Launceston Examiner 12th March 1976

 

Pop concert
in Lton
called off

 

Melanie in Launceston yesterday

 

A full house was turned away from pop singer Melanie's concert at the Princess Theatre last night.

 

But promoters are confident they can arrange another concert for her in Launceston later this month.

 Melanie's one-night show attracted a crowd of 1072.

 The show was arranged by Campus Entertainments, from Melbourne, and local promoters ENT Enterprises.

A spokesman for Campus Entertainments, Mr Michael Coppel, said yesterday that Melanie was very upset at being unable to do the concert.

 Mr Coppel said they had played to a full house in Hobart on Wednesday night.

 He said the sound system was the problem.

 "We couldn't do justice to the people of faults in the sound system," he said.

 "It was most unfortunate - just one of those things.

Husband late
"We couldn't rectify the system in time. " A spokesman for ENT Enterprises, Jim Cox, said yesterday that if the group had turned up on time for the set rehearsal at 3 p. m. everything would have been all right.

 "But Melanie's manager, her husband, turned up at 5. 30 p. m. leaving no time for rehearsal.

 "Melanie didn't even try the P.A. system.

 

"Her husband decided he didn't like it. " Mr Cox said there had been a fault in the system, but this could have been put right if the group had turned up sooner.

 "They wanted different equipment, but they knew we had this equipment all the time," he said.

 Mr Bruce England, manager of ENT Enterprises said: "This is the same P. A. system used by recent visiting artists including Roy Orbison, Julie Felix, Judith Durham and Dick Emery.

 "We were very disappointed at having to turn people away - this is the first time this type of thing has happened to us.

Theatre praised

"We have been working like mad to get shows through Launceston.

 "All who have performed here have spoken well of the theatre. " Mr P. Townley, administrator of theatres in Launceston, said: "It was unfortunate they didn't turn up at the right time.

 "The public were very understanding, they took it calmly. " Mr England said all money would be refunded at the Princess Theatre from 11 a. m. on Monday, including the booking fee.

 

 

Launceston Examiner 13th March 1976

Melanie still blames poor sound gear

Pop singer Melanie claimed again yesterday that the sound system was to blame for the cancellation of her Thursday night concert in Launceston.

"The sound system was impossible for Melanie's voice and the type of song she sings," said Peter Schekeryk, Melanie's husband and manager.

 The American pop-singer and her husband were yesterday giving their reasons why they cancelled Melanie's performance at Launceston's Princess Theatre on Thursday night at the last minute.

 More than 1000 people, who had travelled from as far away as Smithton for the show, had to be turned away at the doors.

 The couple did not turn up for a pre-arranged rehearsal at the theatre at 3 p. m. , and when Mr Schekeryk arrived at the theatre at 5.30 he declared the sound system was not the brand the singer wanted.

 Asked why Melanie could not have done the concert explaining to the audience, if she wished, that she was dissatisfied with the sound system, Peter said:

"I do not think it is fair to people who pay five or six dollars a seat to hear a sub-standard concert. "

 

'Leisurely

drive up'

 

Told that some people had travelled up to 200 miles to hear the Princess concert, Peter said:

"We also travelled about 200 miles yesterday; in fact we travelled more than 500 miles altogether to get to Launceston. "

Asked why he and Melanie had not arrived in Launceston by 3 p. m. for rehearsal on Thursday as scheduled, Peter said:

"We just took a leisurely drive from Hobart and stopped off to look at the beautiful countryside and have something to eat. "

The couple were at the Scotch Thistle Inn, Ross, for almost 2½ hours, not leaving until 4.30 p. m.

 The couple left Launceston yesterday for Melbourne and Perth.

 The Launceston show was arranged by Campus Entertainments of Melbourne and local promoters ENT Enterprises.

 The manager of ENT Enterprises, Mr Bruce England, said that if Melanie and her husband had kept an appointment to rehearse at the Princess at 3 p. m. on Thursday any sound system complaints could have been overcome.

