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LAST UPDATE | 22 Nov 2021
SEVEN YEARS AFTER plans for a handful of Croke Park gigs created a summer-long saga, Garth Brooks is in Dublin today for a press conference about next September’s concerts at GAA headquarters.
After months of rumours, it was confirmed last week that the top-selling solo artist in US history will play Croke Park on 9 and 10 September.
Togging out at the Drumcondra stadium today, the country music superstar said the cancellation of the five gigs in 2014 was like a “death in the family”.
“It’s still very fresh. It’s like something I’ve never experienced. And one of those things where you go, ‘surely this isn’t going this way, right?’ So, it was one of those things that was a little hard to understand,” Brooks said.
I asked Garth Brooks whether it was conveyed to him what a massive controversy the 2014 cancellations were here in Ireland ... and I think I kind of made him get emotional pic.twitter.com/03HtYqnCxx
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 22, 2021
Dublin City Council granted approval for five dates at the start of this month.
When asked whether he’d like to play all five gigs at today’s media event, Brooks quipped: “I’d like to do five, but I’d also like to be six foot five and have abs.”
He added that the amount of ticket sales required to fill all five shows is “impossible”.
The 2014 ‘debacle’
The ‘Friends in low places’ singer sold out five nights in 2014 but cancelled all the shows after planning for all five was not granted.
The Journal asked the country superstar if he was made aware of the debacle in 2014, and becoming emotional, he explained what a “heartache” it was for him to have walk away from the shows.
What happened in 2014 was a frickin miracle. I mean, who does numbers like that, right? So, you’ve got 400,000 Hard tickets in one city, one show. It’s impossible. There’s no way we’re gonna do that number again. There’s just no way.
I asked Garth Brooks whether it was conveyed to him what a massive controversy the 2014 cancellations were here in Ireland ... and I think I kind of made him get emotional pic.twitter.com/03HtYqnCxx
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 22, 2021
He said he jumped at the chance when told he could come back.
Garth also didn’t rule out doing smaller gigs when he comes to Ireland next year, but the Croke Park shows are the only ones announced so far.
While he stated he thought it would be impossible to pull off the five nights again, he added that he would like to “close that circle” if possible, perhaps leaving the door open for more performances.
“We’re lucky enough that this is the exact same people that were lucky enough to get to play here in Croke Park in the late 90s,” he said.
“What was meant to start this whole thing [The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour] is now going to be where this whole thing ends. And if there is a blessing in that curse of what happened in 2014, it’s the fact that there is a chance that this artist, and those people that were sweet enough to get those tickets before, now have a chance to hopefully see each other again. It’s the greatest privilege and the greatest joy an artist can have to play Ireland. It’s the greatest heartache to be told you can’t,” he added.
‘Ireland... why would you want to be anywhere else’ says Garth pic.twitter.com/uG07y3dM6r
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 22, 2021
He told reporters that he likes that even after the 2014 “debacle”, things could be figured out, saying that “where I’m from, we might not let that dog lie, it might be something that forever splits us apart, but Ireland is empathetic, sympathetic”.
Brooks added that playing in Ireland “is the greatest privilege” for any performer, but it’s the “greatest heartache to be told you can’t', he added.
What happened “hurt, hurt, hurt”, adding that it was “hard to understand” what had happened, and why nothing could be done.
Brooks said he was told he had to choose between what shows would be dropped, but making that choice wasn’t how he was raised, he told the media.
“We either all win together or we all lose together,” he said, stating “I couldn’t find a fair way to do it”.
His love for the Irish audience
When asked why he loves the Irish audience so much, he said he couldn’t explain it, but that there is an “sincerity” about the Irish crowds. While he said a musician can go from city to city to perform, he finds there is something special when he arrives in Ireland, calling it “home” multiple times during today’s press conference.
Brooks said when he was last in Ireland, fans were hanging from windows welcoming him, telling reporters he would think “this has to be a put on, right? No body does this. It is so sweet… that’s what I love about this place”, he said.
