Rave out, Snoop Dogg, Rage Against the Machine in at L.A. Coliseum

With the cancellation of the controversial Electric Daisy Carnival rave in Los Angeles this summer, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is expected to bring in a pair of high-profile performers in July: rapper Snoop Dogg and rock group Rage Against the Machine, The Times has learned.

The performances scheduled for July 30 would generate badly needed revenue from an expected crowd of more than 50,000 people. The event would be the largest concert at the Coliseum since 2003.

Discussions to bring the concert to the Coliseum are nearly complete, but the Coliseum Commission has not yet received a signed contract from the event producer, GoldenVoice, a subsidiary of AEG, said John Sandbrook, the Coliseum's interim general manager. 

Sandbrook referred questions about the expected performers to the event producer, which did not return calls for comment late Tuesday evening. However, two people with knowledge of the Coliseum's concert line-up confirmed it to The Times. 

The Coliseum is also scheduled to host a soccer match July 16 between Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy, which is also expected to draw more than 50,000, according to Coliseum Commission documents. 

Rage Against the Machine, known for its anti-authoritarian bent, performed in a designated protest zone during the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Shortly after the band got off stage, people in the crowd, including anarchists, began throwing bottles, rocks and pieces of concrete at police. LAPD officers moved in with their batons, and several concert fans were struck by rubber pellets.

The group played more recently in 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium, an indoor venue that holds 4,000 people, without incident.

Sandbrook said he's working with the Los Angeles police and fire departments to make sure they are prepared for potential security problems. 

“We are being very diligent with our planning,” Sandbrook said.

LAPD Deputy Chief Pat Gannon said there are ongoing discussions with the Coliseum. "This will be a team effort to address issues in this type of event," Gannon said.

The July game and concert will be the largest events to date under Sandbrook's tenure. He was hired  last month after longtime General Manager Patrick Lynch abruptly quit following reports in The Times that he gave permission to his events manager, Todd DeStefano, to also be employed by a rave company.

The commission was criticized after the company, Insomniac, held the two-day Electric Daisy Festival last summer at the venue, which resulted in 120 people being taken to hospitals, 118 arrests and the fatal Ecstasy overdose of a 15-year-old girl.

Police officials have previously said raves require an extraordinary amount of police resources compared to traditional rock 'n' roll concerts. Raves tend to attract a large number of attendees using or possessing Ecstasy.

 "I’ve been told the traditional rock 'n' roll concert is a far different animal than raves," Sandbrook said.

Earlier this month, Coliseum Commission officials said the commission expects to lose $297,000 for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The projected loss was largely blamed on the cancellation of Electric Daisy, which is moving to Las Vegas this year.

RELATED:

Coliseum manager resigns amid rave controversy

Rave support shrinks in light of Coliseum official's alleged conflict of interest

L.A. Coliseum Commission fails to provide salary data to state controller

-- Rong-Gong Lin II and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Snoop Dogg performs on stage in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images

Comments

[Public Advocate]

If the Coliseum Commission is concerned about violence, and they should be, then they should book bands that are somewhat less incindiary than Snoop Dog and Rage Against the Machine. Get Prince and Pearl Jam. Better bands with more multi-generational appeal = less violence.

[teacherinLA]

yeah, snoop dogg and Rage in South LA is waaay safer than a rave....morons

[Happy Jack]

Wonder how much money is really earned after all the overtimes are paid, all the cleaning crews are paid, and everyone else who has their fingers in the cookie jar are paid what is really left. You know just like the Micheal Jackson thing, elected officials hope the majority of the public is stupid and never questions what they do, me I have never seen what was exactly made for the Jackson fiasco because I think it was in the negative.

[shabake03]

IS THIS A JOKE??? THIS WILL NOT BRING IN EDC MONEY, NO WHERE NEAR IT, EDC ALREADY SOLD MORE TICKETS THAN THE PROJECTED ATTENDANCE AT THESE TWO CONCERT.

[Joan]

Snoop couldn't sell out Irvine Meadows last summer, including by selling $10 tickets. What makes these people think that they can get those kind of numbers at the palladium?

[Zach]

Did he just describe these acts as "the traditional rock 'n' roll concert?" Sounds about 20 years behind the times and pretty unaware of what he's getting into. I expect more comedy and controversy from the Coliseum over the next year...

[WIN]

Coachella confirmed Muse, Rise Against and RAtM. This is going to be one hell of a show.

[Fred]

RATM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tony]

First of all, this place is going to be sold out just like EDC because Rage and Muse bring in huge followings in LA, plus this is Rage's first big show in North America since 2008. Second, the worries about riots and what not are complete hyperbole. RATM has never condoned or promoted any violent rioting of any kind. What happened at the Republican National Convention has been a complete publicity cover up. The crazy Minneapolis incited the violence by shooting off tear gas first, then they fired into a completely vulnerable and unarmed crowd with rubber bullets. This festival is about the music, and I guarantee it will have less staining incidents than EDC. And btw, Prince and Pearl Jam are trash in comparison to MUSE and RATM.

[EDC IS gonna be WAAAAYY Better]

Whatever, I know where I will be at the end of June, and that is EDC, way better line up than Snoop and Rage for sure, better energy, and better crowd. I am already laughing at how much money the Coliseum is going to lose from not having EDC. HAHAHA to them! They are going to be losing more money than 300K, more like they are going to lose 1 million +!!!!!!!!!

[Mikeike]

What are we coming too, Raves, Jersey Shore, etc.. pathetic people in our society..

[peaceloveandsunshine]

Thank god they got rid of EDC. We don't need that rave nonsense anyways. Everyone on here criticizing the Snoop/Rage/Muse show is probably just a pissed off raver who can't afford to go to Vegas. I think this show is going to be awesome! It will generate a ton of money and it will be fun. I don't see any riots happening. I went to the Rage show at the Palladium and it was super chill. People need to stop hating and just let things be. Hats off to Goldenvoice for putting this together.