Sydney’s Anzac Day rock concert ‘Pandemonium’ relocated

The Premier has stopped a rock festival from going ahead in The Domain on Anzac Day after complaints from the RSL, it will now be held in Homebush following talks with Olympic Park.

The premier has stopped a rock festival from going ahead in The Domain on Anzac Day after complaints from the RSL.

Pandemonium rock concert will now be held in Homebush following talks with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority.

The event’s promoter Andrew McManus said both parties were pleased with the outcome on Wednesday morning.

“Everyone wants a good result and everyone wants to be able to be put in a position where we can commemorate in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon,” he said to 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

RSL NSW president Mick Bainbridge reinforced the importance of relocating the festival as the sounds of rock ‘n’ roll could’ve potentially clashed with Anzac Day services.

“I’m certainly happy, I understand my members and the veterans are extremely happy and just to reiterate it wasn’t just one one-hour lap over, we have services right through the day up to and including a sunset service,” Mr Bainbridge said on 2GB.

British rock duo Placebo are among the artist’s relocating to Homebush for the festival. Picture: Mads Perch music entertainment

The government was still finalising negotiations with concert organisers on Wednesday night to move the concert, amid fears the festival would clash with the Anzac Day march through the city.

It followed Mr Minns declaring on Wednesday the Pandemonium rock concert “can’t go ahead” in the CBD on a day which should be reserved for commemorating Australian diggers.

But promoter Andrew McManus said concerns had only been raised last week, following “five or six months” of negotiation with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust (RGBDT) about his event.

Veterans called the concert “wildly disrespectful,” amid fears the event would clash with the Anzac Day march through the city.

“Anzac Day is not the day for a music festival,” RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge said.

Music rock legend Deborah Harry of Blondie will perform at the ‘Pandemonium’ concert. Picture: AP Photo/Spencer Weiner

Alice Cooper performing at ANZ Stadium in Homebush. Picture: Richard Dobson

Mr McManus said no-one raised any concerns until last week.

“On Thursday night at nine o’clock I got an email from them (RGBDT) saying they had to withdraw the contract,” he said.

That appeared at odds with comments from the premier, who said “no final documents or a contract had been signed between any government officials in the NSW government and the promoter of the rock concert”.

Promotional material for the Pandemonium concert.

Mr Minns vowed that the concert would be relocated.

“A rock concert in the middle of the CBD on Anzac Day can’t go ahead and we won’t allow it to go ahead,” he said.

“I’m sorry that it’s gone this far, but I want to make it clear and completely unambiguous today. There will not be a rock concert in the middle of the city on the same day as Anzac Day,” he said.

Mr McManus was in discussions with the government on Wednesday night to move the concert to another location, with those plans close to being finalised.

Earlier, he said he would be “open” to relocating the festival, but hoped for some government assistance.

Bands at the festival were scheduled to start playing at 12.50pm.

Mr McManus said he had been working with veterans groups when organising the concert, and had arranged for money from ticket sales to be donated to veterans charities Legacy and Wounded Heroes.

NSW Premier Chris Minns. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Justin Lloyd

Retired Special Forces Commander Heston Russell. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Retired Special Forces Commander Heston Russell labelled the concert as “wildly disrespectful.”

Afghanistan war veteran and federal MP Philip Thompson said holding a festival on Anzac Day was “bulls***”.

Industry sources contacted by the Telegraph could not recall another concert taking place at the Domain on Anzac Day, but said holding concerts on April 25 was not unusual.

This year, Adelaide’s Groovin the Moo Festival will take place on April 25, “with a special acknowledgement of Anzac Day”.

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