[bluenoser]

I don't know about you guys, but this will be a big deal for me (and I think for P.E.I.). Right on, keep the big names coming to the East Coast, alongside the local talent!

-----

Aerosmith to rock Prince Edward Island: report
Last Updated: Sunday, February 25, 2007 | 11:57 AM ET
CBC Arts

Rock veterans Aerosmith will be hosting Prince Edward Island's biggest concert ever according to a local newspaper.

The Charlottetown Guardian says it has confirmed the rock band will play the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre on July 21.

The all-day event, part of Aerosmith's Ambassadors of Rock tour, will feature local performers such as Two Hours Traffic, In-Flight Safety and Nathan Wiley.

The tour's only other Canadian date is July 19 in Sarnia, Ont.

About 30,000 fans are expected to turn up, far more than the 18,000 who attended the Black Eyed Peas concert last year at the same venue.

....

Aerosmith to rock Prince Edward Island: report (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2007/02/25/aerosmith-pei.html?ref=rss)

[mmmatt]

Sweet, that will be great for the PEI economy and such :) plus lots of people will get to see a great show. Lots of huge bands have been coming to the East coast lately...we def. need to keep it up.

[Smevo]

I'll have to try and make the trip down, since it's really not that far away. It's about time the true east started getting recognizable bands playing shows again.

[SSLL]

Good news! Their only other Canadian venue is Sarnia? WTF?

[Haliguy]

This isn't confirmed yet.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/02/27/aerosmith-maybe.html

[mmmatt]

This isn't confirmed yet.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/02/27/aerosmith-maybe.html

thats interesting...the other article made it sound like it was for sure. oh well, hopefully they can book them still.

[kirjtc2]

And....we got another intra-regional pissing match going. Halifax vs Moncton for a country megaconcert (Tim McGraw/Faith Hill) this summer. The T&T is whining today about HRM and NS using public money to try and get it (HRM denies it), and PEI also using tax $ to get Aerosmith.

Tom Young's Rogers radio show is talking about it right now.

[kwajo]

Well there's your first problem - listening to Tom Young

[kirjtc2]

Well there's your first problem - listening to Tom Young

At least he's not Andrew Krystal... :)

The callers (even those from Halifax) were unanimous in supporting Moncton. I don't blame them....fewer neighbours to complain about Magnetic Hill, it's right off the highway compared to downtown, the site is larger...

[Wishblade]

At least he's not Andrew Krystal... :)

The callers (even those from Halifax) were unanimous in supporting Moncton. I don't blame them....fewer neighbours to complain about Magnetic Hill, it's right off the highway compared to downtown, the site is larger...

I really don't understand why they don't just use Shearwater airfield as a major concert site. Im my mind I dont see anything wrong with it.

And besides, anyone from Halifax who supports acts going to Moncton instead of here is a doofus, no offense to anyone who called in lol.

[Haliguy]

Well there's your first problem - listening to Tom Young

I heard the show...I didn't really care who got the concert before because I'm not a country fan, but after hearing what I heard on Tom Young I hope Halifax gets it. I couldn't believe what I was hearing the amount of trashing of Halifax was disgusting.

[billy1]

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=20445&sc=117


Aerosmith concert confirmed
BY DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

The wait is finally over, the biggest concert to ever hit Charlottetown has been confirmed.

Legendary U.S. recording band Aerosmith will rock the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre on Saturday, July 21.

David Carver, the show's promoter, said tickets will be $60 each, plus taxes and service charges.

SEE Blast At The Beach (http://www.blastatthebeach.com/)

"Charlottetown is one of only four North American cities on Aerosmith's summer world tour,' Carver said Monday morning.

The concert is being dubbed Blast at the Beach, the same title as last year's highly successful Black Eyed Peas and Pussycat Dolls show, also promoted by Carver.

The only U.S. dates on Aerosmith's tour are in California.

"Blast at the Beach is not just a destination for Atlantic Canadian rock and roll fans, it's a mecca for all North American Aerosmith fans, and they're coming from everywhere.'

Carver said the concert will be 10 hours and the remainder of the lineup will be announced later.

[someone123]

Every place in the Maritimes that gets major concerts or in fact just about anything contributes public money. That's how it works.

[billy1]

There are many that see public spending on any type of business development as an absolute atrocity :shrug:

[someone123]

It would be better if there were no subsidies but it is a "race to the bottom" type of situation where there will always be some town or province willing to pay.

