Licensing laws ‘see us lose out on major gigs’, says Peter Aiken

One of Ireland’s top music promoters has expressed frustration at the slow pace of reform around the state’s concert licensing laws.

Aiken Promotions’ Peter Aiken, who was embroiled in the Garth Brooks concert fiasco last summer, said Ireland is losing out on major gigs because it could be another year before the issues are fully dealt with.

“We have met the Government about this and told them what we’d like to see happening and hopefully it will change,” Mr Aiken said.

“But nothing happens fast enough in this county — that’s just the way it is.

“Hopefully going in to 2016, things will be a lot clearer and a lot easier.

“As a promoter and as a business person, if you’re explaining the rules here to another promoter in another country, they think it’s a crazy set-up.

“And then there’s this thing that you can only do a certain amount of concerts. It is very, very frustrating.”

Mr Aiken, who sold out two Ed Sheeran gigs in Croke Park this summer in less than an hour earlier this week, was speaking in Cork yesterday at the launch of the city’s 11th Live at the Marquee series, featuring up to 27 performances across five weeks in June and July.

However, Mr Aiken said the three-gig limit at Croke Park means he can not stage a third Sheeran gig.

“We left a show behind us. There has to be provision somewhere in the system for this kind of situation,” said Mr Aiken.

The 10-day build-up and five back-to-back Garth Brooks gigs last year would have created at least 135 jobs, he said.

“And that’s a conservative estimate. This is big business. But certain people can’t understand just how big a business it is,” he said.

“Europe is a competitive world. There’s a lot of places that these acts can go and play, and we have to be competitive.

“I’m not saying there will be 10 concerts in Croke Park every year — that will never happen.

“The business comes in cycles... And when that cycle comes, it should be allowed to happen.

“You hear people banging on about the economy, but music means a lot to people.

“It makes a big difference to peoples’ lives, just as much as the Ireland Vs England game tomorrow.

“People are up for it, looking forward to it, that’s part of living.

“Music does fulfil that role. People go to concerts, and they do enjoy it, they come away from it in better form.

“People who don’t understand music or don’t go to concerts or listen to records don’t have any idea how much of a role music plays in peoples’ lives.”

Despite last year’s difficulties, Mr Aiken said Garth Brooks would perform in Ireland again “in a heartbeat” if the situation was sorted out.

“If he knew if he put one show on sale, and there was a possibility of adding a second and a possibility of adding a third, he would come back. It’s just I can’t give that guarantee,” he said.

It is understood that a Department of the Environment review of the legislation governing concert licences is still ongoing.