When tickets for the March 2 Elton John performance at the 5,000-capacity Sudbury Arena sold out, reportedly in under an hour, some fans came away disappointed and empty handed. But when the city’s Sudbury Star reported that members of the city council took the first crack at the tickets, snatching up as many as 100 for themselves, the wheels of scandal were set in motion.

The Star reportedly sent an email to all council members asking if they would disclose how many tickets they’d purchased and if “they shared the concern that the ticket controversy is jeopardizing the Elton John concert and future events.” The paper received little response from the council members.

However, when the paper reported that some sources within city administration threatened to cancel the show if the Star continued its coverage of the ticket scandal, Live Nation Toronto CEO Riley O’Connor stepped in – and denied the show was in danger.

“They don’t speak on my behalf, or represent anything that we do,” O’Connor told the paper. “I don’t negotiate with ‘city officials,’ whatever that means. – We’re excited as heck to be coming to Sudbury.”

O’Connor said the show could help secure future concerts for the city, hinting that there could be additional big-name acts stopping in the city in future months.

“Elton asked, were there any cities that we thought would support a date with him and that were not on the beaten path of your sort of typical AAA, five-star attractions,” he told the Star. “So every once in a while we’ve given him a call when we have a two-day or three-day window and see if the buildings are available and if it works.”