“This is a joy for me to be here,” he said, stating he predicts he will just cry for the majority of his gig in Croke Park next year.
The singer said when he returns to Ireland next year he would love to attend an All Ireland final. He plans to travel around Ireland with his country music star wife Trisha Yearwood following the shows, said Brooks.
On Covid, he said he is fully vaccinated and fully masked, but he hopes it will be a bit more “free” next year. “I sure would love not to have to cancel anymore shows,” he said.
When asked about the Taoiseach Micheál Martin stating that he would like to see Brooks play in Cork and whether that might be a possibility, he said once he was told he could play Croke Park that is all he can think about it.
He is aware of a lot of people in the entertainment industry out of work because of the pandemic.
“Who did we miss in the last two years that never got to lift off,” he asked, telling reporters that it will have an impact on what music we get to hear in the future.
“Our actions will depict the future, so be wise, be loving and let’s try and do it all together,” he said.
Tickets for the concerts, so far the only European dates he’s set to play next year, will go on sale on Thursday at 8am.
In September this year, reports emerged that Brooks’ team were applying for a licence to play at the Dublin stadium.
The Council had initially only granted approval for concerts on 9, 10, and 11 September 2022.
It received an application for two more outdoor concerts on 16 and 17 September, which were also granted to promoter Aiken Promotions.
So far, the two gigs on 9 and 10 September are the only ones officially announced.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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If I got a ticket for nothing I still would not go.
@The Shadow: I’d say you will be missed.
@The Shadow: I’d take the ticket, it’d be worth a few bob, even at face value.
@The Shadow: logged on to tell us that from anon ac
Must be long day for you
Why fly all this way to tell us. He could have told us from America. Now look at his massive carbon footprint !!
@Tony O Neill: He’s only a size 7
@Tony O Neill: making up for his lack of stature.
@Tony O Neill: He’s got friends in Hiaces
@William Ryan: Lord farquaad maybe??
The demand for this here is embarrassing
@JusticeForJoe: I’m embarrassed at your lack of demand for these gigs
@troll#67993456778532: That’s p!$$ poor trolling, to be fair
@JusticeForJoe: Not really. He puts on a great show and is a world class entertainer. Those gigs are gonna be super events
@Colm Walsh: Ah c’mon, Colm. He’s a singing cowboy. That’s literally the whole act.
He had permission for 3 gigs. He chose not to play them. Some bluffer.
@Alan McArdle: grandstanding at its finest.
A week after cop26 and the middle of a global pandemic, Mr Brooks flies in on his private jet to announce gigs we already know are happening
Did anyone stop and think that this is just ridiculous and unnecessary, and could very easily be announced remotely.
Pointless to be honest and wasteful
@Life in no motion: Maybe he thought if he didn’t appear it would be seen as a cop-out
@Life in no motion: He must be trying to ape the behaviour of those world leaders who flew in and out of the conference in their own private jets. Lots of “do as I say, not as I do” behaviour on display there which tends to make us ordinary folk switch off unfortunately. Link here https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwilliams1/2021/11/05/118-private-jets-take-leaders-to-cop26-climate-summit-burning-over-1000-tons-of-co2/?sh=70c28d3253d9
It must be tough only being able to sell out Croke park twice.
Of course Ticketmaster will ‘resell’ most of the tickets for 5 times the cover value.
Scam artists that they are….
@Fergal McDonagh: Seatwave, where it was all but confirmed that they were immediately putting tickets up at huge inflated cost, has been gone a couple of years and the newer resale option on the Ticketmaster site allows you to sell for the original value or less. Of course that’s not stopping them doing it manually but good luck to them setting up enough genuine seeming social media profiles that people would buy tickets off them. It’s that or sell on the streets.
Of course some people will be desperate and buy off anyone but most prefer to know they will actually get the ticket, and as grim as Seatwave was in price the tickets were real, you knew you were getting one.
