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Never again
By Emily Pykett
Saturday 25th June 2005
TERRAS chairman Martyn Harrison vowed never to stage another
concert at Weymouth Football Club after punters gave last
night's pop concert the brush-off.
He admitted he made big losses after the '80s extravaganza,
Legends In Concert, fell far short of the 4,000 ticket sales
needed to break even.
The multi-millionaire blasted the town as `apathetic' when
just over 1,500 fans made it to the Wessex Stadium to watch
performances by ex-Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, Martin
Fry of ABC and Go West.
Mr Harrison said: "I do not think I will bother next
year, I don't think people deserve it.
"I have tried my best and put on a show, it was a wonderful
night with great music, but the people of Weymouth didn't
bother coming.
"Yes, this has cost me a lot of money, but I am more
concerned about the apathy - there are less than 250 football
supporters here.
"However, the organisation was brilliant and I want
to praise people like stewards and car park attendants who
gave up their time to help out."
Mr Harrison said a similar amount of tickets had been sold
for tonight's classical spectacular, Proms On The Pitch, starring
G4, Aled Jones and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Urging people to support the event, he said: "Get off
your backsides and come to see the best orchestra and classical
acts in Britain."
Meanwhile, many music fans who partied the night away on
the pitch also wished for a better turnout.
Weymouth resident Pamela Anderson, 52, of Dorchester Road,
said: "This was an absolutely brilliant night but it's
such a shame it was not better supported. I feel sorry for
the organisers."
The showmen, however, remained upbeat and ABC vocalist Martin
Fry voiced relief the weather held out.
Backstage, he told the Dorset Echo: "I have never played
in Weymouth before but there was a lot of warmth coming from
the crowd and I recognised some hardcore fans."
Re-living the songs that thrilled a gen-eration, hundreds
of revellers clapped and boogied their way through a set of
smash hits including ABC's The Look Of Love, Spandau Ballet's
Gold and King Of Wishful Thinking by Go West.
The three singers also united for a medley of favourites,
bringing the house down with renditions of The Boys Are Back
In Town and Addicted To Love.
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