Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is Auckland getting ripped off when it comes to concerts?

Here’s a question for you: how badly did we get ripped off if it’s true we paid $3 million to get Robbie Williams here? Now, we don’t know for sure that's the amount the Government paid out of the Major Events Fund, but that is what Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has revealed in a fit of pique at the Government. And so far, nobody’s publicly denied it - not even Louise Upston, who’s the minister in charge of the money. Privately, we at the show have had at least one, what I would call, soft confirmation that the amount is correct. Now, if that’s true, $3 million for - as Wayne Brown calls him - a “tattooed Pom” is too much money. We’re wasting taxpayer money here, for a start. As excited as I personally am to be going to Robbie’s concert in November, I don’t think a 1990s pop star is what we imagined the Major Events Fund would be used for when it was set up after we missed out on Taylor Swift, Oasis and Lady Gaga. I mean, two in that list are proper A-list stars and one is a massively overdue reunion - a completely different league to Robbie. An offshore promoter thought $3 million is way too much to pay for Robbie. Singapore - this will put it in perspective for you - reportedly paid $3 million for six Taylor Swift concerts two years ago. Now, if $3 million buys you six Tay-Tays, how did we end up blowing $3 million on only one Robbie? We’ve been ripped off, good and proper. And the proof is in the fact that the tickets are apparently not selling very well. But then again - and bear this in mind - maybe this is just what we need to get used to and stop fighting. Robbie and Linkin Park may well be the best New Zealand can do now. Big stars like Lady Gaga, Oasis, Tay-Tay and Harry Styles are going to go to Australia, not here, and they’re going to expect us to come to them - and we will. I’m flying to Harry Styles. I flew to Oasis. Heaps of people flew to Tay-Tay. That’s how it works now. And if we want a former boy band member who peaked in the ’90s to come to New Zealand, we are simply going to have to pay a lot of money for him. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.