Mt Smart Supertop Sells for $10

Iconic Auckland music venue, the Mount Smart Supertop, has sold for just $10.

The tent sold at a recent auction to Auckland buyer Mike Ransfield.

Longtime Supertop owner Ray Channon sold the massive tent as a result of his land hire agreement with the Auckland Regional Council having ended. Channon had been involved in technical co-ordination and supply of equipment for outdoor concerts at the venue since the 1970s before buying the Supertop in 1991.

The venue has been home to shows by MC Hammer, Pearl Jam, Guns 'n' Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Cure, UB40, Meatloaf, Cliff Richard, Oasis and Neil Young while Big Day Out promoter Campbell Smith notes the thousands who flock to the annual summer music event will know the Super Top by a slightly different name.

Campbell explains "we dubbed it the Boiler Room and it became a real draw card for Big Day Out as a 'must do' for attendees."

The Supertop also played a part in New Zealand history as it was a venue for the Cyclone Bola relief concert in 1988 and for former Prime Minister David Lange's memorial service in 2005. It was transported to Waitangi in 1991 for events to mark the anniversary of the Treaty signing.

Explaining the sale, Jason Tredgett of Turners Auctions stated "the Supertop is a Kiwi icon. Generations of New Zealanders will have attended at least one of the epic concerts held at there in the last three decades.

"The tent itself is 130 metres long, 57 metres wide and can be 15 metres tall at its highest point. As a concert venue it can hold 13,000 and it has been used for trade fairs and product launches seating up to 8,000."

While having been sold for just $10, Ray Channon estimates its replacement value would be more than $1 million.

An additional 250 lots of equipment were also offered for sale. This included items used at indoor and outdoor concerts and for the filming of television programmes and films including Lord of the Rings. Specific items included lighting, sound equipment, stage equipment, the largest aerial lift in the southern hemisphere, a 20 metre telescopic hydraulic tower and a transportable concert stage with a 20 tonne carrying capacity roof.

16th February 2010 - MT SMART STADIUM 'NOT FOR SALE'