Following the storming success of concert events from Leonard Cohen, Rod Stewart, and most recently Bruce Springsteen, Mushroom’s Frontier Touring look set to present more large scale music events at iconic Victorian landmark, Hanging Rock.
Michael Gudinski’s Frontier looks set to lock in a five-year deal to hold more concerts at the iconic Macedon Ranges location, following on from negotiations that first began back in May with local council.
The Macedon Range Shire’s councillors are holding a meeting tomorrow night to discus the possibility of setting up the new five-year deal, and today Shire Mayor Roger Jukes tells The Music that it’s very likely that Frontier’s plans will get the go-ahead based on its previous successes in brining huge benefits to the local economy.
“The economic benefit to the region grew with each concert held at the Rock,” says Mayor Jukes, adding that it was “good to see interest in having more concerts there” among his constituents.
The new five-year deal with Macedon Shire, first brokered back in May, will see council negotiating an increased fee as well as an annual payment guarantee that will become active from 31st October 2014. The deal would allow for ‘two to four’ concerts per year, with a maximum capacity of 18,000 per show. “The economic benefit to the region grew with each concert held at the Rock… [it’s] good to see interest in having more concerts there.”
The Hanging Rock deal would not cover council-run events or non-musical attractions, while Frontier Touring will cover costs for a permit, utilities, and foot patrols for rubbish fees, as well as continuing the employment and support of local suppliers.
All of which contributed to the success of Bruce Springsteen’s Hanging Rock shows earlier this year, concluding The Boss’ Easter tour of Australia, which contributed $5 million to a total tour revenue of $25 million in ticket sales for the Springsteen tour.
As well as garnering wide-spread praise from punters and critics alike, the pair of Springsteen dates also injected an estimated $10 million into local economy, according to a council-commissioned analysis of the Hanging Rock concerts, revealing that 16.75% of ticket sales were sold to interstate visitors (5,695 tickets) and 9.04% (2,804) of the “adult population in the Macedon Ranges Shire” attended.
It was three for three for Frontier Touring following similarly acclaimed performances from Leonard Cohen in 2010 and Rod Stewart’s 2012 dates, with Springsteen being the realisation of a personal bucket list for Gudinski as he voiced his plans to make the picturesque Hanging Rock a regular, albeit specialised live music venue.
Those dreams look set to become a reality come tomorrow night, with a council meeting agenda urging councillors to vote in favour of the Frontier Touring proposal, which had previously had to await the outcome of an application for a $2 million grant through the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) to develop infrastructure at Hanging Rock.
Council has been successful in gaining the funds for their overhaul to include “the supply of electricity, water and informal lighting to the main reserve and picnic grounds, and improved car parking and picnic facilities such as shelters, toilets and BBQs.”
Despite Council’s plans for Hanging Rock, locals haven’t been so glowing about the developments to the iconic geographical location, with protestors planning to petition tomorrow night’s council meeting with 5,000 signatures opposing the development based on its impact to local ecology, as the ABC reports.
Despite the opposition, Mayor Jukes tells The Music that plans to commercialise Hanging Rock and its surrounding area for further concert events – a process expected to take up to 18 months – there was no ” measured impact on any wildlife as a result of the concerts at the Rock.”
