An announcement that will “enhance” the Sir Paul McCartney concert will be made today, and it’s not more performers, hints local concert promoter Greg Cox.
“It will make it a memorable experience for everyone involved,” Cox, with Power Promotional Events, said yesterday. “It is going to make a difference.”
Cox said McCartney has a tentatively scheduled sound check Friday at 1 p.m. But Sharon Kim-Dion, president of Creative Entertainment USA, said Paul isn’t set to touch down in Halifax until Friday evening, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact arrival time.
Kim-Dion said McCartney will most likely fly in on his private jet from New York, but would not say where he’ll be staying. She said the ex-Beatle likes to go out and enjoy the cities he travels to for performances, and expects Halifax will be no different.
Kim-Dion said the concert has been two years in the making, adding Mayor Peter Kelly had a large part in bringing the superstar to town.
“Mayor Kelly came to my office in New York in fall of 2007, and he really had this idea, this vision to open up The Commons,” Kim-Dion said from her room at the Lord Nelson Hotel. “It was Mayor Kelly who said we would very much love to have Paul McCartney come to Halifax.”
Cox said McCartney’s stage takes five days to assemble, estimating 400 people are involved in stage set up, seating set up, technical work, clean up and other jobs.
Fifty invitation-only guests will get to see McCartney’s Halifax rehearsal, Cox said. Their names will be drawn from a contest being run by radio stations Q104 and Cool FM and CTV’s dinner hour program Live at 5.
The draw takes place at Monte’s Bar and Grill in Dartmouth on Thursday night. Over 150 qualifiers will be there with guests, but there are 100 empty spots in the bar, Cox said, so you too could have an exclusive sneak peek at Saturday’s concert.
Weather watch
• McCartney Weather Watch: Environment Canada is holding hopes high, calling for a mix of sun and cloud with a high of 21 C on the day of the concert.
