Eminem breaks attendance record at the MCG
Eminem performed to a record-breaking 80,708 fans at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) last night, surpassing the stadium’s attendance record, established by the 2009 Sound Relief concert (80,518) at the stadium.
The concert, part of the rapper’s TEG Dainty-promoted 2019 Rapture tour, attracted more fans than ever before to a live concert at the MCG, which has a total capacity of 100,024.
TEG Dainty president and chief executive, Paul Dainty, has now promoted three out of the four shows with top entertainment attendance records at the MCG, with the 2017 Guns N’ Roses tour (73,756) and the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Super Showdown in 2018 (70,309).
Dainty calls the attendance record an “outstanding achievement” for the rapper.
“Eminem is one of the greatest showmen in the world with a fiercely loyal Australian fan base that continues to grow with each tour,” comments Dainty. “He is no stranger to selling out stadium shows, but this new record is just phenomenal.”
“Eminem is one of the greatest showmen in the world with a fiercely loyal Australian fan base that continues to grow with each tour”
Eminem has sold a total of 300,000 tickets for the five stadium shows that make up his Australian Rapture tour. The tour kicked off in Brisbane on 20 February, then heading to Sydney and Melbourne. The Australian leg closes on Wednesday in Perth, before the rapper heads to Wellington, New Zealand.
In 2014, Eminem played four sell-out shows across Australia and New Zealand as part of his first Rapture tour. The rapper performed at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium (51,335-cap.), Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium (43,927-cap.), Sydney’s ANZ Stadium (53,649-cap.) and Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium (52,444-cap.)
The tour also consisted of two South African dates and a show at London’s Wembley stadium (90,000-cap.).
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AEG, Dainty to launch Hangout spin-off in Australia
The city council of Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia, has given the go-ahead for a new two-day festival, SandTunes, for December 2018.
The festival, produced by AEG and local promoters TEG Dainty and Cross Promotions, will be held on Coolangatta Beach, in the suburb of Coolangatta, on 1 and 2 December. It is an offshoot of Hangout Music Fest, AEG/Goldenvoice’s popular three-day event in Alabama, which was this year headlined by Mumford & Sons, Chance the Rapper and Twenty One Pilots.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reports SandTunes will be a one-off ‘destination’ event with two stages and a capacity of 35,000.
“This event could go anywhere – there would be venues around Australia lining up to take it”
Two councillors, Gail O’Neill and Pauline Young, voted against the proposal, with O’Neill telling a council meeting “love[s] festivals” but that the event “belongs somewhere else, not on Coolangatta Beach”.
Councillor Bob LaCastra, countering, said SandTunes would help plug a hole left in Gold Coast’s finances by the cancellations of Big Day Out and Summafieldayze festivals. “This event could go anywhere – there would be venues around Australia lining up to take it,” he said.
According to minutes from a 22 August council meeting, the city is willing to contribute up to A$200,000 (US$160,000) towards the cost of staging the festival.
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Coppel, Dainty honoured in Queen’s birthday list
Veteran concert promoters Michael Coppel and Paul Dainty have been appointed members of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Queen’s birthday honours list.
Coppel (pictured), who has been chairman of Live Nation Australasia since March, is honoured for his “significant service to the entertainment industry as a producer and promoter of theatre, festivals and national concert tours”. According to the honours list, Coppel’s service includes promoting and producing “national tours and festivals featuring Australian and international artists”, including U2, Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Fleetwood Mac and Kanye West, as well as various theatre shows, including We Will Rock You, Billy Elliot, Spamalot.
He is also recognised as a benefactor of the Coppel and Piekarski Family Disability Respite Centre in Caulfield, Victoria, which opened in March 2016.
Dainty, who sold his Dainty Group business to TEG last July, is similarly recognised for “significant service to the entertainment industry as a producer and promoter of national concert tours, theatre and events”.
“Paul is truly a doyen of the music industry and the Order of Australia honour is worthy recognition of his 40-year contribution”
Dainty’s service also includes serving on the board of the Film Finance Corporation (now Screen Australia) from 2005 to 2008, as a board member of the Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation from 2006 to 2012 and as director Sydney Football Club from 2006 to 2008.
Geoff Jones, TEG group CEO, comments: “Paul is truly a doyen of the music industry and the Order of Australia honour is worthy recognition of his 40-year contribution.”
Both become members of the Order of Australia, for which there is a quota of 340 appointments per year.
Other high-profile Australians honoured include actress Cate Blanchett, who becomes a companion of the Order of Australia (AC), Sony Music Australia CEO Denis Handlin (AM), Bangarra dance company director Stephen Page (officer of the Order of Australia, AO) and and theatre producer Gale Edwards (AM).
A full list of recipients is available at the governor-general’s website.
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