At the end of the day the reason why Moncton has gotten several of these shows is that they have provided the largest subsidy. There are dozens of sites around the region that could be turned into a Magnetic Hill type venue with public money.

[mmmatt]

It would be better if there were no subsidies but it is a "race to the bottom" type of situation where there will always be some town or province willing to pay.

At the end of the day the reason why Moncton has gotten several of these shows is that they have provided the largest subsidy. There are dozens of sites around the region that could be turned into a Magnetic Hill type venue with public money.

Man, public money has nothing to do with it...unless you have some secret sourse that told you this I have heard nothing of the sort...I dont know if you saw my post about concerts in the Moncton thread, but here are some reasons moncton gets large concerts...this is in comparison to Halifax...but most of it is transferrable to other locations. Here it is:

I decided to do a little post as to why I feel Moncton is emerging as the primere site to hold large concerts in Atlantic Canada. I see four main reasons for this, ranging from most important to least are:

1. Location

2. Site

3. "Vibe"

4. Weather (we saw the consequences of this one at the Halifax Rolling Stones concert)



Location



Geographically spaking it should be no surprise at all that Moncton gets the ammount of large concerts it does...I mean we are the center of the maritimes. This map shows that, and below I have a table of distances from the major cities in the region. Moncton has 1.4 million people witin a 2.5 hour drive, promoters see that and all they think is $$$! In other words we get concerts.

Map
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/distance.jpg

Distances

To Moncton From:

Saint John = 149km
Fredericton = 186km
Halifax = 284km
Charlottetown = 166km

Average Trip Distance = 196km

--------------------------------------------

To Halifax From:

Saint John = 432km
Moncton = 284km
Fredericton = 467km
Charlottetown = 348km

Average Trip Distance = 391km



2. Site



The second most important reason is the actual site where the concerts will be held.

History of major events

Halifax Commons

Pope visit (1984) - 80,000
Rollong Stones (2006)- 45,000+

Magnetic Hill

Pope visit (1984) - 75,000
Lynard Skynard* (1998) - 35,000
Rolling Stones (2005) - 80,000+
Country Rocks The Hill I (2006) - 45,000+
Country Rocks The Hill II (2007) - 50,000+ expected

*Concert also included Steppenwolf, Heart, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Pat Benatar, and the Wolf

Layout of Sites

Halifax Commons

the site is basically flat, which does not work very well for concerts (if there is a tall person in front of you etc.) Also as we saw in 2006, flatness doesnt make for good drainage at all. The city hasnt put much money, if any at all (correct me if Im wrong here) toward construction of permanent infrastructure for concerts.

Magnetic Hill

The site in Moncton is a huge natural ampetheater, in otherwards a large gradually sloping hill, so it is easy to see the stage clearly from the very back of the crowd. This slope provides good drainage in the event of rain. The City of Moncton has put in some money to make permanent infrastructure for concerts on this site, and again this year they are putting 250,000$ toward better parking among other things.

Area

Another aspect of the site is the area in which it exists, in Halifax the commons is downtown, and surrounded by densly populated residential areas, this, as we have seen, creates a lot of negitive noise rising from the people who live in the area. It also makes parking/camping very hard. In Moncton the site is on the fringe of the city, so there are not as many people to complain, and there is plenty of space to park and camp.



3. "Vibe"



This is what Harold MacKay saind was a very important factor in Moncton beating out Halifax for this years mega-concert. This is also something that Moncton is known in the region for, sadly some people take it the wrong way, as we have just seen in this forum.

From T&T:

"There's a vibe in this city that's hard to explain to people unless you've experienced it," MacKay said, "all the way from your city staff, to the politicians, the people on the street, the media. Everything that happens in this city has a whole different vibe than hundreds of other places. It's the reason you're successful."

MacKay emphasized the role of the media in capturing the community's enthusiasm. He singled out C-103/XL 96 for gathering 6,000 names on a petition to bring Hill and McGraw. He also thanked the Times & Transcript as "a newspaper that covers our events and other events in a tremendous fashion."

Holding up six pages of clippings from the newspaper's coverage of last year's Country Rocks the Hill, MacKay said, "I took several copies of those plus the ones they did for the Rolling Stones and the reaction we had in Nashville was outstanding."



4. Weather


As we saw happen on the Rolling Stones trip to Halifax last year, weather plays a major role on people actually going to the concert after they have bought thier tickets.

