I just got off the phone with Theresa Bunbury at Parks Canada, who I had called to find out what Harold MacKay of MacKay Entertainment was paying for rental of the Garrison Grounds for the July 14 Metallica show.
While Bunbury wouldn’t give me the exact terms of the contract, she did say it was a standard contract for such concerts. There is a one-day charge of $10,000 for use of the grounds, plus a $750/day set-up and strike charge. She did not know how many days for set up and removal of gear had been negotiated.
In addition to those charges, Parks Canada also gets some of the ticket sales—typically $1.50 per ticket, says Bunbury. So if 30,000 tickets are sold for the Metallica show, Parks Canada would get an additional $45,000.
I asked Bunbury what happens if MacKay gives away thousands of free tickets—does Park Canada get the $1.50 for free tix? She did not know.
Additionally, Parks Canada also typically gets a cut of concession sales, but Bunbury did not have those particulars.
The $10,000 and set-up and strike fees have all been paid for the Metallica show, she said.
I couldn’t help but think that Parks Canada has a much tighter grip on renting out its facility than does the city of Halifax for renting out the Common.
Parks Canada charges $10,000 per day; the city of Halifax donates $100,000 of support.
Parks Canada gets payment from the promoter in advance; the city advances the promoter money.
Parks Canada charges set-up and strike fees; the city of Halifax gives away the use of its facility for free, for weeks at a time.
Park Canada gets a cut of ticket sales; the city of Halifax uses ticket sales money as a sort of fictional collateral to loan money back to the promoter.
Parks Canada gets a cut of concession sales; the city of Halifax does not.
I’ve always been ambivalent about having concerts on the Common—there’s nothing wrong with having Common concerts in theory, but it was obvious from the get-go that in practice the city was bungling the job. I doubt anyone at city hall will be rushing to get back into the concert biz, but if they ever do, I suggest they take a good hard look at how Parks Canada deals with concerts; the city should adopt similar practices.
For The Coast’s complete coverage of the Common concert financing scandal, click here.
This article appears in May 12-18, 2011.
Who cares? Bring on METALLICA!
You should care, if your a Hrm taxpayer, it your money they were throwing away!
The city has no involvement in the show. Plus MacKay has paid back his Metallica costs. How is this news? The media in this city is ridiculous !
I highly doubt Hfxmetalfan has a job or pays taxes. Probably just sitting in his mom’s basement wearing last week’s tighty whitey’s, playing video games and eating doritos while drooling on himself. Sound about right??
I might add that not only does Parks Canada charge a set-up and strike fee, HRM provides staff to do this at the commons a charge that is costing taxpayers about $50/hour/staff member. (plus overtime…because events staff for HRM get overtime for working evenings and weekends kinda’ strange considering most events take place during those times)!!!
Where did Harold McKay come up with the money to pay deposits on venues, and one would assume the hefty deposit required to secure a band like Metallica?!!! I wonder about the pay up front requirement Tour Tech and Tent suppliers will have as well.
Myself personally (a working full time ,45 year old diehard metal fan that doesnt wear tighty whiteys often though i love doritos and and Pong ) am looking forward to Metallica.
Look people in case ya hadnt noticed its a rock concert ,not a G 20 summit where taxpayers dollars were really put to good use.
Stop yer f***ing whining and just enjoy it for Ch***ts sake.No wonder bands wouldnt come here ,cause were all a bunch of snobby whiners .Its a Heavy Metal Concert .If you can handle it then go ,If your a f***ing prude then stay home .
You’re allowed to say fuck and shit around here, we’re all adults. Now shut the fuck up and enjoy your shitty concert. At least I’m not paying for this one.
“Unlike for Common concerts, use of Garrison Grounds requires upfront payment, cut of ticket and concession sales.”
Well, that answers all questions about why The Commons shows were never considered for the Garrison Grounds.
Most of the people that complain in this forum don’t like rock music or live music for that matter. Re-hashing past issues and trying to make it more than what it really is. A rock concert. Do you think people in other cities get caught up in such trivial sh*t? And I understand and share frustration about what happened last summer but it happened. Move on. At least the guy dusted himself off and is trying to succeed again and so far it looks as though he has. McKay is a businessman and in business sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. And to the whiners…when was the last time you really took a risk and did something noteworthy? Probably never, cause you’re too busy slinging shit at the people who are trying to make it happen. Go fuck yourselves.
Holy shit Tim! Get a life man. I’m embarrassed for you. Can’t you find something else to write about? The first couple of articles you wrote…ok…there was some substance to it but this is pretty weak.
Really? I spent 5 nights in a row at the HFX Pop Explosion from 9pm – 2am (or later I think). So I think I like both “rock&roll” and “live” music. There must be something else about this that I don’t like…hmmm lemmee think on that….
I dunno, this seems pretty obvious to me, but maybe someone else can point out the problem here: if the only benefit to having ‘concerts on the common’ is the economic spin-off to local businesses etc, wouldn’t it make sense to let promoters or whatever deal with Parks Canada and therefore remove any responsibility, financial or otherwise, from the city and it’s taxpayers? I mean, we’d still get the benefits, right? People are still ‘spending money’ downtown. So what gives? Whats the problem?
Tim Bousquet is the only journalist in Halifax with a working brain and the balls to call a spade a spade. One has to question where McKay came up with the upfront money for his latest venture into the taxpayers pockets. You don’t suppose he lied about his financial status when he stiffed HRM out of $360,000 and the other creditors he left holding the bag?
Nah! Not good ole Harold! McKay’s financial failure probably stems from being unloved by his parents or some similar bullshit excuse.
Sure Tim has called a spade a spade but he is over-doing to the point where no one cares especially this reader. If Harold provided documentation that he settled his debts with those vendors and the city do you really think that would please Tim or the bulk of the lemmings in this city? No cause they would just find something else to bitch about. The city is full of whiney bitches who talk a lot but do nothing. Sure Tim is talking but he is beating the thing to death and the city has bigger problems than Harold McKay. The leadership in the city gave the money so ultimately they should be held responsible. Vote them out!
like u say man just bring on the freakin show, me i left the city for abit due to being laid off, on e.i. though i really want to get back to work, but so lookin forward to this, going to be quite a surprise for those who haVE never lived out west and seen a REal show, dome mutha fuckin the right way, much love to those u attend, every body just relax on the subject. ok.
The city should not allow this concert to proceed without charging Harold and the misses around $370, 000 for their fire inspection services etc. I don’t give two flying fucks about Metallica, or anybody else for that matter. What I do care about is not getting ripped off by idiots. Now, for all those headbangers ranting ‘just like chill out man’, I’ll gladly chill the fuck out if you pay that amount of money back to the taxpayers with your ticket fees. Yeah, thought not.
So we are basically bailing Harold out again, as he needs money to pay off Revenue Canada for the money he stole from the government at the Keltic Brewing company. So let’s see, he’s run two breweries into the ground, plus his concert operations…can we find more shit he’s fucked up?