Singer Bryan Ferry has urged promoters to stop lining up shows in London's major parks and avoid a curfew "embarrassment" like the one that cut short Bruce Springsteen's encore finale with Sir Paul McCartney on Saturday night (14Jul12).
The plug was pulled on the rock superstars after they sailed past Hyde Park's strict 10.30pm cut-off, angering performers and fans alike, but concert bosses insisted they had no choice as they would have been breaking the law if they allowed the show to go on.
Now the former Roxy Music singer has spoken out about the curfew calamity, telling London's Evening Standard newspaper, "They shouldn't have these events in Hyde Park any more if it's going to cause embarrassing problems... I'm sorry for Paul MCCartney and Bruce."
He reveals he ran over his allotted time during a recent outdoor concert in Guildford, England - but his poor timekeeping wasn't met with silence.
He explains, "We were in a similar situation - told to finish at 10pm, but we overran by five minutes. But at least the promoter didn't turn off the volume."
And Ferry has another issue with Hyde Park mega-gigs: "The volume is never loud enough. It's always too quiet."
Meanwhile, London's Mayor Boris Johnson has offered his take on the MCCartney/Springsteen concert controversy, insisting he would have allowed the show to go on.
Johnson states, "I would have allowed them to jam in the name of the Lord!"