1997/07/25 Calgary, Canada
| July 25, 1997 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance by Canceled | |||||
| Location | Max Bell Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada | ||||
| Tour | Dead to the World | ||||
| Tour leg | Dead to the World Tour: Canadian Leg | ||||
| Touring chronology | |||||
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The performance planned to take place on July 25th, 1997 at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada was cancelled about two weeks before the show by Larry Ryckman, the venue's owner and chairman of its Board of Directors.
In a press conference on July 8th, city Alderman Ray Clark stated that he had been contacted by many concerned parents and religious groups about the upcoming concert. Ryckman then decided that Manson was "not the kind of entertainment they liked to see". He also said that a number of other cities had already banned Marilyn Manson from playing, in an attempt to justify this decision.
Manson's booking agency Universal Concerts, responded, stating concerns about the show were the product of rumor and innuendo. With a signed contract and a deposit cheque cashed by Max Bell Centre, they were fought against the shows cancellation.
On July 11th, Ryckman told the Calgary media that if a judge forced the concert to go ahead as planned, he would impose extraordinarily tight security on the audience and show. "Two can play at this game", Ryckman stated. "There will be no tolerance for drugs, there will be no tolerance for profanity, there will be no tolerance for violence. We will shut that concert down in a nanosecond if it does go on and any of the things occur that we have fear of" said Ryckman, citing claims the band has torn up religious books, abused animals and defecated on stage at other venues. "We observe very strict security codes," countered Mark Norman of Universal Concerts. "We're not some flake company here. I've seen the show," said an angry Norman. "If somebody was doing the stuff these guys are saying, I wouldn't be doing it. They're not."[1]
On July 15th, judge Ken Moore determined that a trail would be needed determine if the venue had actually been duped into booking the Manson show. With little more than a week before the scheduled performance, the judge ordered Ryckman to post a $35,000 letter of credit or bond as compensation for the canceled show and allowed the show to be canceled.[2]
At the Edmonton performance the following night, Manson brought the cancellation up, asking the audience: "How many came from Calgary? Can you say, 'Fuck Calgary!?' ", in which the audience apparently replied in the positive.[3]
In August of 1997, a judge ruled that the Ryckman Amateur Sports Society was liable for breaking a contract to host the band in the venue. Following the show cancellation, Ryckman was forced to surrender management of the venue, the Max Bell Arena, on Aug. 8 — after defaulting on the lease and owing approximately $75,000 in back taxes and utility bills.[4]
The final outcome of the lawsuit was that Ryckman was fined $35,000.[5]