 

Contract
stated brand

 

 "We could have sent to Hobart if necessary to find a sound system that Melanie's husband liked," he said.

 "But I emphasise that the contract for their engagement clearly stated the brand name and type of sound equipment we had arranged to use. "

The Mayor of Launceston, Ald. Room, said the sound equipment to be used at the Melanie concert did not belong to the Princess Theatre.

 Aid. Room said the Princess Theatre equipment had proved quite satisfactory for similar 'concerts.

 "But the equipment for Thursday night's show wasn't the Princess Theatre equipment = it was privately installed," Ald. Room said.

 

 

THE SUNDAY EXAMINER-EXPRESS, Saturday, March 20, 1976

 

ROCK: Edited by Chris Copas

 

 

Melanie wants

to come back

 

Pop singer Melanie, who cancelled her Launceston concert at the last minute Thursday before last, may play in Launceston on March 26, according to the Australian tour manager.

 

 

 

Campus Entertainment boss Zev Eizak said this week he was not in Tasmania when Melanie toured here.

 "But it's my hopes and wishes that we are able to do another performance in Tasmania. "

Campus Entertainment is the promotion company which brought Melanie to Australia.

 Eizak said his assistants - Mike Coppel and Bill Fayman - had been touring Tasmania with Melanie.

 "We've been told that March 26 may be available, and have made moves to get the theatre on that night," he said.

 "The people who purchased tickets and turned up at the last concert were badly treated.

 "At present we have been told the hall is not available. " Eizak said it was a situation in which he would like to help.

 He said if Melanie had appeared in Launceston on the Thursday night she would have blown her voice.

 "The same thing happened at the Myer Music Bowl and she couldn't sing for two days.

 "An inadequate P. A. system tends to make her yell.

 "She's got 18 gigs left, and couldn't risk losing her voice in Launceston. " But there are still a lot of ifs and buts concerning the Melanie gig.

 The main people who are still at a loss are ENT, the local promoters.

 They had the equipment test teed up for 3 p. m. that day.

 Earlier in the day I approached ENT

 

PROMOTER STANDS BY P.A. CLAIM

 

manager Bruce England about securing a Melanie interview, and he was frustrated even at 10 a. m. because he did not know if he'd be able to arrange a reception or not.

 Nobody - even her promoters here - knew where she was.

 It turned out her entourage had decided to go walkabout, and stopped off at a pub in Ross for lunch.

 The least she could have done was notified the local people.

 Then the sound check.

Eizak insists his schedule had the check for 5 p.m.

 "Melanie can not attend sound checks, so her manager and husband Peter Schekeryk usually does so," he said.

 " Peter found the system inadequate, and even the man from ENT admitted something had happened to the system a week before. " That was true, but 7EX technicians sorted that out.

 And regarding the sound check, Launceston's administrator of theatres has a bit to say there.

The administrator is Peter Townley, based at the Princess Theatre.

 " Melanie's manager came in and looked at the equipment, noticed it was Yamaha, and said it wouldn't do," he said.

 "Even at 5 p. m. we could have got the other system she used in Hobart the night before up here

and set up for a later concert.

"The Launcestor, support act, Denis Kittc and a David Ritson, found nothing wrong with the system, Eizak said that from the best of his knowledge every body had been chasing up new sound equipment for the night.

 The Hobart P. A. had been offered but refused because ENT had made an assurance on their P. A. system, he said.

 "The situation got to the stage where it jeopardised other concerts," he said.

 "Had I known what was happening I would have provided a system at my expense.

 "I know Melanie wants to do a Launceston concert. She feels bad about what happened. " And so the beat goes on.

 For Melanie to come back is up to ENT, who've suffered a blow in the infancy bringing big name acts to Tasmania.

 Most people - apart from the Melanie entourage - insist the sound system was okay.

 But the fact is that some people did travel from as far away as Smithton, and they won't do it a second time.

 There's more than the cost of a ticket involved.

 The attitude of Melanie and her apparently confused management - leaves a lot to be desired.

 

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