VARIOUS FACTORS CITED IN AC/DC’S CANCELLATION

Pacific Amphitheatre operators pulled the plug on Monday’s performance by controversy-plagued rock band AC/DC because “we felt a responsibility to the area and the community” to do so, an amphitheater official said this week.

Behind the show’s cancellation was a combination of factors, including poor advance ticket sales, a longstanding problem with local residents over concert sound levels and adverse publicity sparked by reports that the hard rock band’s logo was worn by suspects in two Southland murder cases.

Amphitheater officials, the band members and its booking agent initially declined to comment on why the show was called off and referred all inquiries to the Howard Bloom Organization, AC/DC’s New York public relations firm. Publicist Jim Sliman said: “Local community groups in Orange County had put tremendous pressure on amphitheater operators and promoters (and) wanted them to make compromises in certain aspects of the show. The group felt that would shortchange their fans so they decided to cancel.”

“It had nothing to do with censorship of song lyrics or content of the show,” Sliman added. “It had to do with the visuals and the loudness. The show uses cannons and a lot of pyrotechnics. They wanted the band to nix all of that stuff and tone down the sound. But that would have been an AC/DC concert that had been gutted.”

But Neil Papiano, chief executive officer for Ned West Inc., which operates the Pacific, told The Times on Wednesday: “I don’t know of any organized reaction (to the concert) from any community group. We don’t simply react to everybody who makes a phone call because frankly there are people who call and say they hear noises on nights when we’re not having concerts.

“This is one of those instances where we felt it was best for all parties to cancel the show. It cost us a substantial amount of money to get out of it. Nobody just walked away.”

AC/DC has been embroiled in controversy since Night Stalker multiple-murder suspect Richard Ramirez was described as a fan of the group and was seen wearing a cap with the band’s logo.

More recently, a Villa Park woman was shot and killed on Oct. 16 by a man reportedly wearing a black T-shirt and black cap with “AC/DC” and a lightning bolt on it.

Because of the adverse publicity, local radio stations declined to take part in preconcert promotional activities that usually accompany such shows, an amphitheater source said.

The combination of the negative public sentiment and the scant radio air play AC/DC’s latest album has received in the Southland made the Pacific Amphitheatre show a slow sell. One source said only 3,500 tickets had been sold by Saturday, when ticket sales were halted and the refund process began. “It was selling all right, but it wasn’t the best show we ever did,” Papiano said.

A small number of fans showed up in the rain Monday night and were given refunds, Pacific Amphitheatre general manager Steve Redfearn said. “We turned away a couple of hundred people that night,” Redfearn said. “There was no surge of walk ups (last-minute ticket buyers) or disgruntled fans.” He added that refunds are still available at point of purchase.

The source of the “community pressure” cited by the band was difficult to pinpoint.

One of the leaders of Concerned Citizens of Costa Mesa--a coalition of local residents that is suing amphitheater operators over noise problems at previous concerts--said that group made no effort to prevent AC/DC from performing.

“Perhaps (the complaints) came from a subgroup within Concerned Citizens, but it would not be accurate to say that Concerned Citizens was responsible,” Karen Millar said. “If the group was involved, I would know about it. We can’t take the credit for canceling the show. But I cannot say we were weeping when we saw they weren’t there.”

Neither was there any formal opposition to AC/DC’s concert from the City of Costa Mesa nor the Orange County Fair Board, which oversees all activities on the fairgrounds, including the amphitheater, city and fair officials said.

“I know the board members weren’t happy when the act was booked, but the fair has no direct control over the bookings,” said fairgrounds manager Norb Bartosik. “That’s not part of our contract.” Of any public negative reaction to AC/DC, Bartosik said: “I had heard rumors, but nothing directly.”

Band members, who had become increasingly vocal about some attempts in other cities to prevent their performances, refused to comment on the Orange County incident.

“With the show being canceled and all this Southern California stuff and Night Stalker accusations,” Sliman said, “the band is just not talking.”

LIVE ACTION: San Juan Creek Saloon (formerly the Coach House) in San Juan Capistrano is taking another run at bringing concerts to south Orange County. Dave Mason and J.D. Souther are scheduled to appear Nov. 15-16, followed by Leon Russell on Nov. 22-23. . . . El Grupo Sexo returns to Safari Sam’s in Huntington Beach on Nov. 1. . . . Jerry Jeff Walker will play the Crazy Horse Steak House in Santa Ana on Nov. 4. . . . T.S.O.L. will be at Radio City in Anaheim on Nov. 14.