AC/DC stadium gets ready to rock
By TOM HUNT - The Dominion Post
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Despite 15,000 tickets still being unsold for AC/DC's second Wellington show, the concert's promoter is promising a rocking good time.
The AC/DC set is almost complete after 55 shipping containers delivered pyrotechnics, a fleet of forklifts, power generators, huge speaker stacks and, of course, a massive stage that takes up one end of Wellington's Westpac Stadium.
The show comes with a total of 132 touring crew, boosted by 380 local crew – many of whom have worked at the stadium since Tuesday last week when the stack of containers holding the set and gear started to arrive.
The stage includes a walkway into the audience, ending with a hydraulic platform to lift the band more than six metres skywards.
Cabling to run the extravaganza stretched "hundreds of kilometres", promoters' production representative Peter McFee said.
Promoter Garry Van Egmond said that when tickets first went on sale in Wellington last year they were going out the door at the rate of a 1000 a minute, easily outselling the Auckland show and prompting the announcement of a second Wellington show.
Wellington outselling Auckland for a concert of this type was "unheard of", he said, but he was unable to explain the capital's evident fasciation with the Aussie rockers.
And though that second show, this Saturday, still had about 15,000 tickets left to sell, Mr Van Egmond said a less-than-full stadium was not of financial concern.
He promised a "high energy, good fun" concert, made up largely of the band's old hits – and crowd favourites – with a smattering of new songs thrown in.
Tomorrow's concert is sold out, with about 35,000 fans expected. The band members are due to arrive in a private jet today.
The band are almost entirely self-sufficient, bringing all their own gear with them, down to power generators and forklifts.
Organisers would not say what special treatment the band had ordered, but backstage requirements for a 2008 United States concert, posted online, stipulated that they be supplied with three oxygen tanks and three masks, among more mundane requirements.
Wellington City Council noise and planning compliance manager Matthew Borich said it would be "one of the louder" concerts for Westpac Stadium. For those standing 10 metres in front of the speakers, the 105-decibel sound would be "significantly louder" than being in the middle of the dance floor at a nightclub.
Mr Van Egmond said no specific events had been planned for the band while they were in Wellington. "They are just normal guys. They are not `stars'."
AC/DC
January 28: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
January 30: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
February 4: Western Springs, Auckland
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Mark #31 there is a very good reason we don't have many big acts here each year.The Thorndon residents(consisting of many older people in positions of power)saw to that when it was built.Through the consent process they managed to get a limit on the number of gigs(three I think)also the lateness of them and volume they are allowed to be.The Events Centre only holds about 5,000 people so those bands who can pull the big crowds a very restricted.Frankly we need a bigger indoor venue.Bands like Pearl Jam can't play here anymore as they are too big for the Events Centre but too small for the caketin.
Jay Z is a bigger superstar than AC/DC ever could be in a mill years.He would pack that staduim to the rafters with sick Hip Hop fans- thats word. You Bogans enjoy the old fogies show ha ha coz I'll be drinking with my homies and listening to sum real tunes sum dope NZ Hip Hop having sweet good times with my crew. Gangsta foreva!
While this will be an incredible gig and the Stadium is the perfect venue for it, don't believe the spin about Thursday being sold out. I just logged into Ticketek and it is still possible to order 8 standing tickets (the maximum the site will allow for one order) for Arena 2 (at the front of the stage) and 8 seated tickets all in a row up in the stands. Thats doesn't sound very sold out at all to me...
Cant wait to see ACDC, im going to the Saturday show....Still got a spare ticket to sell if anyone is looking...ha ha..Arena 1...
im taking my 8yr old son to sat nights concert. it is his birthday gift and he is the most excited little rocker around!
One more sleep! saw them in 1991 and cant wait to see them again. in 24 hours we are all on a Highway To Hell!!!
Wellington does not have anywhere near the number of concerts as Auckland does is the reason. AC/DC is just another big act in Auckland, where as Welligton does not get many of them.
Just a few of the acts at Vector Arena last year- Fall Out Boy, Kings of Leon, Cold Play, Eric Clapton,Simon & Garfunkel,The Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Leonard Cohen etc. Over 500,000 at Concerts at Vector in last 2 years.
Its nice that the odd big act gets down to the concert starved Wellys!
OMG i can hear them doing sound check at the stadium!!!!!!. Well i cant confirm its them but it sounds like them! and im sticking to my story. yuss!
Hip Hop RuLZ #2
"Hip Hop is where its at. No wonder these old timers can't pull a crowd! They should have got Jay Z or Snoop to drop some dope beatz thats what da people want!."
Hmmm....yes, well at the risk of sounding like a reactionary old fart, I for one don't believe that reciting very bad poetry over looped samples of other peoples music is "where it's at," homie.
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Wow, how lucky for Wellington, I heard from friends that they could hear the soundcheck! how amazing!! Ill be seeing them in Sydney in a few weeks but I think Wellington would be a awesome place to see them!! Go hard, Rock hard!!