Cardiff To Raise A Million In Tsunami Aid

Venue manager Paul Sergeant hopes the January 22 Live Aid-style gig at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium will raise at least a million pounds for the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster.

Tickets went on sale January 8 and 20,000 were snapped up within an hour of the box offices opening. Within 48 hours that rose to 40,000. When major acts including Eric Clapton with Jools Holland, Manic Street Preachers, Embrace, and Snow Patrol were announced, the other 20,000 tickets soon went.

“We went from an acorn to an oak tree within a couple of days,” Sergeant explained. “We started with a blank sheet of paper. I spent 48 hours wondering if this gig was possible before deciding to go ahead with it.”

The schedule was always going to be tight. Live shows can’t be staged in the stadium between January 24 (when the pitch is brought back in) and the summer.

In order to make the event possible, Sergeant revealed that stadium staff had worked over the New Year bank holiday weekend. He said Pablo Janzur, head of local production company Push 4, had been an immense help in putting the show together and contacting talent.

Sergeant said he’s kept ticket prices low (£22.50 to £30) because Christmas has been an expensive time for most people and everyone has already “dug deep” to find the millions that the country has raised for the tsunami fund. The merchandising will also be at rock bottom prices with T-shirts expected to go on sale at £10 each.

Other acts on the bill include Aled Jones, Feeder, Badly Drawn Boy and Heather Small.