Promoters Fined Over Noise

The local city council is withholding a euro 50,000 deposit from Aiken Promotions over a series of Bruce Springsteen concerts staged at the city’s RDS arena last summer.

MCD has forfeited euro 40,000 over a Boyzone show in the same venue.

The council said Springsteen and the E Street Band were the main offenders, with their concerts exceeding “the acceptable level of 75 decibels” on three different dates and reaching more than 87 decibels on one.

The authority says the Boyzone noise level was less than 80 decibels, hitting its highest point, 78.9 decibels, at the end of its show. However, the council still considered this an unacceptable breach.

Neither Aiken Promotions chief Peter Aiken or Desmond were available for comment at press time.

Aiken is currently involved in talks with the city council to stage a Rod Stewart show at the RDS this summer.

The same performer, promoted by Aiken at the same venue in the summer of 2007, also broke the noise limit.

Labour Party council member Kevin Humphreys believes the council should go even further than holding deposits and “seriously consider” whether promoters with a history of breaking noise regulations should be denied concert licenses.

“The bonds currently being paid don’t appear to be enough of a deterrent,” he told Irish Times.

“For those who continuously breach the rules, that should have an impact on future licenses. The noise limit, after all, is one of the most important conditions attached to a license, given the discomfort and annoyance caused to local residents.”