Thursday, October 3, 2013

Whitsunday Not Calling - Festival Fail

The Whitsunday Calling Music Festival has been cancelled with less than 48 hours before the first act was to get up on stage. 
* Bookmark this page as we are updating it as events develop.
* 'Tone Deaf' Magazine are also covering this story.
* The Whitsunday Coast Guardian are also covering this story (Contact Nat Bromhead)

Update: 6.30pm Friday 11 October


Tonight, Whitsunday Tickets through WMDL - Tourism Whitsundays (on Twitter) claim that all refunds to ticketholders of the WMDL sponsored 'Whitsunday Calling Music Festival' have now been processed,
Did you receive a refund?
Was it paid in full?
Were you happy with the service?
Contact us by commenting on this post (it will remain confidential).



Update: 7am Wednesday 9 October

Refunds from 'Whitsunday Tickets' to ticketholders of the 'Whitsunday Calling' music festival fail should start flowing from today. Please email us if you are happy / unhappy with the way you were kept informed about your refund and if you received the full amount or leave a comment via our Facebook page.

On behalf of everyone who were not associated with 'Whitsunday Calling' to all the ticketholders and artists:
We hope this incident doesn't leave a bad impression with you of our region, our 'veteran' events professionals, our talented musicians, and our great venues.



Update: 10.30pm Monday 7 October

This is great to see. 

While it is great news for the ticketholders, there has to be some concern as to why, in this age of immediate communications, did it take 92 hours to post on Facebook?
Whitsunday Tickets Facebook site
 Did you phone 'Whitsunday Tickets' last Friday? We would like to hear from you.



Update: 6am Monday 7 October

50 Shades of Greys


 After a bit of investigating, we've discovered that the organizers of the failed 'Whitsunday Calling' Music Festival, Mr John 'Scratch' Grey and Ms Jane Grey operate under several business names:



 * On the Whitsunday Calling website, we found a website domain being used to for potential volunteers to contact the organizers - leapdownunder.com.au :


We went and looked up the owners of the website domain 'leapdownunder.com.au" :
As you can see above, the contacts for leapdownunder.com.au are the same as the husband and wife team that organized 'Whitsunday Calling'. However, the actual owner or 'Registrant' is a private company called 'Events and Promotions Company Pty Ltd - ABN 46 134 137 581. Here is what we found:

EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS COMPANY PTY. LTD. 

134 137 581 

 Registered address:
Level 3, 552 Lonsdale Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Business address:
Shop 154, 211 Latrobe Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Start date: 12/11/2008
Officeholders and Other Roles
Director: KYOUNG HEE YOON
Address: 73 Chirnside Street, KINGSVILLE VIC 3012
Born: 11/01/1972, , REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Appointment date: 12/11/2008
Secretary: KYOUNG HEE YOON
73 Chirnside Street, KINGSVILLE VIC 3012
Born: 11/01/1972, , REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Appointment date: 12/11/2008


It is interesting to note that this company expires in 4 days.




Update: 1pm Sunday 6 October
 
Have had a report that John 'Scratch' Grey is doing a gig at  'Sails' at the Reef Marina, Mackay this afternoon from 5pm.



Update: 9.30am Sunday 6 October

Has the organizer of the 'Whitsunday Calling' Festival Fail done a runner?

 Head organizer of the Whitsunday Calling Festival, John 'Scratch' Grey has updated his location on his Facebook page to London, UK. Below is a screenshot of Mr Grey's Facebook page:



  
Update: 7pm Saturday 5 October

The Whitsusunday Calling website has just been removed - thanx Bowie Jane for the tip :-)


Here are some more comments on 'Whitsunday Calling's Facebook page before it was deleted:

 Whitsunday Calling: We were let down by the company supplying the P.A. system and despite our best efforts to source a replacement supplier, no equipment was available to the standard expected by these international bands at such short notice.


    Lisa Luppi: You are lying. Tickets weren't selling fast enough, you weren't getting enough dollars in upfront, so you couldn't even make bands feel comfortable that they were going to get paid. Not even absolutely sure if flights were booked - they weren't when still affordable anyway. Artists - who rely on these gigs booked in months before for their livelihood - got nervous and started pulling out. Disappointing for the acts, disappointing for Whitsunday Calling. But as a fan I've been sitting back waiting for you to say something, rather than pushing for ticket sales all week, knowing full well you didn't have an event to promote. Dirty play.


