concert close to their homes.

The group Mad Cobra will instead play in front of an estimated 1,000 fans in Number One Shed in Hamilton tomorrow night.

Residents feared that the concert would be held at Frog Lane Field, home of soccer club Devonshire Colts, creating noise and parking problems.

But yesterday they were celebrating a change of mind by promoter Mr. Choy Aming who said he never had any intention of annoying local people.

However, residents may have to resume their fight in a month's time when Maxi Priest is billed to play at the National Stadium.

Mr. Aming said it was at the request of Devonshire Colts that he hold the concert at Frog Lane Field to help raise cash for the club's scholarship programme.

Colts secretary Ms Sonia Holder said that team members had canvassed local people by letter and had received much positive reaction about holding events at Frog Lane Field in the future.

But the club were accused by the Frog Lane Condominium Residents Association of misleading their neighbours and offering to buy their support.

Association spokesman Mr. John Simmons said: "The letter led people to believe that the club was holding a number of community events and not a major concert. They even offered free tickets to everyone living nearby in an attempt to buy their support.'' The Association wrote to Police and Government ministers and threatened to take out a summons to have the concert stopped.

But Mr. Aming acted before the complaints escalated. "I originally considered taking the concert to Frog Lane Field because the Colts asked me to help with their youth programme,'' he said.

"Because of the protests I decided to move the venue to Number One Shed instead of antagonising people. That is not what I aim to do.'' The Number One Shed concert will, however, have to be a one-off because it will be heavily used during the cruise season.

Mr. Aming was speaking to officers at HMS Malabar yesterday hoping that Malabar Field, next to Casemates, could be considered as a future venue. In fact, he believes the Island's next big concert, with reggae singer Beresford Hammond headlining, could be held there.

But he said that in May he will return to the National Stadium to promote the return of Maxi Priest. The stadium was the only venue capable of holding the concert, he added.