100 tonnes of equipment to be unloaded for ex-Beatle’s big show on Commons
By HEATHER AMOS and JOHN McPHEE Staff Reporter
It may not be long and winding, but the installation of a plywood road Wednesday kicked off preparations for Paul McCartney’s concert in Halifax next week.
Tractor-trailers will use the 30-metre road off Cunard Street to unload more than 100 tonnes of equipment and staging for the former Beatle’s performance July 11 on the Commons.
It’s hoped the hard surface will reduce damage to the grounds during setup and teardown, Greg Cox of Power Promotional Events of Dartmouth said Wednesday.
The unloading work will begin Friday. Crews will then start to build the stage, which will be 25 metres wide, 18 metres deep and about five metres high, Mr. Cox said.
The stage and bleachers in the northwest corner of the Commons will also be used for Halifax Rocks 2009 on July 18, headlined by Kiss.
The paths in that area will be closed from this Sunday through July 22.
An array of LED video monitors, including two six-storey screens, will surround the stage. Mr. Cox said fans also can expect a spectacular pyrotechnics show.
Organizers hope to sell about 60,000 tickets for the McCartney concert. Mr. Cox wouldn’t say how many tickets have been sold so far.
“We don’t talk about ticket sales,” he said.
But Mr. McCartney will be doing some talking to local radio and TV interviewers, beginning this morning.
J.C. Douglas, director of programming for Q104, is scheduled to interview him at about 8 a.m.
Mr. Cox said it is normal for Mr. McCartney to do interviews before a concert.
“It’s not designed to help boost ticket sales,” he said. “It localizes the McCartney message to the region.”
On Monday, Mr. McCartney will appear on CTV and CBC television.
He will fly into Halifax from New York on July 10 and perform a sound check before 50 guests chosen through a radio contest. He will also personally inspect the sound and video systems, Mr. Cox said.
“Last year in Quebec, he performed in front of 350,000 people and only 12 people got into the sound check,” he said. “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Mr. Cox said a “memorable addition” to the show will be announced today or Friday. He wouldn’t give details but said it doesn’t involve another performer joining the lineup.
Despite his superstar status, Mr. McCartney didn’t ask for anything extraordinary in his concert contract, Mr. Cox said.
He noted that Mr. McCartney, well-known for his animal rights beliefs and vegan diet, takes his personal chef on concert tours.
A 200-person crew, not counting police and security, will assemble the outdoor production.
The concert is expected to inject about $12 million into the local economy.
Tags: paul_mccartney
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