    Lisa Luppi: I was really hoping this event would happen - great potential, great lineup - but saw cracks appearing very early - eg artists shouldn't have been advertised AT ALL unless they were confirmed; misinformation about why The Angels were now not playing; not giving a running order of bands until virtually the last month or thereabouts - how are people supposed to book one day tickets if they don't know who's playing when?


Willem Frederik Kaptein:
Over $50,000 worth of tickets sold, I'm told.
The PA story sounds like BS.
Wouldn't hold my breath waiting for refunds.
The promoter is John Grey, AKA "Scratch".

Mel Davies: I support everything Lisa Luppi Is stating. Promoters like you give the industry a bad name. All the artists that were booked. Could've been booked elsewhere. These bands still have family's to feed.

Debbie Henshall: Wow, just what airlie beach needs. an unprofessional approach to a man made disaster! And it is a disaster, the amount of people who have been put out and all of those who are currently out of pocket with no answers, is disastrous to future events in Airlie. Everyone of us is affected. Shame on those who are responsible!



Update: 2.30pm Saturday 5 October
It seems Whitsunday Calling have removed their Facebook page.

However, Whitsunday Tickets (the ticketing agency owned by major sponsor WMDL / Tourism Whitsundays) still have their Facebook page up. Click to go to:

The organizers, John 'Scratch' Grey and his partner Jane are not talking to the media.
Mr John 'Scratch' Grey has a Facebook page - click here.
Ms Jane Grey, also has a Facebook page - click here.





We found this entry on the web - it has the same phone number as the item below.

MyWhitsunday have been a bit slow updating their calender and have inadvertently left some contact details on their website.



Update: 4.15pm Friday 4 October
Whitsunday Tickets Facebook page 4.15pm Fri 4 Oct 2013


Update: 12.50pm Friday 4 October





 Update: 11.30am Friday 4 October
The post by Whitsunday Calling on its Facebook page promising that the Ticket Agency (Whitsunday Tickets) would provide full refunds has been removed (screenshot of post promising a refund below).

 Whitsunday Tickets appears to be owned by Whitsundays Marketing and Development (WMDL), also known as Tourism Whitsundays, our local tourism promotion body (RTO).

Their phone number is 07 4948 5299 .



Update: 10.30am Friday 4 October 
10.30am Friday 4 October 2013

'Whitsunday Tickets', the ticket seller to 'Whitsunday Calling' Music Festival, has not posted any advice since the announcement of the cancellation of the festival yesterday. 

Whitsunday Calling assured everyone yesterday on its Facebook page that: "All ticket holders will receive a refund via the ticketing website". 
As at 10.30am today (17 hours after the festival was cancelled), there appears to be little reassurance  for ticket holders on the 'Whitsunday Tickets' website and Facebook pages.
10.30am Friday 4 October
Whitsunday Tickets Facebook page.

10.30am Friday 4 October
Whitsunday Tickets website home page.





Original Story: 9pm Thursday 3 October 2013
A message was put up on the Whitsunday Calling Facebook site around 8.30pm this evening, advising that the Whitsunday Calling Music Festival was cancelled.


"This is the post we hoped we would never have to do: it is with deep sadness and regret that we have to announce that the Whitsunday Calling Music Festival has been CANCELLED as of 5.30 this evening. All ticket holders will receive a refund via the ticketing website. We are devastated as we passionately wanted this event to be a success but due to circumstances beyond our control it was not to be. So sorry to disappoint all of you as this promised to be such a fantastic event but PLEASE continue to support live music events wherever you can.:-(((Jane"


Major artist 'Swanee'  posted on 'Whitsunday Calling's Facebook site:John Swan "Id still come up something beyond our control stopped the show ---regret not getting to play to you good flok ----swanee"

Entertainer Bowie Jane tweeted us from @bowiejanemusic:
@QLDWhitsundays yes shocking indeed! We were on flights at 7am tomorrow morning. Packed, rehearsed and looking forward to singing. Shame :(


The 'Whitsunday Calling' Music Festival has had a 'patchy' past, including a change in lineups, dates, venues,  and concerns about the 'charity' profits were to be sent to.


