Odds & Ends – Garth Brooks, Jimi Hendrix, Little Mix, ACL, David Grohl

As the U.S. was about to dive into a three-day holiday weekend, Garth Brooks was teasing fans about an upcoming announcement.  Posted on his website July 3 was the message “The wait is over … 7/7,” leading many, including everyone here at the Pollstar campus, to believe the country music star was going to announce his long-awaited return to touring.

As the world anxiously waited for 7/7, the message that finally posted today on GarthBrooks.com didn’t announce a tour.  Instead, it announced a press conference scheduled for July 10 at 12 p.m. EDT, that will live-stream on the website.

Perhaps the delay is due to last week’s news that the Dublin City Council had refused permits for five nights of Garth at Croke Park, instead limiting the series of shows planned for the Irish city to three evenings.  So far, the council has issued permits for Brooks’ concerts scheduled for July 25-27, but nixed July 28-29.

While negotiations continued through the weekend, it appears the council’s decision is irrevocable. Meanwhile, Brooks issued a statement saying the number of shows would be five or … nothing.

“I can’t thank the people of Ireland enough for how welcome they have made me feel,” Brooks said in the statement, according to RTE. “I have faith that Dublin City Council will make the best decision for the people of Ireland.  For us, it is five shows or none at all.  To choose which shows to do and which shows not to do, would be like asking to choose one child over another.”

You can forget about Little Mix’s upcoming tour.  Evidently the Brit-girl four-piece has shuffled its priorities and playing for fans in the U.S. and Canada is not at the top of the heap.

“As a group we decided that creating an amazing 3rd album had to take priority,” the band’s statement reads.  “We’re so sorry to all the Mixers who bought tickets to come and see the show.  As soon as the album is finished, we promise to make plans to return to the U.S. and perform for you all.”

The U.S. tour was scheduled to begin Sept. 10 in Boca Raton, Fla., and wrap in Toronto one month later.  Refunds are available at points of purchase.

Having sold out of its three-day passes for its second weekend, Austin City Limits Music Festival organizers will put single-day tickets on sale July 16 at 10 a.m. CDT.  Lineup includes Eminem, Pearl Jam, Outkast, Skrillex, Beck, Calvin Harris and others at Zilker Park Oct. 3-5 & 10-12.  Click here for more information.

A new trailer has been released for the Jimi Hendrix biopic “Jimi: All Is By My Side.”  Starring Outkast’s “André 3000” Benjamin in the title role, the film is scheduled to be released in the fall.

But don’t expect any of Hendrix’s original songs to appear in the film.  Hendrix’s estate – Experience Hendrix, LLC – never agreed to participate in the film.  Two years ago Experience Hendrix put out a statement saying that no film biopic using “original music or copyrights” created by Hendrix could be made without the estate’s permission, according to the Wall Street Journal.

To circumnavigate that little piece of copyright legality, Rolling Stone reports that “Jimi: All Is By My Side” will feature Benjamin performing version of Hendrix’s covers and won’t touch the maestro’s original material.

Maybe crowdfunding is the answer to all concert woes. Coming to us from South African radio station 5FM (via Rolling Stone), is Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl’s interview in which he commented on the band’s upcoming fan-funded Richmond, Va., gig.

“I’m telling you, it could become the way that bands decide where they want to play,” Grohl said.  “It’s a fun thing; it sort of changes the game.  For the past 20 years we always decided who we’re going to play with and where we’re going to play.  But now, if we hear that people want us to come somewhere, maybe we’ll come there.”

The Richmond show came about when freelance creative director / copywriter Andrew Goldin and his friends launched a fan-funder on Crowdtilt to raise money to bring the Foos to Richmond.  While the band has agreed to play the city, a date and venue has yet to be established.