I can’t believe I just wrote that… But it’s true. For those who are unaware, Celine was slated to be the big concert in the Commons this year. That announcement was met with much disdain from the general public. A mere 10 days later, the concert was canceled citing that the venue was simply not appropriate for Celine’s show. Then today, the truth came out. We hurt her feelings.
I can’t say that I’m surprised given how poorly people were behaving. I know it would have hurt my feelings too. But I think there is something to clarify here. People were not that upset with holding a Celine Dion concert. If she had booked any other venue in the city, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. The problem was that this was booked in the commons.
The commons are the one venue where Halifax can host a truly big concert. So far, we’ve only had the Rolling Stones play there. Last year, the deal got botched and we ended up with no one. So this year, having averaged one big show every two years, there was great anticipation as people started pitching around names like Elton John and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. When we all heard that Celine was going to be our one big act with a two year wait for another, that’s when people lost it. First there was confusion about Celine doing an outdoor venue that often brings rain. It just didn’t sound like a very good idea at all. Then the frustration let loose.
Ultimately this is not a beef with Celine, nor is Halifax thinking it’s “bigger than it is” as some radio DJs are suggesting. It’s that if we’re only going to have one good show every two years, let’s make it something that most maritimers would like. Traditionally that’s rock and roll.
So I feel bad for you Celine. Our mayor seems to have dropped the ball big time this time around. He invited you to a city where he apparently doesn’t know the first things about the residents. I think there are a lot of people who would have gone to the concert. That being said, it’s probably best that you didn’t come since it would likely have been a mud-bowl.
As for us, we wait for an act we can go out and enjoy.
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8 responses so far ↓
1 wyn // Nov 20, 2007 at 7:37 pm
I’ve only followed cbc.ca coverage of this and it doesn’t look good for Halifax on a whole. Granted, I’ve never seen the Commons when it is a venue for a big concert but I was quite concerned on the first announcement that the outdoor venue was chosen over, say, Metro Centre - I couldn’t think that makeshift outdoor venue could hold a Vegas-style concert. Anyhow, then to read that the idea/deal was rescinded made me sad.
If it was indeed some Halifax snobbery, I would balk and think that she would have had a sell-out in whatever venue if it took out-of-towners and people from out-of-province filling the stands.
2 Marc // Nov 20, 2007 at 10:10 pm
The mud on my wife’s shoes is still there from the Stones Concert. That’s the kind of venue the commons is. Awesome for a rock show, but as you say, it’s not exactly Vegas caliber stage and sound.
It wasn’t Halifax snobbery at all. I actually have heard very little snobbery. It’s the frustration of not having any concert last summer, then having a pile of great rock and roll acts dangled before us, only to be presented with Celine.
She hit a perfect storm of Haligonian frustration. If there had been a great concert last year, it probably wouldn’t be as big a deal since we could then count on a different genre for next year. If she had been booked for 5 nights straight at the Metro Centre, probably wouldn’t have heard much and sold out all five shows in seconds. It was just a really bad combination of factors, and as strange as it sounds, I feel bad for her because it actually has very little to do with her specifically.
3 Marc // Nov 20, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Oh right, U2, The Eagles, Van Halen and AC/DC were in the rumour mill too.
4 Ian // Nov 21, 2007 at 12:42 am
If she’d been booked to the Metro Centre for a few nights, it’s likely there would have been no controversy at all and that she’d have sold out each one. Any excuses about venue or weather are ridiculous though — she’s playing a show on the Plains of Abraham.
I have a hard time feeling any sympathy for her though, she comes off as a spoiled child. She’s a celebrity it’s chic to hate, the fact that there’s a vocal majority that doesn’t like her should come as no surprise. Tell you what Celine, we’ll call it even for the whole refusing-the-”English Artist of the Year” award thing.
The spin this is taking in the media is equally ridiculous, do these people even listen to themselves? How does a dislike for Celine Dion equate to an overinflated sense of self-worth? Does anyone really believe that Halifax flipping the bird to Celine will have any effect on whether the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or 50 Cent, or [INSERT OTHER ARTIST HERE] will do a show here? I can see it now, poor 50 — heartbroken over the disrespect shown to his idol — cancels all future Canada dates for good measure. The Barenaked Ladies (cringe) wrote a song about how much they hated Halifax and still managed to grow enough of a pair to come back and have a successful show.
Time for a reality check: if there’s money in it, rational people will do it.
What bothers me is that council pledged $150,000 for this, on top of the free venue, and whatever the costs of cleanup and restoration of the commons are. And the fact that access to the commons is disrupted for at least a day, as well as traffic around it (and likely for a significant chunk of the rest of the city.) Why are we footing the bill for a for-profit enterprise? In any other city, the promoter would be responsible for the costs of a venue, security, cleanup etc.
What also bothers me is that I live ~1.5km from the Commons. I could hear the Stones pretty clearly, and that’s okay, I like the Stones. I don’t want to hear Celine hitting the high notes, especially not when I’m trying to sleep… but that’s just me being petty.
It’s the wrong act in the wrong place at the wrong price.
5 Marc // Nov 21, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I hear what you’re saying, but the problem that it will create is not with the specific artists, but rather with the promotion companies/labels. I think it’s fair to say that Celine likely carries a lot of weight with her label, enough that they wouldn’t want to do anything to offend her, like send a big act to a city that didn’t like her.
I don’t blame her because Peter Kelley extended a personal invitation to her to come perform on the commons. Unless he’s been living in Vancouver the last two years, he must just be “touched” as some Atlantic Canadians like to say. The fact that he thought this was a good idea in the given climate is pretty dumb. Even for a politician.
6 djahna // Nov 22, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Don’t feel bad for Celine Dion. Feel bad for your mayor. He does not seem to know what he’s doing..
7 Trev // Nov 22, 2007 at 10:58 pm
The problem was how this whole thing was promoted!! Big ROCK act to be announced!! ACDC? VAN HALEN? U2? No Celine Dion!!! WTF? If you dont know Halifax well we have The Metro Center which holds a max of 20000 people (most concerts are 10000 to 15000) not a great draw. Suddenly we have the commons which can hold 50000!!! Now maybe we can get some BIG ROCK acts!! So every one gets excited about the news and find out it is Celine Dion!! WRONG!! We have three shows planned, I heard through the grapevine RUSH may be one of them, so if the other one is a rock act then they should have been announced first. Guaranteed if we had heard RUSH was playing AUG ?, U2 were playing Sept ? very few would have complained about Celine playing!!!! BRING ACDC!!!!!! Do I think this hurts Halifax…hmmm…NO.. because it is still all about the mighty $$$$
8 Marc // Nov 24, 2007 at 8:37 pm
The lead-up to the announcement was certainly misleading. Granted, it was all speculation and that is a defensible position, but geez…
The Metro Centre only holds about 10 500. Either for a hockey game or a concert. They make up for the blocked off area of the concert with the floor seats to come up with about the same capacity.