Olympic Countdown - Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue bosses have warned that the technical demands of events surrounding next summer's London Olympics could drain available technical staff away from the Scottish capital.
The crucial period will be the opening week of the Olympics, from 27 July, which is when Edinburgh's numerous temporary venues are built ahead of the opening of the fringe on August 3. Speaking at a debate organised by Festivals Edinburgh, Pleasance director Anthony Alderson warned that the skills shortage could escalate costs.
Alderson said, "To build an event the size of the Olympics takes a hell of a lot of people in black T-Shirts. They are very, very skilled people and London is going to need a lot of them. At the moment, they are all here, but they will be in London next year."
Family Affair - Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is suing his brother Noel over his claims the band once cancelled a gig because the singer was hungover. Noel Gallagher told journalists at a press conference in July that it was the real reason why the band pulled out of the V Festival in 2009. The official explanation at the time was that Liam Gallagher had laryngitis. In a statement, he said he had "tried to resolve this amicably but have been left with no choice but legal action". "All I want is an apology," he added. The brothers have had a long-running public spat since they found fame in the mid-1990s.
(Jim Evans)
