Job Discussion Forums

[spycatcher reincarnated]

From RMIT:

The rumours are true� the legendary Bob Dylan will perform his first and probably only concert ever to be held in Vietnam on Sunday 10 April 2011 � at Saigon South campus of RMIT.

No, RMIT is not going into the music business. Read on for information on why this very unusual event is happening here and what we hope to get out of it.

Some time ago Bob Dylan agreed to include Vietnam on the tour dates for his Asian tour � subject to finding a suitable venue. As most students and staff know, it�s difficult to get major international music acts to include Vietnam on their tour agendas due to lack of suitable venues and other restrictions � they tend to fly over us to Bangkok, Singapore, KL and elsewhere, leaving Vietnamese fans frustrated.
One of the major reasons RMIT Vietnam has agreed to provide a venue for the Dylan concert is to make a contribution to putting Vietnam more firmly onto the tour map for major international music acts. We�re not interested in becoming a major music venue - but we�re interested in our students and staff getting the chance to enjoy international performers and shows in the same way people in neighbouring countries do.

If more major international acts want to come here, the venue shortage in HCMC and Hanoi is likely to get addressed sooner � and no one will be happier than many of our own students and staff who feel they often miss out!

One of the conditions of allowing this to happen on the Saigon South sports ground is that the organisers must seek to create opportunities for our student body to benefit from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity such a concert will create for event management experience on a grand scale. Student volunteers are expected to be used in support of the event, media and promotion arrangements � with written references to be given at the end of the experience.

A major concern is also to ensure also that the potential impact on regular users is kept to a minimum. Organisers will be working closely with Property Services, Sport and Recreation and other parts of the university to help keep the impact as small as possible. For the most part, disruption to existing facility users will be confined to the week leading up to the event, and for about three days after.
Undertakings have also been made to take a range of other measures to manage the impact and maximise the benefits to the university. More information will be given on this in the period leading up to the event.

The Dylan visit is expected to help enhance RMIT Vietnam�s reputation as a pre-eminent �international� institution in this country and a centre of interesting activities of all kinds.

Expect to hear more in the lead up to the concert about some other aspects of this unique event.

In summary, RMIT is seeking to make a contribution to the artistic, cultural and educational life of the nation by helping facilitate an event which will enhance international relationships and understandings on various levels; encourage the inclusion of Vietnam on tour plans by major international music acts, benefit from the local and international �profiling� opportunities this concert will provide for the University and its programs, and give a rare opportunity to students and other members of the university community to become part of a unique experience in Vietnam.

Stay tuned for further details as we are able to announce them�

(Some may ask: Who is Bob Dylan? Good question - Bob Dylan rose to fame in the US and around the world as one of the leaders of the 1960s anti-war, anti-establishment pop music revolution. He helped to change America�s attitude to war in general and Vietnam in particular. His name is often listed amongst the pantheon of music industry all-time icons such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and The Rolling Stones. To the present day, performers such as U2 and Guns N� Roses still perform cover versions and new mixes of classic Bob Dylan songs.)


For those interested in inquiring about ticket sales, we have been supplied with the following information from the concert organisers. Please direct any inquiries about ticket sales to one of these locations:

General admission tickets are available at 900.000 VND (USD $50) and a VIP package for 2.500.000 VND (USD $120). For pre-sales information go to www.bobdylan.com, for international sales go to www.thaiticketmajor.com, for sales in Vietnam go to www.saigonsoundsystem.com. Tickets can also be booked in Ho Chi Minh City at Juice (49 Mac Thi Buoi, D1), The Boathouse (40 Lily Rd, APSC Compound, 36 Thao Dien, D2) and Boomarang (The Crescent, Phu My Hung, District 7).