HARD ROCK COULD SEND US ALL KOO KOO
THE entertainment offerings of prospective casino operator Hard Rock have been blasted by the state’s peak clubs body as “what you’d expect from your local pub”.
Hard Rock markets itself as a company which “stands among the major gaming operators in the world” and hosts more than 36,000 music events annually across its 24 hotels and 16 casinos.
However Clubs Queensland, an opponent of the proposed second Gold Coast casino, have taken aim at the gambling giant, deriding its acts as not being top-level stars.
“Tourism Minister Kate Jones has talked about Hard Rock bringing international performers such as Mariah Carey and Britney Spears to the Gold Coast but a scan of their current suite of resorts reveals pretty quickly that there is virtually no chance of them attracting that level of performer,” said Clubs president Doug Flockhart
“There are no headline international acts – although it does have the Magic Mike male strip show, the Australian Pink Floyd Show and Australian entertainer Koo Koo Kanga Roo on their ‘very very sweaty tour’.
“This is hardly the entertainment you’d expect from a global tourism hub” said Mr Flockhart “In fact it is more what you’d expect from your local pub.”
Clubs Queensland also took aim at Hard Rock’s resort and dining offerings, which it declared to be “ho hum”.
At the Hard Rock Vancouver, which has more than 1000 slot machines, a “restaurant” called The Asylum lists its drawcard as the Hard Rock cheeseburger.
Other dining options include The Buffet, Neptune Chinese Kitchen, Chip’s Sandwich Shop and the Roadies’ Burger Bar.
“They are food and beverage packages and cabaret acts. The type of cookie cutter offerings you would find on a cruise ship,” Mr Flockhart said.
“It sounds a little to me like a scenario where if Mayor Tom Tate can’t get his cruise ships docking on the water he’ll just build them on the land.”