About an hour and a half into AC/DC’s current Rock or Bust show, the 15th song in, singer Brian Johnson issues an invitation to the crowd: Have a Drink on Me. When the band play Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand, on 15 December, he’ll doubtless make the same offer – but the crowd won’t be able to lift plastic glasses of beer in response.
The local council has ruled that a temporary liquor ban will be enforced in the stadium and the surrounding area for 24 hours from 6am on the day of the show. Waitemata Local Board voted unanimously to impose a NZ$250 (£108) fine on anyone caught consuming or possessing alcohol.
Police Sergeant Antony Wilson had written to the chief executive of Auckland council requesting the ban, Stuff.co.nz reports. He said booze bans had “significantly assisted in curbing alcohol-related harm and offending in public areas”.
Waitemata board chairman Shale Chambers said there was enough evidence that there might be alcohol-related harm at the AC/DC gig to justify the ban.
What is bad news for the stadium’s bars might well prove to be good news for pubs further afield, as fans drink their fill before entering the stadium. It could also prove to be good news for the cleaners of the stadium’s toilets, who might find that after this one show, Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be.
