Kasabian hometown gig 'should move venue'

A hometown concert by Kasabian is under pressure to move due to complaints about public urination and vandalism.

The Leicester indie rock band has sold all 50,000 tickets for a gig in the city's Victoria Park in June.

But a community group is objecting to the event being there because of problems the last time it was held.

Despite selling out, promoters Live Nation do not yet have a licence and the city council will decide whether to grant one in November.

Ian Brown, 55, chair of Friends of Clarendon Park, said the last time Kasabian performed in the park, in 2014, there were a number of problems.

He said: "It was loud, things got broken and there were people urinating in the streets and people's gardens.

"Along Victoria Park Road, there were six or seven windscreens just smashed and that was deliberate vandalism."

He called on organisers to change the venue to the King Power Stadium for the 20 June gig.

A council spokeswoman said it was "not unusual" for promoters to sell tickets to an event before they get a licence.

She said they hoped an agreement between the objectors and promoters would be reached before the meeting and "the hearing panel will make its decision based on the licensing objectives, regardless of whether tickets have been sold or not".

She added: "At the point of ticket sale we understand that Live Nation are saying 'subject to licensing'."

Philip Kolvin, a barrister who specialises in licensing law, said selling tickets before having licensing was "very common" practice at such events.

He added he had never heard of an event like this being cancelled once sold because of a licence being denied.

Live Nation has so far not responded to a request for a comment.

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