Santa Ana : Concerts Temporarily Barred From Stadium

The City Council has imposed a temporary moratorium on the rental of Santa Ana Stadium for concerts in the wake of a heavy metal rock show that produced complaints from residents last week.

The June 28 show, which featured six bands headlined by the group Poison, produced about 70 complaints of loud noise and profanity. City Manager Robert C. Bobb and council members said that people telephoned complaints to their homes and even came to their doorsteps to demand action.

Bobb finally shut down the concert, which drew about 2,300 people, at 11 p.m. by cutting off the stadium’s electricity.

He said that the moratorium “isn’t a ban on anyone” but noted that applications for concerts won’t be accepted while the order is in effect. He said that one proposal to reduce concert noise would be to reorient the stage so that it faces south instead of north across Civic Center Drive toward the residential neighborhood.

A recommendation on how to handle concert requests will be put together in about two weeks, Bobb said. A second heavy metal show planned for July 19 and 20 has been canceled by the promoter, he added.