd, the

Dire Straits concert might be extended to two nights. Mount Smart Stadium is likely to take over from Western Springs as the venue for pop concerts for two reasons.

Being in the centre of an industrial area, it is better than Western Springs as far as noise is concerned, and those hiring the stadium can now get a better deal financially from the A.R.A. than from the Auckland City Council.

The Dire Straits promoter, lan Magan, has used Mount Smart as a venue in the past and acknowledges the officials’ concern.

“We do get complaints but we have never had to pay out for damage to the track or other facilities,” he said. “When a venue is worth as much as Mount Smart, road crews usually go to great lengths to make sure there is no problem.”