Japan earthquake prompts concert cancellations
A number of music events were cancelled in Japan as a precaution in the wake of the devastating New Year’s Day earthquake.
The BBC reports the death toll has risen to over 160 a week on, with more than 100 people still missing following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the remote Noto peninsula, which destroyed hundreds of homes, triggered a large fire and sparked landslide fears. A small tsunami also added to the damage.
According to the Japan Times, the Meteorological Agency has today warned that powerful quakes could continue to hit the area over the next month.
Speaking to IQ, Nobuhiro Nagai, executive director of the All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference (ACPC) says: “The full extent of the damage has not yet been revealed, but the damage is becoming clearer every day, and it pains me.”
Founded in 1988, ACPC has 76 members and 116 associate members, comprising regional promoters that hold more than 32,000 live concerts and festivals a year all over Japan.
“So far, there appears to be no life-threatening damage to the managers, employees, stage staff, artists, etc. of our association member companies,” says Nagai.
“All of these events were cancelled or postponed due to concerns about aftershocks from the earthquake and to ensure the safety of the halls”
While no major concerts have been impacted, several music and theatre events scheduled for the Hokuriku region in the first two weeks of the year have been called off. Affected artists include rock group Dragon Ash at the 500-cap Kanazawa Eight Hall, dance vocal group Travis Japan at the Toki Messe Niigata Convention Center Convention Hall (cap. 8,000) and a production of The Phantom of the Opera at Kanazawa Opera House.
“All of these events were cancelled or postponed due to concerns about aftershocks from the earthquake and to ensure the safety of the halls,” adds Nagai. “In Kanazawa City, the core city of Ishikawa Prefecture near the disaster area and surrounding cities, concerts and other events have been cancelled to take into account the effects of aftershocks and to conduct maintenance checks on venue facilities.”
Nagai says that performances postponed due to the closure of the Ishikawa Prefectural Concert Hall (cap. 1,500/700) include the Ishikawa Philharmonic Orchestra 127th Regular Concert, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra New Year Special Concert, and two shows by Japanese group M!LK. Further events at small venues were also shelved.
However, a K-pop concert featuring artists including Aespa, BOYNEXTDOOR, ENHYPEN and &TEAM at the Vantelin Dome, Nagoya (250km from where the earthquake hit) reportedly proceeded as planned on 2 January.
“The area where the earthquake hit is a very small town, not the type of area where any concerts are happening – especially international acts,” Another industry insider tells IQ.
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