Anita’s Theatre in the Wollongong suburb of Thirroul has distanced itself from the Billy Gibbons debacle after the ZZ Top legend performed just three songs on his first night and four the second night at the venue on the weekend.
Wollongong newspaper The Illawarra Mercury claims fans were outraged by the amount of time the less than enthusiastic Gibbons devoted to his fans. “ZZ Top fans have branded frontman Billy Gibbons’ “Up Close and Personal” tour a waste of money and demanded refunds after the legend failed to impress at shows in Thirroul,” reporter Desiree Savage wrote.
Gibbons was on stage for just 15 minutes.
Anita’s Theatre is one on Wollongong’s top venues. A statement from management reads:
On behalf of Anita’s Theatre management, we have been following the comments and concerns over Facebook and Google Reviews in regards to the Billy F Gibbons performances last Friday and Saturday, and would like to say that we will be passing the comments onto the promoter and the artist, in the hope for a more entertaining performance for the people attending the upcoming shows in Newcastle and Brisbane.
We would like to inform our patrons that Anita’s plays no part in the artistic presentation that takes place on the stage. The venue’s part is to provide a world class space for the promoter and artist to present their show. What takes place on the stage is out of our control. When booking acts, we are sold on an idea or a concept and can not control if that idea is not fulfilled to its greatest potential.
We still believe that Anita’s management and staff delivered a professional and safe environment for its patrons, as it has done in countless other productions.
We hope you will reconsider your impression and reviews on the theatre, and continue to come back and support Anita’s, because it is the patrons who allow us to continue to work hard to attract some of the best artists in live entertainment such as: Colin Hay, Neil Finn, Sunnyboys, James Reyne, Jimmy Barnes, Angus & Julia Stone, just to name a few.
We are still extremely proud to have had a living legend come and walk the streets of Thirroul and play at Anita’s Theatre. We accept the feedback and will work even harder to make sure everyone leaves our Theatre happy.
Tickets for the show were up to $200 including a meet and greet. Billy Gibbons is due to perform in Newcastle tonight (January 10) and Brisbane on Friday (January 12).
