Brikkuni cancel Royal Theatre concert after demand for €2,000 rental

Culture ministry’s demands ‘too onerous for any band except for cultural prostitutes’ – Mario Vella

Mario Vella - photo by Noel Tanti
Mario Vella - photo by Noel Tanti

A concert planned for September at the Royal Theatre in Valletta was cancelled, after Brikkuni frontman Mario Vella claimed a €2,000 rental charge and insurance demands from an administrative board in the culture ministry were too onerous for the band.

Vella, who complained on his Facebook wall that the board had shown "a lack of will" in recognising the band's own material limitations.

In a barbed salute to culture minister José Herrera, Vella said that the new government had proved that the arts and culture were the "dominion of the elite".

Vella said the board only supplied a list of terms a full 45 days after making his request, which includes a €2,000 rental fee, obligatory insurance, and payments for security officers.

"Nobody can afford such terms, except for those few bands who have the necessary social connections to win sponsorships and those cultural prostitutes who are ready to affiliate any sort of product or service to the arts just to sell tickets," Vella said on his Facebook wall.

"Although having met many people from the board responsible to explain the logistical difficulties of such concerts and to explain the importance of having this theatre accessible to musicians from different niches who don't get the support of sponsors."

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@ Karl Consiglio. GonziPN tried to hide the massive debt of around 100 million euros under a special purpose financial instrument called Malata, which is supposed to make a daily profit of around 5000 euos daily to pay up the debt of the 'Royal' theatre! How can it make a profit unless it charges for venues? Its a catch 22 situation which your beloved GonziPN bestowed on your beloved 'contemporary' arts! Yes, plan a theatre without having any money for it, hide the debt, say it is feasible because it will 'earnnies' mo
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Haga tal-ahhar It-Teatru li hemm huwa STUPEND. Appoggjajtu mil-bidu u nibqa nghid li l-possibiltajet tieghu huma vari u interessantissimi. Nasal nghid li ahjar hekk milli msaqqaf (u nibqa nghidu ankejekk fil-futur jien stess nisfa vittma tat-temp hazin. Filfatt gratilna ukoll fil-passat u llum nharsu lura u nidhku dahka) Li kien imsaqqaf kien jispicca ikkapparat mis-soltu erbgha rdieden. Kif inhu jista jintuza ghal bosta hwejjeg (sakemm l-amnstraturi ma jibqghux jirrifjuttaw li jaghmlu skaletti ta prezzijiet izjed ragonevoli) Joghgobni bhll ma joghgobni l-progett ta'Piano U kunu afu li jien PL ivvutajt fl-ahhar elezzjoni In-nies difficli tpoggihom go kaxxa
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u emminni s-soluzzjoni ma tiswiex flus. Ghajjejt nimmilita biex dawn il-bidliet isehhu u issa xbajt ta' veru. It-teatru jrid ikun kapacijsib sistema fejn jiehu profit ragonevole metajkun full house u profitt minimu meta l-produzzjoni li tittella hja wahda a nicca. Hekk jew b'hekk, jekk ma jiftahx xorta flus ser jitlef. Irid isib bilanc. Min jixtieq imerini jista jipprova u nohroglu l-lista tal-ispejjez vs income li jkun hemm f'tali avvenimenti (diga ppublikjha fuq il-facebook page teghi) u IMBGHAD ikun jista jparla ahjar. U din mhix kwistjoni ta nuqqas ta rieda minn xi hadd izda semplici nuqqas ta vizjoni tipika taghna l-Maltin
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Mariotal-Monti..tghidx cucati. Jekk hemm xi hadd li ma jippretendix li jiehu xi haga bxejn huwa proprju ahna. Il-kuncert jista jsir pero mhux ser naghmluh ghal last. Ahna xoghol ukoll naghmlu u lira irridu nqilghuha. Din li tippreenu li l-muzika hija bxejn trid TISPICCA. Issa l-kalkoli ghandi bizzejejd esperjenza bie xnaf naghmilhom. Jekk isir il-kuncert kapaci naghmlu profit kemm ahn kkif ukoll it-Teatru. Pero it-Teatru ma jistghax jippreteni li jaghmel l-istess profitt li jaghmel ma proudzzjonijiizjed populisti. Ghandu jkun hemm skaletta ta charges. Min naha taghan lesti li nhallsu izjed jekk nimlew izjed seats. Ir-riskju jrid ikun both ways. Is-serjeta hekk titlob. Ma naghmluhx x'imkien iehr ghax sfortunatment il-pulizija ma jhallukx. Ghamilna 5 snin noperaw independentement. Tali hagam'ghdiex possibbli sakemm ma tkunx taf xi bidillu setghan li jaf l-alla u l-ommu. Meta-gvern isolvi l-istrutturi u s-sitwazzjoni tal-permessi (u emminni ma
