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Prominent New Zealand concert promoter Phil Sprey has closed down his Capital C Concerts business after the country\u2019s government extended Covid-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n
Capital C Concerts has worked with the likes of Elton John and Bon Jovi and packed huge stadiums over the last 30 years, but Sprey said the impact of further restrictions means the business is no longer viable. So-called \u2018red light\u2019 restrictions have been implemented for another 10 days, meaning indoor crowds are limited to just 200 people.<\/p>\n
The next review of the traffic light settings will be on Thursday, April 14, but after two years of cancellations and postponements, Wellington-based industry veteran Sprey has had enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody\u2019s giving clear, long-term answers \u2013 and on that basis you can\u2019t do international deals,\u201d Sprey said in a post on the company\u2019s website. \u201cFor domestically based promoters it\u2019s becoming nigh on impossible at the moment because you can\u2019t write a contract.<\/p>\n
The New Zealand administration announced last month that it was extending the Events Transition Support Payment scheme until January 2023. That scheme offers a 90% subsidy of unrecoverable costs to events with more than 5,000 people cancelled due to restrictions, however Sprey cannot benefit as he has not been able to book international acts due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAs I\u2019m getting a little older in years, we\u2019re just dancing around with fresh air at the moment. We haven\u2019t had an artist in over two years, so I thought, let\u2019s finally pull the plug.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a company we have entertained the population of NZ many times over. Bringing a range of international artist to the country and presenting them nationwide to small venues and equally to the biggest stadiums. We have also proudly supported upcoming local artists and given millions of dollars to domestic charities whom we have linked to each major concert.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of passing my business onto my eldest son, I had to make him redundant, unemployed and now can\u2019t even leave him anything more than a memory. Like others in the arts and entertainment industries we are considered by this government as expendable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n