The British rock band, The Verve, will headline a major outdoor festival at Slane Castle this summer, following a decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for the event. The concert, on August 29th, is the first to be held at Slane since 1995. Tickets costing £29.50 will go on sale this Friday.
"The last three years have been a source of immense frustration and difficulty," said Lord Mount Charles. "Traipsing in and out of the High Courts in Dublin, in and out of the planning process. This really was the 11th hour."
Lord Mount Charles made the announcement at a press conference in the Shelbourne Hotel yesterday, accompanied by Mr Denis Desmond and Mr Eamon McCann of MCD, concert promoters.
"It's great to be back," said Mr Desmond, who had to cancel outdoor shows at Mondello Park and Galway due to planning laws. "It's been a long time coming, and we're looking forward to a great show and a great day."
Although The Verve played two sell-out shows at the Point Theatre in May, Lord Mount Charles was confident the Wigan band would attract a huge audience at Slane Castle.
"The Verve was our first choice. They've sold 150,000 units in Ireland, their album has gone 10 times platinum, and their Point concerts sold out in just two hours. In the tradition of Slane Castle as a venue, I think they are right up there with every act that has headlined Slane, and I am thrilled that this has come about.
"We are very grateful to The Verve for keeping faith with us because as you can imagine it became very nerve-wracking trying to keep everything on line while we waited for the piece of paper that basically said that we could go ahead with the show," said Lord Mount Charles.
The Slane Castle tradition goes back to 1981, when Thin Lizzy headlined the inaugural show, supported by a fledgling U2. Since then, the venue on the banks of the Boyne has hosted major concerts by The Rolling Stones, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Neil Young and R.E.M.
The planning permission allows for a one-day event at Slane to be held every year until the year 2002 inclusive, after which it comes up for review. There are 11 conditions attached to the planning permission, which Lord Mount Charles is happy to fulfil. But he criticised the "cumbersome" nature of the planning process, and repeated his call for a proper licensing system for outdoor rock concerts and other events.
"I am a little tired of hearing people saying endlessly how important the music industry is to this country, and yet we have had such difficulties putting Slane together, which has a history going back to 1981. At this stage, Slane and rock'n'roll are somewhat synonymous. In the North of Ireland, for example, Eamon on my left very quickly and efficiently put together U2's show in the Botanic Gardens, and yet Denis was simultaneously walking in and out of the High Court in Dublin."
Lord Mount Charles was unwilling to estimate how much revenue was lost by not being able to hold concerts for two years running, but he said it was unfortunate that "tens of thousands of pounds" had to be spent going in and out of the courts. Part of the revenue from this summer's concert will go towards the continuing renovation of the castle, which was badly damaged by fire in November 1991.
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