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Mariotal-Monti..tghidx cucati. Jekk hemm xi hadd li ma jippretendix li jiehu xi haga bxejn huwa proprju ahna. Il-kuncert jista jsir pero mhux ser naghmluh ghal last. Ahna xoghol ukoll naghmlu u lira irridu nqilghuha. Din li tippreenu li l-muzika hija bxejn trid TISPICCA. Issa l-kalkoli ghandi bizzejejd esperjenza bie xnaf naghmilhom. Jekk isir il-kuncert kapaci naghmlu profit kemm ahn kkif ukoll it-Teatru. Pero it-Teatru ma jistghax jippreteni li jaghmel l-istess profitt li jaghmel ma proudzzjonijiizjed populisti. Ghandu jkun hemm skaletta ta charges. Min naha taghan lesti li nhallsu izjed jekk nimlew izjed seats. Ir-riskju jrid ikun both ways. Is-serjeta hekk titlob. Ma naghmluhx x'imkien iehr ghax sfortunatment il-pulizija ma jhallukx. Ghamilna 5 snin noperaw independentement. Tali hagam'ghdiex possibbli sakemm ma tkunx taf xi bidillu setghan li jaf l-alla u l-ommu. Meta-gvern isolvi l-istrutturi u s-sitwazzjoni tal-permessi (u emminni ma
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Luke Camilleri
Where is the "Royal Theatre" in Valletta ? I did not know we had one! If they where referring to the "space",where there was once he Teatru Rjal.... they can do ood their gig at the Greek Theatre at Ta' Qali with the same effect! Though one must admit they are truly "BRIKKUNI" :) GETTING ALL THIS FREE MEDIA EXPOSURE ! Good Idea, never heard of a group called Brikkuni before now TRULY BRIKKUNI ;) G
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Cannot Brikkuni chose another venue in Valletta, e.g. MCC?
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I wouldn't take Nabi Karl Consiglio too seriously. He is a standard cradle-to-grave Nationalist mutt who wagged his tail every time Gonzi spoke. These people are just partisan cheerleaders and are incapable of reasoned debate. After all, there are no indications at all at present that under a Nationalist administration, the fee for the hire of this venue would have been less than 2,000 euros or that this fee is in any way connected to the election results.
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Hemmhekk fil-fatt ippruvaw jagħmluh, fi Pjazza Teatru Rjal. Elfejn ewro + l-assigurazzjoni u s-sigurtà huma wisq għal kunċert ta' dan it-tip, għax il-band trid idaħħal xi ħaġa wkoll minnu l-kunċert, mhux taħdem għal-lasta. U wara kollox, x'inhu l-iskop li dan l-ispazju jinżamm vojt? Jekk ikun qed jintuża mhux aħjar għall-Belt, għax tiżdied l-attività fil-Belt? Imissu hemm rati differenti għal użi differenti. Jekk hi attività sponsorjata b'turnover qawwi, tħallas rati kummerċjali, u jekk tkun attività mhix sponsorjata b'biljetti tad-dħul relattivament orħos, ir-rati jkunu irħas. Naturalment dawk li jħallsu r-rati kummerċjali jagħżlu d-dati, u l-ġranet li jifdal jintużaw għal attivitajiet oħra.
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Kulhadd irid kollox b'xejn. Vera li gvern xellugi ghandna imma nispera li mhux ser nerghu nibdew nipretendu kollox b'xejn. Jekk dawn il-bravi 'brikkuni' mhux konvinti li ser idahhluhom dawn l-elfejn + euro, allura ix-xow misshom itellghuh x'imkien iehor. Wara kollox elfejn euro + m'humiex qiesek qed tghid xi mittejn elf jew xi haga hekk. Jaghmluh x'imkien cheaper, bhal per ezempju fi pjazza teatru rjal.
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Very unfortunate situation. Wonder who are the members of this administrative board and how culturally adept are they. However, nabi KarlConsiglio told us so, he foretold this cultural doom. On the other hand, Mario, I heard some of your excerpts from your webpage. Not bad really keep practising there is room for improvement.
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"Malta taghna lkoll!!" All time classics. Like as if Labour ever cared for the arts, especially the contemporary ones. I warned you this would happen Mario.
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Where are the roadmaps that Joseph hyped so much before the election??? Is this the way to grow culture?? So the government employs consultants, at a fee of course, so that they can come up with such ideas?? Great stuff to promote art!!!