Band fee deadlines force Manx music promoter to give up

The late Sinéad O'Connor was the last artist the promotor brought to the island in 2019

Artists asking for big fees ahead of gigs make it "almost impossible" to put on events, a Manx music promoter has said.

Triskel Promotions has staged shows by several established artists, including the Kaiser Chiefs and Sinéad O'Connor, and local performers since 2002.

But director Lenny Conroy said changes to band fee deadlines since the pandemic meant he was winding it down.

He said larger acts have begun asking for fees of up to £60,000 upfront.

He said while he understood the change was to "safeguard" performers, it had made it difficult to stage the shows.

In the past, deposits and balances were all negotiated prior to performance dates, Mr Conroy said.

But the financial risk was now entirely with promoters, which had made it "unachievable for independents like Triskel to carry on", he said.

Musician Davy Knowles will perform at the promoter's final show in 2024

The promoter's most recent concert was with Sinéad O'Connor in 2019, which became the late singer's final performance in the British Isles before her death earlier this year.

Residents have also been able to see shows by Squeeze, Brian Wilson and Primal Scream, which were organised by the promoter.

Mr Conroy said it had been a difficult decision to make as he had "loved doing it for all this time".

"I know I will miss it within five minutes of the last note of the final gig being played, but it's just such a risk in the current climate," he added.

The company has booked two final shows, due to take place in 2024, with Manx musician Davy Knowles and an unsigned indie band from Edinburgh called Wrest.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]