The farce now on at biggest UK concert venue
Opening date is put back AGAIN... and comic Peter Kay isn’t laughing
HE’S one of our top come- dians, but Peter Kay could be forgiven for a sense of humour failure today.
The star, who had been due to be the grand opening act at the UK’s biggest concert arena, has had to push back his performance dates – for a second time – because the venue is not ready.
Kay was initially supposed to perform at the Co- op Live arena in Manchester on April 23 and 24 but behind-schedule power tests and safety concerns meant it was pushed back to April 29 and 30. Now, the dates have been delayed until May 23 and 24.
The Bolton comedian, 50, said yesterday he ‘can’t believe’ the new delay, which he called ‘very disappointing’.
Eric Clapton and Barry Manilow are among acts set to perform in the opening weeks while The Eagles will play the only UK dates of their Long Goodbye tour across five nights from the end of May.
The £ 365million 23,500 capacity arena has been mired in crisis after its director general, Gary Roden, resigned over the delays and controversy that ensued after he took aim at smaller venues, seen by many as the lifeblood of the industry.
Headaches for Co-op Arena, which boasted an investment from pop star Harry Styles, became clear after capacity for a test event last Saturday, featuring singer Rick Astley, was reduced by several thousand with just hours’ notice.
In an X post yesterday, Kay wrote: ‘ My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience.
‘Consequently, they are having to reschedule my two shows yet again (I know, I can’t believe it either).’ Kay said he was ‘truly gutted’ but ‘ your safety is important, and I won’t compromise that’.
Mr Roden resigned on Thursday, shortly after telling the BBC grassroots music venues, which were calling for a share of the profits in order to stay open, were often ‘poorly run’.
The arena said it does not ‘share the sentiment’ and that ‘Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond’.
The Music Venue Trust hit out at Mr Roden, telling NME: ‘The irony of making ill-judged, unnecessary and misleading comments on the day that the launch of their new arena has unfortunately fallen into such difficulties is not lost on anyone in the music industry.’
An arena spokesman said: ‘It is critical we have a consistent total power supply to our fully electric sustainable venue. Rescheduling gives us the extra time we need to continue testing thoroughly.’