HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Atlantic Provinces > Halifax > Arts, Culture, Dining, Recreation & Entertainment


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #61  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2010, 9:33 PM
terrynorthend terrynorthend is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,053
Quote:
Originally Posted by halifaxboyns View Post
Looks like there is trouble a foot for concerts on the commons. There was something on the CBC news today about someone getting signatures for a petition.
I wouldn't be too worried (as a supporter of mixed uses for the commons, including concerts). Comments to a recent CH article indicated a great deal of public support for concerts, and a lot of disdain towards the "whiners" who either can't or won't share this public space. The city has already committed, twice, to the use of the Commons for concerts on a regular basis. Once earlier this year in voting to use it on an ongoing basis, and then again knocking down a motion (21-2; Watts, Sloane) to revoke its use for concerts. The city has also committed to renovating the commons, which will include a very nice event plaza in that corner closest to Citadel Hill. Construction started earlier this year when they put in permanent utility access.

It would seem the naysayers' horses have already left the barn. Petition away, I say!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #62  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2011, 4:50 AM
coolmillion's Avatar
coolmillion coolmillion is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 295
What do people think of the Power Promotions financing "scandal" that hit the media today? I'm actually not surprised by any of the revelations... frustrated and angry, but not surprised...
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #63  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2011, 10:45 AM
Keith P.'s Avatar
Keith P. Keith P. is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,964
What disturbs me is not the fact that it occurred - it was obvious to anyone observing this most recent concert that it was a spectacular failure. What I am surprised about is how our esteemed Mayor set up a long-serving and loyal senior staff member as the fall guy and is blaming everyone but himself for what occurred.

Think about the timing of this: a couple of days before the concert the promoter walks in and says if you don't give us $400K, we're pulling out and leaving you holding the bag for $1.8 million. There is no way it can be brought before council and no way you can possibly follow process to get such a sum approved in 2 days. In such events it seems perfectly normal for the Mayor and CAO to make an emergency decision.

The problem is that the Mayor knew about it and told nobody. The Mayor, despite his attempt to spin it otherwise, was in agreement with it. Anstey, being a very careful lifelong bureaucrat and being on the job as Acting CAO for only 2 weeks, would never have done that on his own. Now the Mayor is attempting to save his own skin by forcing Anstey to announce he will retire and making noises that perhaps he will be fired before he is allowed to retire. The Mayor is also blaming his legal staff for not telling him that his was outside the bounds of the HRM Charter. I cannot accept that the Mayor did not know this from the start.

It is a despicable act by the Mayor and he should be ashamed of himself. Peter Kelly must resign.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #64  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2011, 10:19 PM
wackypacky's Avatar
wackypacky wackypacky is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dartmouth
Posts: 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith P. View Post
What disturbs me is not the fact that it occurred - it was obvious to anyone observing this most recent concert that it was a spectacular failure. What I am surprised about is how our esteemed Mayor set up a long-serving and loyal senior staff member as the fall guy and is blaming everyone but himself for what occurred.

Think about the timing of this: a couple of days before the concert the promoter walks in and says if you don't give us $400K, we're pulling out and leaving you holding the bag for $1.8 million. There is no way it can be brought before council and no way you can possibly follow process to get such a sum approved in 2 days. In such events it seems perfectly normal for the Mayor and CAO to make an emergency decision.

The problem is that the Mayor knew about it and told nobody. The Mayor, despite his attempt to spin it otherwise, was in agreement with it. Anstey, being a very careful lifelong bureaucrat and being on the job as Acting CAO for only 2 weeks, would never have done that on his own. Now the Mayor is attempting to save his own skin by forcing Anstey to announce he will retire and making noises that perhaps he will be fired before he is allowed to retire. The Mayor is also blaming his legal staff for not telling him that his was outside the bounds of the HRM Charter. I cannot accept that the Mayor did not know this from the start.

