No Money Yet

Rip It Up, Issue 219, 1 November 1995, Page 8

No Money Yet

I refer to your issue 218 of October 1995 and, in particular, the letters to the editor regarding Mountain Rock.

At the time of the 1995 Mountain Rock festival, I was the general manager of Showtravel, and very heavily involved in the decision as to whether Mountain Rock 95 would even proceed. Mountain Rock 94 finished the festival owing a debt to Showtravel for a figure in excess of $30,000. I tried to communicate with the directors over many months regarding the monies owed to Showtravel. For some strange reason they never returned my calls. Finally, in mid 94, Paul Campbell approached me to set up a payment plan for the outstanding monies due from the 94 festival. It was agreed there would be monthly payments to Showtravel. A couple of minor payments were received, then the tap ran dry. And again, no returned phone calls! As the time for the 95 festival drew closer, I was again approached by Paul Campbell. He wanted to discuss the 95 festival. I refused to talk to him until the 94 accounts were paid. Payments became regular, as more tickets were sold for the 95 festival. By late November 94, the accounts were finally paid. I was then prepared to talk with Paul Campbell again, and spent considerable time going over the costings for the 95 festival. From the information given by him, I estimated the logistics costs for the international acts plus some local acts would be in the vicinity of SBS-100,000. I also made it very clear that nobody or nothing would move unless the monies for the 95 festival were paid in advance. As the date for the 95 festival got closer, still no monies had been received. I was promised payment and even shown copies of their statements covering ticket sales, which were sufficient to cover the substantial accounts.

The overseas acts and their equipment subsequently arrived in New Zealand — and still no funds paid. It was finally agreed that I would release the equipment and the travel documents to allow the acts to travel to the venue, and that I would collect payment in full when I arrived at the venue. I arrived on the Saturday morning, but the festival directors became very evasive. Every time I found someone responsible, they would refer me to the other partners. I was still prepared to pull the equipment for the international acts, but for the sake of the paying audience, and being mindful of the reaction from the ‘punters’ if the headline acts were pulled at the last moment, I decided to allow them to proceed, still chasing the ever elusive directors for payment. Dozens of excuses were made, and are still being made, for the non-payment. It does not take the Police 10 months to investigate an alleged “ripoff”. I was advised by the Police even before the festival had finished that they did not believe anyone had been ripped off — other than those of us who were not paid. It was a case of the organisers over estimating the number of people in attendance and, therefore, budgeting wrongly. The monies that were supposedly ripped off were used to pay off the debts from the year before. I strongly believe the event was run by a ‘bunch of country bumpkins from Woodville’ — to quote Michele Cole.

I believe it is highly immoral that the directors can very simply walk away from a very substantial debt, change the legal name from Productions to Promotions, and carry on their ‘business’.

I have been involved with the New Zealand music industry for the last 22 years, and have seen a lot of promoters come and go. Sure, there is and has been other money outstanding in the industry. I have personally been involved in winding up a number of ‘shonky promoters’, but I ask why the legitimate promoters (some of whom have been in business for many years) should suffer from the actions of unprofessional amateurs. I will personally be doing everything possible to ensure the 96 festival does not happen until all the old debts are finalised, and then ensure all the 96 participants are paid as well. As Michele Cole states: ‘I would like justice to be forthcoming.’ David Pudney, Auckland.