By Emma Jane Cooke
To celebrate the release of MAYHEM, Lady Gaga’s seventh studio album, she announced a European tour The Mayhem Ball, but Ireland was left out of the loop. Gaga was last in Ireland just over a decade ago for her Artpop Tour. Her multiple visits in the early 2000s has left many wondering why Ireland did not make the cut for this Gaga re-emergence. To cope with the loss, I have investigated as to why the island has been left out, or maybe in a different case, she’s saving us for another date.
Brexit’s Effect On Touring Within Ireland
In 2016, 52% of voters were in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. This would result in long term events for the music industry as artists looking to travel around Europe would be subjected to new regulations to tour in the UK. The cost of customers and importation procedures would prove to be costly when entering Ireland. The increased costs of travelling with equipment may prove to be a good enough reasons for smaller bands and artists to stray from certain countries. Irish music promoters and the Irish music industry itself would need to prioritise marketing and accommodating these artists to keep attracting live events to their venues, which leads into what may have been another issue for Gaga’s team.
Dublin’s Lack of Music Venues
When researching the venues that Gaga will be touring across Europe, it is evident that every location is an arena. But Dublin has the 3Arena, surely that’s enough? When looking closer at the capacity of these venues, it is clear that the 3Arena fell short.
Avicii Arena (Stockholm, Sweden) – 16,200.
Mediolanum Forum (Milan, Italy) – 15,800.
Palau Sant Jordi (Barcelona, Spain) – 17,960
Uber Arena (Berlin, Germany) – 17,000
Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) – 17,000
3Arena (Dublin, Ireland) – 13,000
Looking at this list of venues, it is clear the 3Arena falls short of a couple thousand. While this may not be the direct reason as to why the tour is not coming to Ireland, it begs a larger question into Ireland, specifically Dublin’s live music and venue culture.
Doing With What We Have
In recent news, The Workman’s club has applied for examinership, which was host to The Cellar. Workman’s has since cancelled all of the gigs from July onwards where many small and independent bands were scheduled to play their shows. This is a massive hit to Dublin’s live music culture especially with no plans for replacement. While there is the 3Olympia and smaller venues such as Whelan’s and The Academy, there is truly a lack of spaces for these artists whether big or small.
With desolate and abandoned buildings and sites all around the city, it would be extremely beneficial to the music and nightlife culture of Dublin if even one of those spots was revamped into a venue spot for artists to showcase their talent. Maybe Gaga will come back at some stage within the next few years and the problem will be solved but in instances like these, it is important to highlight the need for funding within the culture and nightlife aspect of Dublin and a majority of Ireland.