Average Number of Rainy Days per year

Moncton - 90
Halifax - 231

Average Number of Days per year With Fog

Halifax - 196
Moncton - (they didnt have a number on there but I assume it is very low...personally I have only seen it once or twice in 9+ years living in the city.)


(info from Weatherbase.com)

[someone123]

Okay, I stand corrected. They went for the famous "Moncton vibe".

[ErickMontreal]

Okay, I stand corrected. They went for the famous "Moncton vibe".

:haha:

I just don`t understand why Atlantic cities just try to attract old bands ?

They don`t like current music ?

[Wishblade]

:haha:

I just don`t understand why Atlantic cities just try to attract old bands ?

They don`t like current music ?

There arent any recently made bands that have the fan base to play such large venues. Artists have to build up a legacy. So really the only bands that can play large venues like the commons or mag hill are ones that have been around the block.

Also I should note about that map that shows the location to the maritimes major cities, that Halifax has about the same populous as Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, and Charlottetown combined.

[ErickMontreal]

There arent any recently made bands that have the fan base to play such large venues. Artists have to build up a legacy. So really the only bands that can play large venues like the commons or mag hill are ones that have been around the block.

You`re right but in the others hands they could try something like "Vans Warp Tours"

For example : Billy Talents, Our lady Peace, Sum 41, Simple Plan, Great big sea, Foo fighter...

However its very hard to set up a festival like that likely more than with a single headliner band

Its very great for the PEI

[Haliguy]

We had Summersault tour back in 2000 at Citadel hill...best concert I have seen in these parts. They had Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Catherines Wheel, Finger 11 and bunch others I can't remember right now... all for only 35 bucks hard to believe these days.

[Wishblade]

We had Summersault tour back in 2000 at Citadel hill...best concert I have seen in these parts. They had Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Catherines Wheel, Finger 11 and bunch others I can't remember right now... all for only 35 bucks hard to believe these days.

Didnt there used to be concerts every year on citadel hill? Althought I must admit, Summersault 2000 was probably one of the better ones there.

[Haliguy]

Didnt there used to be concerts every year on citadel hill? Althought I must admit, Summersault 2000 was probably one of the better ones there.

Yes there used to be.. but Summersault was the best for sure.

[Smevo]

Okay, I stand corrected. They went for the famous "Moncton vibe".

Cheapshot much?

[mmmatt]

Okay, I stand corrected. They went for the famous "Moncton vibe".

If you didnt notice before... I said they rank from most -> least important. Location and Site quality are more important than "vibe"...however it still plays a part.

[Haliguy]

If you didnt notice before... I said they rank from most -> least important. Location and Site quality are more important than "vibe"...however it still plays a part.

I do agree the location may give it a leg up, but location isn't everything and as for "vibe" I'm not sure where that comes from other than something a country music promoter has said. When it comes to music I really don't think of Moncton when it comes to vibe to be honest.

[Smevo]

If you didnt notice before... I said they rank from most -> least important. Location and Site quality are more important than "vibe"...however it still plays a part.

M'eh, don't let him get to ya, Matt. Outside of the random comments about his view of other cities, he seems like he may be a good guy. :cheers:

[mmmatt]

I do agree the location may give it a leg up, but location isn't everything and as for "vibe" I'm not sure where that comes from other than something a country music promoter has said. When it comes to music I really don't think of Moncton when it comes to vibe to be honest.

Well thats your opinion...and thats fine, but if the main concert promoter in atlantic canada (he did both the stones concerts, and both these country rocks the hill ones...and Im shure many others) thinks we do than Im pretty sure thats a good thing.

[mmmatt]

M'eh, don't let him get to ya, Matt. Outside of the random comments about his view of other cities, he seems like he may be a good guy. :cheers:
:tup:lol good advice Smevo...you always seem to say something like that just when it is most needed...you should start up a thread for an advice column type thing :D :cheers:

Edit: Ive never really used those emoticon things before...I think i might now lol

[MolsonExport]

My God, they will be able to hear the screeching banshee noises of Steve Tyler around the entire island!

[Smevo]

:tup:lol good advice Smevo...you always seem to say something like that just when it is most needed...you should start up a thread for an advice column type thing :D :cheers:

Edit: Ive never really used those emoticon things before...I think i might now lol

lol...I've been on here a while. :cool: