[size=75:8n3ud1fw]Sofia echo 16 April 2010

Music temptations

Spoilt by last year’s Madonna gig in Sofia, promoters will find Bulgarian pop fans difficult to please this summer, especially because of the economic crisis which has drastically curbed expenditure. The Bulgarian music industry is no exception;
the year started with many promises of visits from world-renowned artists but, with the onset of spring, media speculation centred on cancelled concerts and festivals.

Big expectations

Many were pleased when Simfonix Entertainment and NG Partners announced in March that the US band Boyz II Men would perform in Sofia on May 5. The band has enjoyed considerable popularity since the mid-1990s when Bulgarian National Television started screening MTV shows. The gig was announced as part of the soul and R&B legends’ farewell European tour.

Tickets for the gig were supposed to be on sale from April 6 but on April 12 it was announced that the concert will not happen at all. The good thing is that according to one of the Bulgarian promoters this would not be Boyz II Men farewell tour, which means that there is still a chance for their Bulgarian fans to see them on Bulgarian soil sometime in the future.

Speculation about a Bulgarian gig by the highly controversial – but extremely popular – Lady Gaga also appeared in Bulgarian media in January. According to reports, she was supposed to perform in the small central town of Lovech as part of the fifth edition of the Lovech Party Fest. The free event takes place on May 6-11 and is organised by the city hall with the support of local business.

The festival started five years ago as part of the celebrations around May 11, when Lovech marks its name day. Gradually, it managed to win a place in the Bulgarian cultural calendar as the only free music festival.

Two years ago, it hosted the Swedish band Ace of Base. And, last year, it boasted performances by artists such as Morandi, Xzibit, Dokken, Bonfire and Kingdom Come, alongside some of Bulgaria’s most famous names. Hence many hoped that rumours of Lady Gaga performing at this year’s Lovech Party Fest were true. Another set of names rumoured to appear in Lovech were rap artists The Game and the legendary Gloria Gaynor.

Unfortunately, there is still no official confirmation of Lady Gaga’s gig. Her official website does feature European gigs between May 6 to May 11. Sadly, they do not mention Bulgaria but, instead, Sweden and Germany with May 9 marked down as a free day.

To add to the confusion, a story published in a local Lovech newspaper in March said that the city hall had cut its budget for cultural events this year. A few weeks later, a story in Standart daily said that because of the economic crisis this year’s Lovech Party Fest would most likely not take place.

Confirmed

Fortunately, many pop and rock concerts have been confirmed for Bulgaria with tickets already on sale. The season’s highlight is expected to be Elton John’s concert in Sofia on June 13 at Locomotiv football club stadium in Nadezhda borough. The venue has already staged concerts by Depeche Mode, George Michael and Kylie Minogue, among others.

John’s concert is expected to be one of the most popular shows ever in Bulgaria, bested only by Madonna’s Sofia concert last August, when she performed at Vassil Levski national stadium to more than 50 000 people.

Tickets for the concert cost between 60 and 150 leva, with a limited number of VIP seats at 200 leva. You can buy them at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia, as well as at ticketpro.bg and its outlets and the Euro-Bulgarian Cultural Centre, among other venues. Tickets can also be bought online, at [url=http:
//www.
ticketpro.
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At the same address, Bob Dylan fans can buy tickets for his June 3 Sofia concert, part of the legend’s world tour. Tickets for Dylan’s first ever gig in Sofia range between 50 and 150 leva.

British band Morcheeba will also throw its first ever performance in Bulgaria during Sofia’s Park Live Fest, scheduled for June 18-20. The band will play on the last day, on June 20. Tickets are available at eventim.bg for 35 leva. The price for the French Gotan Project’s June 19 gig is the same while a full pass for the Fest costs 70 leva.

The Brits are expected to arrive with Morcheeba’s original singer Skye Edwards, who was in the band from 1995 until 2003, before embarking on a solo career.
Another British band set to entertain Bulgarians this summer is Massive Attack, who will perform in Sofia’s Festivalna Hall on July 15. Tickets will cost between 50 and 80 leva, available from NDK’s ticket centre and ticketpro.bg.

Let’s dance

Due to huge interest from fans, organisers of the June 9 performance of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance at Sofia’s NDK, decided to stage a second show on June 8. Tickets for the June 9 gig are sold out but are still available for June 8 at eventim.bg, ranging between 40 and 100 leva.

This will be Lord of the Dance’s third appearance in Bulgaria, their last being in 2008, and tickets selling out six months in advance shows their popularity. Luckily, Lord of the Dance will also perform on June 3 in Varna’s Palace of Culture and Sports, on June 5 in Bourgas’ Summer Theatre and on June 7 in Plovdiv’s Antique Theatre.

Unlike the Lovech Party Fest, organisers of the Spirit of Bourgas festival in the Black Sea city of Bourgas are keen to stage the third edition of the event on August 13-15, given its popularity in the region and throughout Bulgaria. Last year, the highlights were a performances by Faith No More, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Clawfinger.

This year, the only names announced by organisers so far have been those of British rockers The Stranglers;
the rest of the line-up is still to be announced. The Stranglers are scheduled to appear on August 14, the band has announced on its website.

Last year’s prices for the festival ranged between 40 leva for a pre-paid daily pass (50 leva on the spot) to 100 leva for a full pass (120 leva on the spot). If this summer’s entertainment leaves you wanting more, autumn will also present good opportunities with the October 9 Sofia concert of German rock legends Scorpions. The gig is part of the band’s farewell tour;
the venue and ticket prices are yet to be announced.