It is a despicable act by the Mayor and he should be ashamed of himself. Peter Kelly must resign.
relax.........
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #65  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2011, 11:08 PM
Waye Mason's Avatar
Waye Mason Waye Mason is offline
opinionated so and so
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Halifax, NS
Posts: 721
KP and I disagree on a lot of stuff, but not on core issues like this. Peter Kelly should resign. He has been caught lying, participating and directing the miss-use of funds against policy and provincial statute, and most damning, he has refused to accept responsibility for his well documented actions.

In our system, the Mayor has very little power, and a very short job description. In the Charter (an Act of the Province) the job is:

Quote:
(3) The Mayor may

(a) monitor the administration and government of the Municipality; and

(b) communicate such information and recommend such measures to the Council as will improve the finances, administration and government of the Municipality.
Not much, and yet Peter couldn't pull this off. He was complicit in withholding information and misleading council, as clearly shown by Premier Dexter's revelation that the Mayor called the Premier stumping for money for the concerts the day before the "grant" was given to Power Promotions. The grant that 24 hours earlier Peter had denied having any knowledge of.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #66  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2011, 11:26 PM
sdm sdm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,895
Kid Rock reps go after city
Agency says it will seek 'remedy' for cancelled concert
By PAT LEE Staff Reporter
Sun, Mar 20 - 1:44 PM

The agency representing Kid Rock sent a letter to Halifax councillors saying it plans to seek a 'remedy' for last summer's cancelled concert. CAA sent the letter after learning the city fronted money for the Black Eyed Peas concert, which went off as planned the next day. (CARLOS OSORIO/AP /File)

The agency that represents Kid Rock, whose show was axed last summer by Power Promotional Events, will seek a “remedy” for the failed venture in light of money fronted by the city to prop up the Black Eyed Peas concert the following night.

A representative for Creative Artists Agency faxed a letter to Halifax councillors on Friday night outlining the company’s grievances over the cancelled July 23 concert, which was to have also featured the Counting Crows and local acts the Stanfields and the Jimmy Swift Band.
The letter, obtained by The Chronicle Herald, said Nat Farnham of CAA contacted Mayor Peter Kelly by email on June 21 to ask the city to help save the show after Power Promotional's Harold MacKay said he was pulling the plug due to low ticket sales. The Kid Rock Show was to have been the first night of entertainment in a two-night event dubbed Halifax Rocks 2010.

“I know that the city is not a party to this deal,” he said in the email,” but I wanted to reach out to ask if you could help us prevent the engagement from being cancelled.”

“There are rumours that the city has thought about stepping in on the July 23 show — from what I hear, the July 24 show isn’t in great shape either …”

MacKay cancelled the Kid Rock show on June 30.

The letter, written by Angie Rho of CAA, doesn’t outline what the company expects from the HRM but said the agency will be pursuing the matter further.

CAA also represents other artists who were to perform that day in Halifax.


“In short, our clients are due a remedy for the festival’s breach of its promise to them,” she wrote.

Coun. Sue Uteck said Sunday she has seen the letter and plans to bring the issue before council on Tuesday.

She doesn’t know if CAA has a legal case, “but it’s clearly the first shot across the bow,” she said.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #67  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2011, 12:02 AM
someone123's Avatar
someone123 someone123 is offline
hähnchenbrüstfiletstüc
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 33,673
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waye Mason View Post
KP and I disagree on a lot of stuff, but not on core issues like this. Peter Kelly should resign. He has been caught lying, participating and directing the miss-use of funds against policy and provincial statute, and most damning, he has refused to accept responsibility for his well documented actions.
Can't wait for Kelly to be gone. I hope he takes most of the councillors with him. Hopefully by 2012 the HRM will have a smaller, more competent crew.

Kelly's tenure has been horrible. So much of the city's potential has quietly gone down the drain while the municipal government has spun its wheels, wasting money with no overall sense of goals or direction.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #68  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2011, 5:15 AM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Planet earth
Posts: 3,883
Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123 View Post
Can't wait for Kelly to be gone. I hope he takes most of the councillors with him. Hopefully by 2012 the HRM will have a smaller, more competent crew.

Kelly's tenure has been horrible. So much of the city's potential has quietly gone down the drain while the municipal government has spun its wheels, wasting money with no overall sense of goals or direction.
You know - I had faith in PK. But now, I have to agree. It might be good to just have a royal flush of council and start fresh. The only catch with that is that you may end up with people who totally are all about suburban growth and against density.

So be careful what you wish for...
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #69  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2011, 12:53 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
Honored Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Toronto area (ex-Nova Scotian)
Posts: 5,558
There is an article in the newspaper by a concert promoter and and a real "opinionated so and so" - http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1234249.html
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #70  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2011, 5:28 PM
Waye Mason's Avatar
Waye Mason Waye Mason is offline
opinionated so and so
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Halifax, NS
Posts: 721
Quote:
Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
There is an article in the newspaper by a concert promoter and and a real "opinionated so and so" - http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1234249.html
I do what I can.

Wespidel was saying in the Stadium thread that Moncton gives money to the promoter. They do not. They did invest in Rolling Stones but they have been investing only in the venue since then.

Moncton is also not at risk if the promoter gets cash advances on ticket sales. Mackay evidently had no money, as he was unable to pay his bills. HRM owns Ticket Atlantic, and guaranteed the loans of ticket advance money to Mackay. If the shows had flopped or been cancelled, HRM would have been on the hook.

When Evenko does a show in Moncton, if they get an advance from Ticket Master, they have dozens of other events happening out there in Montreal that they can cross-collateralize the debt against.

For those of you with an accounting background, advance tickets are supposed to be held in trust as they are "unearned revenue" ie the good or service has yet to be delivered.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #71  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2011, 8:45 PM
q12's Avatar
q12 q12 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Halifax
Posts: 4,500
Concert promoter says he's being slandered

http://www.news957.com/news/local/ar...eing-slandered


The concert promoter behind the Black Eyed Peas show that spawned the city hall spending scandal says he didn't do anything wrong.

Harold MacKay of the now-defunct Power Promotional Events says he wasn't sucking up taxpayer money when he was being fronted ticket-sale advances through the Metro Centre accounts.

"It is our money," said MacKay. "It's the concert promoter's money that you're asking for. It's not the City of Moncton or taxpayers' money, it's your money."

"If policy was broken," said MacKay, "maybe they should correct the policy."

He says the way this has blown up, Halifax will have a harder time getting performers if it wants big concerts in the future.

"My belief is that this issue should not have gotten to the proportion it is at right now," said MacKay. "It's going to do Halifax big-time damage in the concert scene business in the future. Artists hear about it. They don't need controversy. They can put their finger anywhere on the map and decide to play wherever they want. They won't go places that are controversial in any way."

MacKay maintains his name is being slandered in the media.

"Yeah, it's slandered through all this false information that's out there," he said. "It sounds like we were using the piggy bank of the taxpayers' money to host concerts. It's not true. We took huge risks on these concerts, all the time. We were always taking risks on them."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #72  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2011, 9:28 PM
spaustin's Avatar
spaustin spaustin is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Downtown Dartmouth
Posts: 705
Quote:
Originally Posted by halifaxboyns View Post
The only catch with that is that you may end up with people who totally are all about suburban growth and against density.

So be careful what you wish for...
And that would differ from the current status-quo how? The number of urban and rural councilors out number the urban ones which does affect spending and decisions. It feels like HRM is building a community centre on every corner out in the rural areas and Metro Transit is definitely being pushed to expand their service into rural areas where there is little population density and few potential riders. It's telling that the new library is the first big investment the city has made in the Downtown in a long time... unless you count the sewage treatment plants.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #73  
Old Posted Mar 22, 2011, 2:10 AM
someone123's Avatar
someone123 someone123 is offline
hähnchenbrüstfiletstüc
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 33,673
Quote:
Originally Posted by spaustin View Post
And that would differ from the current status-quo how? The number of urban and rural councilors out number the urban ones which does affect spending and decisions. It feels like HRM is building a community centre on every corner out in the rural areas and Metro Transit is definitely being pushed to expand their service into rural areas where there is little population density and few potential riders. It's telling that the new library is the first big investment the city has made in the Downtown in a long time... unless you count the sewage treatment plants.
Yep, it's already really bad. I think there's a tendency to think that everything is fine as long as nothing changes, but the reality is that the downtown area has been stagnating and slowly falling behind. The library will improve the picture a little but one of those every 20 years isn't enough. In fact the situation is even slightly worse than what you'd get from municipal neglect alone because there has also been negative interference (e.g. holding on to Queen Street lands when a private developer would have built on them years ago).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #74  
Old Posted May 3, 2011, 10:42 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
Honored Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Toronto area (ex-Nova Scotian)
Posts: 5,558
There are a number of reports indicating that Metallica will play in Halifax this summer (July 14) - http://atlanticcanadarocks.ca/conten...ifax-July-14th and
http://www.chartattack.com/news/2011...alifax-in-july

