Editorial: Festival aimed too high

The Jazz Festival must go back to basics. The debacle over unpaid performer invoices is a shame for the festival's reputation, and for Tauranga's. Music promoters will be watching each others' backs.

Word will get around that this festival has a habit of pulling up short and that, after crowd estimates came in more than 5000 short at the headline concert in 2012, musicians were made to wait six weeks or more for their fees.

You might argue that we should take our hats off to organisers for trying. They aimed high but fell short.

The 50th National Jazz Festival attracted a record crowd, according to festival director Arne Herrmann. He estimated 60,000 people enjoyed events such as free music on The Strand, family concerts at the Historic Village on 17th and the youth jazz competition at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre.

However, only small numbers were willing to pay between $89 and $159 for presold tickets to the Birthday Bash, featuring soul-funk-and-not-really-jazz group Earth, Wind & Fire.

In February, Mr Herrmann told the Bay of Plenty Times organisers had worked on a capacity crowd of 10,000 at the Birthday Bash, which also featured Patti Austin and Keb Mo.

Mr Herrmann pointed out the Tauranga Domain could fit about 15,000, so there was always the potential for the event to outstrip all expectations. Of course, as we now know, only 4500 people attended the concert. Suddenly it becomes plainly obvious where the shortfall has been.

I don't buy the "good on them for giving it a go" line. Ambition is no excuse for failing to pay the little guys.

The festival is run by paid staff - presumably specialists - not volunteers. These people should have had a good handle on the interest level in the acts they were booking.

Could they be certain Tauranga would go for it? Could they be certain New Zealand jazz enthusiasts would go for it? If you can't be certain, and you have to go cap-in-hand to the council for help to pay the deposit, maybe you should just accept a less flashy headline act and book an ensemble of successful New Zealand jazz musicians led by someone like Nathan Haines, who has a career which makes many Kiwis proud.

Why do we consider it lame to go local? Why can't we have a festival which delivers within its means, something modest in expense but big in heart?

It's a shame this city can't rise up to support big events, but some fault has to be placed at the feet of those who decided EWF, a mega-group from the 1970s and 1980s, were the best option.

Their star-power failed to fire.

It's time to peel back the flashy layers and take the Jazz Fest back to its roots: Australasian acts with modest cover charges; people dancing in the streets to free live acts; opportunities for emerging artists to work alongside seasoned acts; the music of bar and restaurant tills ringing through the night.