Red Hot Chili Peppers replace Gig on the Green Festival!

| 17 February 2003

After much speculation, Glasgow's Gig on the Green Festival has been scrapped - due to poor sales - but do not dismay. The event will be replaced by other massive open air events, including the Chili Peppers' biggest ever Scottish gig!

The annual festival, which was co-promoted by Mean Fiddler and took place alongside their (highly successful) Reading and Leeds events, had been staged since 2000. Despite impressive line-ups (which have included The Prodigy, The Strokes, Oasis and Eminem) and widespread acclaim by media and attendees, Gig on the Green had always suffered from slow ticket sales. This is perhaps due to the sustained popularity of rival festival T in the Park, which occurs just over a month earlier (mid July) in reasonable proximity and is more established.

However, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will instead headline a massive outdoor gig on Glasgow Green - promising their most ambitious show ever in Scotland - on Sunday, August 24. They have already sold out two dates at Glasgow's SECC on March 5 and 6. However, thousands of fans missed out getting tickets, so the band - Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar) and Chad Smith (drums) - decided to come back and play to a 45,000 strong audience at the open-air extravaganza.

According to a band insider, "Their outdoor show is vast with four huge video screens and a fireworks finale. They've been touring the world so by the time they reach Scotland they'll be on fire."

Another huge outdoor show will be staged on the site the previous day - Saturday, August 23 - most probably the annual pop show 'Irn Bru Live `N' Loud' which could switch from its site at Bellahouston Park.