Organisers of the Brecon Jazz Festival are fighting with local residents over the inclusion of a Super Furry Animals gig into the programme. A petition signed by 84 local residents has gone to local entertainment licencing officials. The opposition isn't so much to the addition of SFA to a jazz festival, more to the decision to stage the Super Furry's event in the festival's marquee venue, which is based on a field surrounded by residential housing. Local councillors also claim the festival's organisers added the SFA gig into the mix at the last minute.
Brecon's town mayor Mike Gittins told reporters yesterday: "Watton Field is hallowed turf in the town surrounded by homes inhabited by senior citizens. They, and others in the town, are concerned about the Super Furry Animals' concert. I think people associate rock and roll with sex, drugs and alcohol and they are also concerned that the Super Furry Animals are more of a rock group than a jazz group. The festival has been allowed to use Watton Field on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but it seems the organisers have sprung this extra date on us. If they'd planned it properly and consulted with the relevant agencies, then it probably would have gone through. But the 11th hour planning has caused problems."
But the festival's director, Andy Eagle, denied the Super Furry's gig was chaos in the making: "The Super Furry Animals gig is for young people and I think it's an insult to say that there will be individuals intent on causing chaos at the gig. The people opposed are in the minority and these people should remember that they were young once too. We've had bands and individuals kick off the festival before who've had no jazz links. A few years ago Blues legend Buddy Guy and then Van Morrison appeared and they're both not considered jazz acts. We should be proud the Super Furries are coming, it's a real coup for the town."