Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is Auckland getting ripped off when it comes to concerts?

Here’s a question for you: how badly did we get ripped off if it’s true we paid $3 million to get Robbie Williams here?

Now, we don’t know for sure that's the amount the Government paid out of the Major Events Fund, but that is what Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has revealed in a fit of pique at the Government.

And so far, nobody’s publicly denied it - not even Louise Upston, who’s the minister in charge of the money.

Privately, we at the show have had at least one, what I would call, soft confirmation that the amount is correct.

Now, if that’s true, $3 million for - as Wayne Brown calls him - a “tattooed Pom” is too much money. We’re wasting taxpayer money here, for a start.

As excited as I personally am to be going to Robbie’s concert in November, I don’t think a 1990s pop star is what we imagined the Major Events Fund would be used for when it was set up after we missed out on Taylor Swift, Oasis and Lady Gaga.

I mean, two in that list are proper A-list stars and one is a massively overdue reunion - a completely different league to Robbie.

An offshore promoter thought $3 million is way too much to pay for Robbie. Singapore - this will put it in perspective for you - reportedly paid $3 million for six Taylor Swift concerts two years ago.

Now, if $3 million buys you six Tay-Tays, how did we end up blowing $3 million on only one Robbie?

We’ve been ripped off, good and proper. And the proof is in the fact that the tickets are apparently not selling very well.

But then again - and bear this in mind - maybe this is just what we need to get used to and stop fighting.

Robbie and Linkin Park may well be the best New Zealand can do now. Big stars like Lady Gaga, Oasis, Tay-Tay and Harry Styles are going to go to Australia, not here, and they’re going to expect us to come to them - and we will.

I’m flying to Harry Styles. I flew to Oasis. Heaps of people flew to Tay-Tay. That’s how it works now.

And if we want a former boy band member who peaked in the ’90s to come to New Zealand, we are simply going to have to pay a lot of money for him.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right, here's a question for you. How badly did we
get ripped off? If it's true that we paid three
million dollars to get Robbie Williams here. Now we don't
know for sure, for sure that that is the amount
of money that the government paid out of its Major
Events Fund, but that is what Wayne Brown, the Mayor
of Auckland, has revealed today in a fit of peak
at the government, and so far nobody's publicly denied it,
not even Louise Upston, who's the minister in charge of

(00:21):
the money, and privately we at the show have had
at least one what I would call soft confirmation that
the amount is correct. Now, if that's true, three million
dollars for as Wayne Brown calls him a tattooed palm,
as a lot of money and it's too much money.
We're wasting tax payer money here for a start. As
excited as I personally am to be going to Robbie's

(00:43):
consonan in November, I don't think a nineties pop star
is what we imagined the Major Events Fund would have
been used for when it was set up after we
missed out on Taylor Swift and Oasis and Lady Gaga.
I mean two in that list are proper A list
stars and one is a massively overdue reunion, completely different league,
completely different league to Robbie. An offshore promoter, todd of

(01:03):
three million dollars is way too much to pay for Robbie. Singapore.
This will put it in perspective for you. Singapore reportedly
paid three million dollars in New Zealand for six Taylors
Swift concerts two years ago. Now, if three million dollars
buys you six tataes, how did we end up blowing
three million dollars on only one Robbie. We've been ripped
off good and proper here, and the proof is in
the fact that the tickets are apparently not selling very

(01:25):
well at the moment. But then again, then again, bear
this in mind. Okay, maybe this is what we just
need to get used to and stop fighting it. Robbie
and Lincoln Park may well be just the best that
New Zealand can do. Now, big stars like Lady Gaga
and Oasis and Tatay and Harry Styles are going to
go to Australia, not here, and they're going to expect
us to come to them, and we will I'm flying

(01:46):
to Harry Styles. I flew to Oasis. Heaps of people
flew to Tata. That's how it works now. And if
we're going to want a former boy band member Hope
peaked in the nineties to come to New Zealand, we
are simply going to have to pay a lot of
money for him. More from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen
live to News Talk Set B from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.