Let there be rock? AC/DC tribute gig axed due to lack of door staff

AN ONGOING shortage of certified security staff in Shetland has resulted in a festive period AC/DC tribute gig being cancelled.

The AB/CD concert was due to take place on 27 December at Mareel in Lerwick.

It emerged last month that a lack of SIA-certified door staff in Shetland means town venue Mareel is currently unable to host any standing concerts.

A gig in March next year as part of a national tour was called off as a result.

Shetland Arts said despite the “best efforts” of the agency and promoter MAC Scotland it was not possible to secure enough door staff for the December gig.

Promoter Alan Mcleod said “obviously we apologise for the cancellation of the show and hope everyone understands that this really was completely beyond our control”.

The arts agency’s chief executive Graeme Howell said: “I would like to apologise to everyone impacted by this cancellation, it is a really difficult situation that we are in now with regards to having sufficient SIA licensed door staff to be able to safely run a large standing event.

Advertisement1 of 10

“We are working with local partners on developing a solution to this issue and hope to be able to resume normal service in the future”.

Howell previously said the issue was a result of door supervisors’ licenses lapsing during the pandemic combined with wider hospitality staff shortages.

He said the Security Industry Authority (SIA) had revised requirements for the qualification and now requires at least 44 hours of face-to-face teaching which is “not currently available in Shetland in a way that the very part time nature of the jobs available would encourage anyone to study for”.

While no standing gigs are taking place at Mareel, a number of seated events have been programmed, with Scottish Jazz Award-winning Rose Room appearing next on 5 November.

Meanwhile customers will receive automatic refunds for the AB/CD gig.

These will be processed over the next couple of days and should appear in their bank account within 5-7 working days.

For those who booked tickets with cash, contact the Shetland Arts Box Office on 01595 745500 to arrange a refund.

Shetland News — free to read

Membership helps pay for journalism

If you value impartial local journalism, become a member of Shetland News and get:

• Only local ads.
• Members' weekly newsletter.
• Bookmark stories and join the comments.

Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.

One-time

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

£50

£75

£100

£125

Amount More Options £150£200£250£300£350

£3

£5

£7

£10

Amount More Options £15£20£25£30£35

£10

£15

£20

£25

Amount More Options £30£35£40£45£50

£60

£80

£100

£120

Amount More Options £140£160£180£200£220

Continue

Remind me later

Billing: Your monthly subscription of £10 will be billed on or shortly after the 14th of each month. You can change how much you pay or cancel at any time.