Australia: Sheeran Scalper Caught, Security At Melbourne Cricket Grounds

AEG Ogden Applauds Sheeran Scalper Arrest

AEG Ogden’s chief operating officer, Rod Pilbeam, applauded the Queensland police’s March 16 arrest of an alleged Ed Sheeran ticket scammer ahead of his March 20–21 shows at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. 

John Salangsang / Invision / AP – Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran makes a stop at KIIS FM Jingle Ball at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Dec. 1.

A 33-year-old man faces Brisbane Magistrates Court April 3 on two fraud charges. He allegedly promised fans tickets but did not deliver once they paid him via bank transfer. 

Pilbeam used the arrest to extend a warning about unauthorised ticket sales. 

“More than 100,000 tickets have been sold for (the) concerts, however if they were not purchased through the authorised agent Ticketek, there could be cause for concern,” he said.  

Sheeran’s March 15, 16-17 shows at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium drew 225,000, setting a new record for the most number of fans ever to attend a stadium music event in New South Wales.  The previous record was when 213,045 for three shows by AC/DC during their Black Ice Tour in 2010. 

Melbourne Cricket Grounds Closes Car Park For Major Events

The Melbourne Cricket Grounds will block vehicles from parking at major events to strengthen security against vehicular terror attacks.

 At this stage only major sports events were announced, with the first to be the

Australian Football League March 22 clash between the Richmond Tigers and Carlton Blues with a crowd of 90,000 expected. A list of affected events for the next six months was unveiled. 

MCG chief executive Stuart Fox acknowledged that the new policy will inconvenience “a small number” of fans but said the focus was on ensuring a safe environment for punters. 

“Ongoing events both around the world and closer to home clearly demonstrate that we need to minimise the risk of interactions between vehicles and pedestrians, especially in crowded places such as outside the MCG,” he said. 

Melbourne had two vehicular incidents in 2017 but none of which were related to terrorism. In January a man allegedly deliberately drove into a crowd in the city centre, killing six people and injuring dozens. In December, a similar incident claimed a man’s life and injured 18.  

New anti-terrorism measures used during the Feb. 9 to March 4 Perth Festival included extra roadblocks, water-filled barriers, specialised trucks blocking roads and crash-cushioning devices.  

Perth Festival head of production Garry Ferguson said that they had responded to risk management strategies from a review in the Australian and New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee’s report, and that a state agency should be established to help promoters implement counter-terrorism strategies. 

Injury Postpones Flight Of The Conchords UK Tour

Flight Of The Conchords were forced to postpone their shows through the UK and Ireland when Bret McKenzie broke his hand. “Unfortunately, I’ve broken two bones in my hand today in a very rock ’n’ roll injury – falling down some stairs,” he said.

The act had played three shows before the accident, which is expected to keep him out of action for a couple of weeks.  

Dua Lipa Sidelined From Bruno Mars Support

Emergency surgery on her wisdom teeth forced Dua Lipa to pull out of opening for Bruno Mars at Brisbane Entertainment Centre March 14-15 and Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, March 17-18. 

Rod Tanaka / www.tanakaphoto.com – Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is moved by the music at Ogden Theatre in Denver Feb. 5.

“I’ve been performing with a very bad pain due to my wisdom teeth and as advised by my dentist and oral surgeon I have had to have them imminently removed”, the 22-year-old singer tweeted. 

Live Nation had not updated if Lipa would re-join the tour at remaining Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney dates March 20, 23-24, Adelaide Entertainment Centre March 26 and Perth Arena March 28-29. 

Plans for Australian Women’s Music Awards Unveiled

The Australian Women’s Music Awards will be staged in Brisbane over two days in October as part of a larger conference on gender and cultural inequality. 

The event is the brainchild of artist manager Vicki Gordon who has been working on the idea for the past three years. Major names as Tina Arena, Kate Ceberano, Katie Noonan, Christine Anu, Deborah Conway, Clare Bowditch, Jenny Morris, Sophie Koh, Debra Byrne and The Preatures‘ Isabella Manfredi are supporting it, some part of an advisory committee for the event.

 Gordon says that the awards are a way to “make women visible. You cannot be what you can’t see. If you only see men in positions of power and positions of decision making, then you’re not confident you’re capable of making those decisions yourself.”

 The awards will allow the music industry to acknowledge late performers Chrissie Amphlett of the Divinyls and indigenous singer-songwriter Ruby Hunter, as well as other female indigenous performers. 

Gordon says it’s coincidental that independent ideas as the awards as well as #MeToo and #Time’sUp movements. 

“Something powerful in the universe is happening, suddenly women are being believed at long last.”