Dire Straits: Looking for Auckland gig

By SCOTT KARA


It has been years since Neil Diamond was cool.

But when he decided to snub Auckland and play concerts in Wellington and Christchurch instead, he became a trend-setter again.

Big-name music acts are following his lead and bypassing Auckland when they tour New Zealand, with the list growing bigger this week.

American rock band REM will play shows in Christchurch and New Plymouth next March.

REM last played Auckland's Western Springs in 1995.

Other concerts not coming Auckland's way this summer include old-time rocker Rod Stewart and former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler.

Concert promoters say it is not just because Auckland lacks a suitable venue.

Manolo Echave, the promoter of REM and Knopfler, said he doubted that the completion of the 12,000-seat Quay Park Arena would make much difference.

He thinks Auckland is missing out on big-name gigs because the city council is not competing for concert events, as councils are in Wellington, Christchurch and New Plymouth.

Neil Diamond's 25,000-capacity Wellington show, also in March, has already sold out.

"It's almost impossible to get the Auckland City Council to sit down and actually acknowledge the benefits of bringing 30,000 people to an event," said Mr Echave.

Auckland City recreational and events committee chairman Scott Milne agreed the council needed to pitch harder for these types of shows.

He has proposed setting up a working party that links tourism, economic development and events.

The completion of the Quay Park Arena was the key to Auckland winning back big concerts, he said.

Promoter Brent Eccles, of Frontier Touring, which is touring Stewart, said certain cities were realising the economic benefits of having major international talent playing there.

"It's an attitude in other cities that they have to get their hands on these shows. A city like Auckland takes it for granted they're going to get the shows - well, they're not."

Last year, New Plymouth hosted Santana, Cliff Richard and the three-day Womad Festival - formerly held in Auckland - at the Bowl of Brooklands.

Womad returns to the city next March and REM and Knopfler will also appear at the Bowl.

David Bowie played his one-off concert at Wellington's Westpac Stadium in February, thanks mostly to an aggressive campaign by the city council to secure the show.

Paul Dainty, the Australian-based promoter of the Bowie and Diamond shows, said his company faced a lot of pressure from ticketing companies wanting Bowie to play Auckland.

"But we went with Wellington because they were aggressive about wanting us to have the show down there over Auckland, and they've got a good venue," he said.

"It started a trend."

Playing around

Wellington gets Neil Diamond

Christchurch gets REM

New Plymouth gets Womad, REM, Mark Knopfler

Auckland gets envious