“Beatles Fest in for a hard day's night?” plus 2

Beatles Fest in for a hard day's night?
Beatles drummer Pete Best signs Lennon Wall in Prague
American English, Dick Biondi in spotlight at Beatles tribute

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:11 AM PDT

CITY COUNCIL: $15,000 loan request denied

Posted By NATHAN TAYLOR, THE PACKET AND TIMES

Posted 48 mins ago

Hoping to see the Orillia Beatles Celebration make it to its fourth year, organizers are looking for ways to save and find money.

The committee met Tuesday morning after city council turned down a $15,000 loan request the night before.

"Everybody was pretty disappointed with the results of the vote," said Pete Bowen, chair of the Beatles celebration and the Orillia Festivals Committee.

"It's disappointing that councillors don't seem to recognize the significant impact festivals have on our local economy," he said. "The number of opportunities are dwindling and we need the cash flow in order to operate."

At Tuesday's meeting, the committee looked at its options, which include bringing in less expensive -- not necessarily less talented -- performers, appealing for more in-kind donations and scaling back on advertising and marketing, Bowen said, adding the committee will continue looking for a loan.

The situation is dire, but those at the helm of this yellow submarine aren't ready to let it sink, Bowen assured. Helping to keep the popular attraction afloat are marketing/advertising contacts in Toronto, who are helping spread in the metropolis the word of this small city's big celebration.

Also, the committee has a "Beatles aficionado" -- Joanne Pyke -- onboard. She's got a good ear for Beatles-themed talent, including tribute and cover bands, Bowen said.

"She knows them or knows people who know them," he said.

Unlike some other festivals, this one is free, except for those entering the beer tent area. Bowen wants to see it kept that way.

"Anybody can show up and hear some music... and be a part of the celebration, and there's no charge to them," he said. "There are many people in Orillia who can't afford to go to Mariposa (Folk Festival)."

Mike McMurter, of the festivals committee, made a deputation to council Monday night. There were two main points to his presentation. The first was to highlight the importance of stable funding for festivals. The second was a plea for $15,000.

Festivals need money earlier to help secure the best talent, develop their programs and have a solid business plan in place to attract sponsorship, he said.

If properly planned and carried out, festivals make money for local businesses and generate tax revenue, McMurter noted. Proper planning is part of the problem, according to one councillor.

"It seems like every time you turn around, we have the Beatles festival needing the city's support or else it's going to go belly up," Coun. Don Evans said.

To plan on receiving Celebrate Ontario funding -- then to approach council after learning it's not going to happen -- is "foolhardy," Evans said.

Evans said there should be a policy in place, similar to that of the grants committee. That committee has a set budget and allocates money to different people, events and purposes in town.

That one-off approach did, however, work for organizers of the Guitars on Parade event, the first of which took place downtown last weekend.

On fairly short notice, council agreed to give a $10,000 grant to cover the cost of a souvenir guide and the city's sponsorship of two guitars.

"Council just jumped on it," Coun. Joe Fecht said, noting the way in which organizers pitched that request might have helped sway councillors.

"If you're selling a concept, you need to do some marketing," he said, noting, for example, the festivals committee's presentation did not include photos of pedestrian-packed downtown streets from previous Beatles fests.

Fecht also acknowledged the need for a policy, saying sustain-ability of festivals -- many of which strive to simply break even -- would be aided by more coordinated and regular involvement by the city.

"The issue of fairness and equity always comes up when it's a one-off decision outside a policy context," he said.

It's up to council to push for a policy, Fecht said, and that's something he plans to pursue at a future meeting. He said options would include forming an ad-hoc committee (led by council representation), with input from city departments and the festivals committee; a report from either the culture and heritage department or economic development committee, with stakeholder input; and asking the festivals committee to draft a policy to be reviewed by the city.

But related policies have been drafted and presented to council on a few occasions, Bowen said.

"They've been aware of the need for a policy for four years and they've done nothing about it," he said.

This year's Orillia Beatles celebration is scheduled to take place Sept. 17-18.

ntaylor@orilliapacket.com

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Beatles drummer Pete Best signs Lennon Wall in Prague

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:28 PM PDT

Prague, June 29 (CTK) - Pete Best, former drummer of The Beatles, signed the John Lennon Wall on Kampa island in Prague's historical centre Tuesday.

Later on Tuesday, Best had a concert with his current band in the Czech Music Museum in Prague that was held within the "Beatlemania" exhibition.

He said he came to Prague to add his signature on the Lennon Wall and to support the link between Prague and Liverpool because many Czechs visit Britain but do not go to Liverpool.

After John Lennon was murdered in 1980, people started writing love and peace slogans and making pictures on a wall in Prague centre dedicated to him. Czech communist police damaged the inscriptions and pictures regularly in the 1980s, however, Lennon's fans always renewed them again.

Best recalled the days when he played with the legendary band. He said The Beatles had undergone the crucial change during a four-month stay in Hamburg, Germany, where they played six to seven hours almost every day.

Best said he was not angry at the other players anymore for making him leave the band but that his relations with the rest of the Beatles ended due to his departure.

He said he was in no contact with Paul McCartney and that he last talked to Ringo Starr in 1962.

Ringo Starr replaced Best behind the drums in 1962.

Pete Best, now 68, played with the Beatles in 1960-1962. He was the most popular member of the band among the fans, especially the girls. As the real reason of his departure is not known, there are many theories why he was made to leave the band.

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American English, Dick Biondi in spotlight at Beatles tribute

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:19 AM PDT

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Geneva's Mill Race Inn will be the site of a Beatles tribute on July 25, featuring the popular band American English and longtime Chicago DJ Dick Biondi.

The Beatles

Wednesday, June 30, 2010