The company revealed, “At this very sad time we would like to reassure Rolling Stones fans and ticket holders that every effort is currently being made to reschedule the postponed Australia and New Zealand dates for October/November 2014.”
This would fit in with the Stones’ launch show of the Adelaide Oval, which was the first show to be announced and set to play to 55,000. Adelaide Oval CEO Andrew Daniels told newspapers that they can’t fit in the British band “until after the AFL season.” The $450,000 paid to the band by the South Australian Government is being returned, it was reported.
Frontier is urging fans to hold on to their tickets. But those who want refunds can get them from the official ticketing agency they bought the tickets from. Those who paid up to $10,000 from scalpers for the Perth show could well have a problem.
While the band members are holed up in the Perth Hyatt, drummer Charlie Watts slipped out and made a surprise appearance at the Ellington Jazz Club last night. Word had already got around that he would join Stones’ saxophonist and keyboardist Tim Ries onstage and the club was packed to its 135-capacity. Watts slipped in unannounced through the back door about 9pm and was whisked to a table near a corner. The place went wild when he was asked to come up and do some songs. The club manager later told radio that throughout his appearance, the crowd remained “awed”.
On Monday, the Stones’ backup singer Bernard Fowler had also done a show at the Ellington with Ries (they play frequently together overseas as The Rolling Stones Project), with a set that included Honky Tonk Women, Wild Horses and Gimme Shelter. The West Australian reported that Fowler was to have joined Watts onstage but his flight was rescheduled and he had to leave Perth earlier that evening.
