Live Nation vow not to change T in the Park

Apr 13 2008 Edited By Billy Sloan And Mickey Mcmonagle

THE new boss of T in the Park has vowed the festival will get bigger, better and stay 100 per cent Scottish.

Paul Latham, president of Live Nation UK, said: "You don't change a winning formula."

"T in the Park is the pride of Scotland. It's a great representation of new and Scottish music.

"The fact it sells out virtually instantaneously shows what kind of place it has in the gig-going calendar."

Earlier this week, US owned Live Nation took control of T and festival organisers DF Concerts, run by Geoff Ellis.

The company are major players in the music industry and the UK wing accounts for 40 per cent of their earnings.

They organised events such as Live 8, the Princess Diana Tribute Concert and the Hyde Park Calling shows.

Latham - the boss of Edinburgh Playhouse from 1989 to 1991 - has strong Scottish roots.

He said: "There is no big corporate stamp being put on T - it is its own precious jewel and we'll ensure it stays that way. It will continue to grow.

"We have the Reading, Leeds and Download festivals and produce Glastonbury. They're all heritage brands like T in the Park.

"Every festival we've helped create or invested in we've enhanced."

Latham claims they will go all out to secure even more big names for T.

He said: "Ellis and his team have done a great job. It wasn't as if they were in need of help.

"But if he came to me and said we're short of a big name headliner we'd use all our contacts to see who was available.

"We want to bring the best talent to T."