More problems for Big Day Outand Soundwave in Perth

With the mayor of Claremont calling out Big Day Out and Soundwave punters for “continuously bring appalling antisocial and criminal behaviour into a residential area” attention has turned to the other possible venues for the festivals in 2013.

Soundwave was held at Steel Blue Oval in Bassendean between 2008 and 2010, before the event moved to Claremont, however Bassendean Mayor John Gangell has declared the festivals are not welcome back in his town.

Gangell has told local paper inmycommunity that “the days of multi-stage concerts being held at the oval were over” citing the pre-season needs of the Swan Districts Football Club as the reason for refusing to allow the festivals back to Bassendean. “A lot of these festivals happen during the pre-season for Swans,” Gangell explained. “and essentially they’re left without the oval for approximately two months, which for a WAFL football team is a major inconvenience… Swans are the biggest tourist attraction the town has; we’re very proud of the team and we’re not prepared to disrupt their preparation for the WAFL season.”

The Bassendean mayor also claims that “It’s tough for families who want to get their children off to bed at 7.30pm when there’s a concert going until 10 or 11pm” and that “with the maintenance that needs to be carried out after the festival is held, simply to get the oval ready and up to a standard for the Swans to play on – it’s simply not worth it.”

TOWN of Victoria Park Mayor Trevor Vaughan doesn’t want the festivals in his backyard either. In November last year, Vaughan told inmycommunity that the festivals aren’t welcome at Lathlain Park as “Noise levels and parking issues could negatively affect our community and convenient public transport to the event would be limited… The town believes there are many other venues that would be more appropriate for the event.”

So with Steel Blue Oval, Claremont Showgrounds and Lathlain Park all ruled out do the festivals have a Perth home for 2013?