I am not sure who the promoter would be or if this is a band that can attract a crowd in Halifax.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #75  
Old Posted May 6, 2011, 10:34 PM
q12's Avatar
q12 q12 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Halifax
Posts: 4,500


Metallica to rock Citadel Hill

CBC News Posted: May 6, 2011 5:59 PM AT Last Updated: May 6, 2011 6:36 PM AT

Metallica will be playing a concert on Halifax Citadel Hill this summer, CBC News has learned.

It will be announced officially on Monday that the heavy rock band will play in Halifax on July 14.

The event is being called Rock the Hill and it's being promoted by MacKay Entertainment — a company owned by Michele MacKay, the wife of Nova Scotia concert promoter, Harold MacKay.

Michele and Harold MacKay were the principals in Power Promotional Events Inc., the company behind several major concerts on the Halifax Common, from Paul McCartney in July 2009 to the Black Eyed Peas in the summer of 2010.

Power Promotional went out of business last October owing thousands of dollars to several suppliers.

It was later revealed that the Halifax Regional Municipality lost nearly $360,000 on the two concerts the MacKays promoted last summer. Two weeks before the July concert took place, MacKay threatened to cancel the event.

Acting CAO Wayne Anstey then authorized a $400,000 grant based on ticket sales, without the authorization of council. After that became public in March, Anstey was forced to resign.

Spokesmen for the city and the World Trade and Convention Centre said Friday that they are not and will not be involved in this event.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...adel-hill.html

http://rockthehill.ca/
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #76  
Old Posted May 7, 2011, 12:02 AM
Waye Mason's Avatar
Waye Mason Waye Mason is offline
opinionated so and so
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Halifax, NS
Posts: 721
Looks like the free market has returned to concerts in HRM. Thank god.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #77  
Old Posted May 8, 2011, 8:28 PM
Mr. Hunt Mr. Hunt is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 29
Hey everyone, long time reader, first time poster.

Global Maritimes is reporting (ok, tweeting) that the show has been announced via press release.

Music festival called "Rock the Hill". Matt Mays, Protest the Hero, Seether and Coheed & Cambria are also playing. Tickets on sale Thursday

Last edited by Mr. Hunt; May 9, 2011 at 9:40 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #78  
Old Posted May 9, 2011, 4:50 PM
-Harlington-'s Avatar
-Harlington- -Harlington- is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Halifax-Nova Scotia
Posts: 1,097
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #79  
Old Posted Jun 12, 2011, 6:14 PM
CorbeauNoir's Avatar
CorbeauNoir CorbeauNoir is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 361
This is very late, but Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene are both playing at Alderney Landing this summer. The former are AFAIK playing their only headlining show in Canada in their tour list, the latter as part of a one-day music festival that includes Hey Rosetta! and In-Flight Safety (who I'm compelled to give shout outs to since their drummer is a classmate of mine).

Considering the concert clusterfuck of last year, it looks like this is going to be a really good summer for live music in Halifax.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #80  
Old Posted Jun 12, 2011, 7:30 PM
haligonia's Avatar
haligonia haligonia is offline
Urban Thinker
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 630
Wintersleep is playing a free concert July 30 at Alderney Landing. (Same night as U2 in Moncton.)
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Atlantic Provinces > Halifax > Arts, Culture, Dining, Recreation & Entertainment
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 2:08 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.