The Who concert plans raise complaints from ‘distressed’ locals
Local residents in the Cotswolds are ‘distressed’ after a license was granted for concerts at the Badminton Estate. The Who and Rod Stewart are scheduled to play at the outdoor venue this summer.
Despite 39 residents complaining about the planned shows, Cotswold Council granted promoters Robomagic Live a license to stage the performances. Tickets had already been placed on sale before the license was approved, with 25,000 music fans expected to attend each show. Stewart is set to play on July 2nd, while The Who will be taking to the stage on July 16th.
Local villager James Middleton told The Times: “I fear that issuing this open-ended licence for a few concerts will soon grow to events intruding on Didmarton and surrounding villages many weekends throughout the year. You will be opening Pandora’s Box. Do we/you really want ‘Glastonbury in the Cotswolds’ in the future?”
Meanwhile, Nick Hare, chairman of Sopworth Parish Meeting, said in a letter to the local council: “The granting of a licence . . . presents unwarranted and wholly avoidable inconvenience and distress to the residents.”
The Who’s forthcoming tour marks their first run of dates in the UK for six years, and they will be joined by an orchestra. However, singer Roger Daltrey recently ruled out the prospect of new music from the band. He told NME: “What’s the point of records? We released an album four years ago, and it did nothing. It’s a great album too, but there isn’t the interest out there for new music these days. People want to hear the old music. I don’t know why, but that’s the fact.”
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