Thankfully it’s harder to mass sell genuine tickets at a huge price now because the official channels (by that I mean as above, where you know you will get the ticket and it’s not a person scamming you) are face value or less now.
Jesus, he’s still on about the cancellation. Time to move on lad
@Jonathan: im no fan of the man or his music but to be fair to him he was asked about it by the irish media. Perhaps they should build a bridge and get over it at this stage.
@Brian Dunne: Good advice Brian. As you say,they should just move on and B Dunne with it.
@Larry Betts: wow! What an honour to have my name used in a larry betts pun! Ha ha, nice one larry :)
@Brian Dunne: both the media and Brooks should move on from it. When asked he should have said that was SEVEN years ago in 2014, let’s concentrate on 2022.
A de*ath in the family, really Garth, REALLY? Cop on you cowboy spoofer.
Like a death in the family, or was it the millions of Euro that he missed out on? I sincerely hope this redneck struggles to even sell one gig not alone 2 or god forbid 5, but no doubt the wonderful Irish public will shame us all, and sell out five gigs.
He has some neck
@Mick Dunne: Fretless
@Larry Betts: Goes rather well with the drama of that statement.
@Mick Dunne:
Red neck
I think this is great. The whole sorry saga will get a happy ending. Give the fans what they want!
the pr exercise this morning was cringe inducing. surprised if anyone here sees it any other way as it was quintessentially american…shameless b/s. i dont know, maybe people here enjoy the american style, tarted up fun rubbish
but the real issue is why one act gets five nights. why not give five acts one night each (the argument that this will not be profitable is naieve. all money does not come from gigs and people like brooks can well afford to take a hit on the gig in view of the other money that will be earned on radio tv internet recordings adn so on)
@alan: it’s all got to do with who’s touring, what dates they can do and if they can sell it
@alan: A gig for us is a night out, for the residents it’s about 2 weeks of disruption. Every artist has their own bespoke stage design so that would mean 10 weeks of disruption instead of 3 for Garth Brooks (assuming he ends up playing 5 shows). The idea of 5 different acts playing is nice but completely impractical and a nightmare for the locals.
@Cian Nolan: fair enough. i wasnt aware that the process took so long. though still not a good argument for giving that clown 5 gigs (if they do)!
Seven years on and he’s still whinging about it. Must be great to have so little to worry about?
He’s so odd.
The way coving infections are rising he may have that feeling again.
I don’t know about him togging out to play there now, maybe if he was 6’5″ with abs he might fit in. If he’s looking for a game tell him to call down to me on a Sunday for a junior C game and we’ll stick him full forward if the Bomber isn’t available / too sick.
He has a degree in marketing and boy does he use it to ingratiate and market himself. Watch for the tears when he’s interviewed. Puts me off him.
This is just embarrassing. Just play your gigs and eff off
Change the record Garth…..
Like a death in his wallet more like
Very appropriate, good man Garth.
i blame it all on his roots , showing up in boots and all that malarky what did he expect ..
Hopefully this time he’ll follow proto
@Richie Cosgrove: rip conald
@cadghtarley: Featherin’ it in heaven. He knows where Garth buried the bodies.
For fooks sake… I’m embarrassed that I live somewhere where so many people want to see him!!
Will never understand music snobbery. Like what you like…dont worry about the rest.
And dent in his pocket.
No he got greedy that’s what the problem was
At close on 5m Euro revenue per gig, I can see why he would like to do 5 shows. No wonder it was as bad as a death in the family to cancel the 2014 shows. I’d still be grieving at the loss of 25M euro.
Seems to be a lot of middle age single women in Ireland with nothing better to do than go to 5 concerns from a washed out hasbeen.
He would have got 4 gigs last time and still let people down! Twit
This all sounds a bit like ‘ Catholic Guilt’ where you feel guilty because you are enjoying yourself and if you see somebody else enjoying themselves, you try and ruin their experience. Glad to see the CC has captured so many souls. Given that argument Andy Dillon should be Pope.
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