Motown not such a temptation
By BERNARD CARPINTER - The Dominion Post
Relevant offers
Music
Cliff Richard sold out in 30 minutes, Rod Stewart tickets went just as quickly and Eric Clapton sold out in four hours but Motown is proving not quite so tempting.
Ticket sales for next year's Mission Concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of Motown music are not proving to be as popular as some of the other big-name acts that have featured at the annual summer event in Napier.
Organisers of February's concert said tickets were selling well, however, there were likely to be tickets available right up until Christmas.
Tickets for the concert, featuring The Four Tops, The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, The Miracles, and Mary Wilson from The Supremes, as well as Australian acts Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss and American singer Joan Osborne, have been on sale since early last month.
Concert organiser Garry Craft, operations director for Sport & Entertainment, said half the 25,500 tickets were sold to regular Mission fans before the artists were even announced, and sales had been steady since. "We don't give out numbers but I'm certainly expecting it will be sold out by Christmas," he said.
The hottest Mission sellers in recent times have been Cliff Richard in 2003 and Rod Stewart in 2005 both sold out in about half an hour, resulting in many fans missing out. Eric Clapton sold out in four hours in 2007, but other recent concerts have not quite achieved a capacity crowd. Last year's Lionel Richie concert did not sell out.
Meanwhile, Napier i-Site manager Carolyn Neville said concertgoers from outside the region estimated to number 12,000 should not panic yet if they could not find accommodation in Hawke's Bay for the February 13 show.
"Some motel and hotel places would become available as people cancelled their bookings, and more rooms in private houses would be offered later."
CENTRE-STAGE
2003: Cliff Richard sold out in half an hour
2004: Belinda Carlisle, B52s, John Farnham did not sell out
2005: Rod Stewart sold out in half an hour
2006: Olivia Newton-John and Chris de Burgh did not sell out
2007: Eric Clapton sold out in four hours
2008: Tom Jones did not sell out
2009: Lionel Richie did not sell out (show cancelled because of rain)
Sponsored links
Lil Wayne sentencing postponed
Fox used hand double for sexy ad
Eva Longoria in porn Tweet mishap
Horror movies causes panic attacks
Angelina Jolie visits quake-hit Haiti
Piecing together the Lost puzzle
Beyonce, Alicia film video in slum
Lindsay Lohan's Jesus Christ pose
The anger and poetry of Gil Scott-Heron
Jackson death conspiracy claims
Govt poised to make taxi safety measures compulsory
Key 'no GST rise' video emerges
Grave fears for woman with wanted man
Principal accused of sunburn bribe
Beyonce, Alicia film video in slum
36 years to pay back WINZ after fraud
Harlem Globetrotters play game on ice rink
Dubai tower shut after visitors stuck in elevator
Paranormal Activity too scary for Italians
Eva Longoria in porn Tweet mishap
Lindsay Lohan's Jesus Christ pose
110,000 calls, texts intercepted in drugs op
Teen 'will go to jail' rather than give up injured dog
Daily trivia quiz: February 10
'Very white' Australian rugby cops criticism
Ex-All Blacks star apologises for groping teenager
Kong movie ship scuttled in strait
Pattinson sex scenes 'disturbing'
Teen 'will go to jail' rather than give up injured dog
Key confirms GST increase being considered
A pass for Key, but much more to do
Sanzar and Sky decide it's time to titillate the fans
Time for young gun Aaron Cruden to fire
How do you feel about Fall Out Boy splitting up?