Whitsunday Calling Music Festival was promoted by LEAP - Live Entertainment and Productions and is run by John 'Scratch' Grey and his brother Waha Grey. 


The festival site five hours before it was cancelled:


Whitsunday Times - 11 November 2011

Whitsunday Times - 25 January 2012

Whitsunday Times - 16 February 2012
Whitsunday Times - 11 October 2012
10 March 2013
There are quite a fair few frustrated people asking a lot of questions on 'Whitsunday Calling's Facebook site:

22 August 201
 Jazz Kunts: have to say.. nice try to pull it off. but way to go to destroy the Whitsundays rep within the world of music and attracting artists to the area. it is poor organization and lets face it beyond your control is not an excuse. that's a back door excuse for... we did not have the experience in undertaking a music festival and this may be harsh but it is event organizers like you who give the real ones the issues and problems when a genuine production company wishes to do one way to go... you should have claims made against your assets for people who have booked flights and accommodation for which they will be charged and unless you have a solid terms and conditions which states that beyond your control is a valid excuse which i doubt i am sure people will be bringing law suits your way. as in my experience for what it is worth to you, the only true clear way your insurance company will make a payable claim for a canceled concert is Natural disaster. thats even if you had insurance against such an event... but anyways not my problem...

Ben Madden: So the rumor on the grape vine is there was no staging/production organized? Just wondering upon organizing a 'music festival' how you get into this situation? Also even if you had production organized and they pulled out last minuet, I know at least 5 production company's within the area that could easily handle that gig and pull it together last minuet a few days out. Some explanation on the promoters half would be useful??? Just a thought

Shane McGregor: How do they cancel so many acts??? As if they are going to want to come here again after this!!!!

Amber Just Amber: How quick can we get that refund then and how do we go about it???????...would like to find something to do this weekend...now that you've gone and given us a days notice....that's fucked up.

Simone Brown: I dont care bout the cash Nat. This is ridiculous! It gives us a bad name! I have People coming for this from the NT and SA WTF

Sharron Morrison: Just got onto ticket site to see about refund but they are still set up to sell tickets they have not even cancelled it in that site! Very disappointed and hope I get my money back will be calling someone first thing in morning. I even took tomorrow off work so we could set up our camp! Not happy!!!!

Natalie Moore: Another Liquid Earth debacle.... Glad I didn't pre-purchase tickets. Hope everyone gets their money back xxx

Lisa Luppi: Of course it's being cancelled. Been heading that way since at least last Friday. So why have ticket sales been pushed this week?

Ben Madden: So the rumor on the grape vine is there was no staging/production organized? Just wondering upon organizing a 'music festival' how you get into this situation? Also even if you had production organized and they pulled out last minuet, I know at least 5 production company's within the area that could easily handle that gig and pull it together last minuet a few days out. Some explanation on the promoters half would be useful??? Just a thought

Reuben Elias: What a fuckup

Joleen Oxnam: We have friends flying up from Brisbane for this... not happy

Pete Bek: No fuckin sound or lighting organised! No money to pay for production

Mel Davies Seems it was organised very unprofessionally. No concert that is organised professionally cancel a day away. Flights & accommodation would've been pre booked. PA booked, council permits confirmed. Security hired. Tell us was the reason out of your control due to being unorganised??? 
    
Maryse Brooks: Clearly the organisers/poster of this announcement need to clarify the what is happening for all the ticket holders...

Jo N Shane McGregor: Ok there other things to do in the Whitsundays sure we all know its a beautiful place- but it's a music festival we all paid and planned for to be cancelled at such short notice when friends and family are flying in is wrong!!! When do people get refunds and most important why was it cancelled??

Amber Just Amber: an explanation would be nice   
    
Natalie Harris: IS THIS REAL????  
    
Simone Brown: Wat about the people who have paid their tickets to come up from down south? Scam! 
    
David Southgate: Just 2 days out????
    
John Hanley: This is the third event I have privately promoted to friends about, that has done this. I was not going but friends were looking into flying up to it.

Lisa Luppi: That makes 2 of us John... been promoting this big time, to friends and via GANGgajang. Would have been a great gig, but... maybe I should look into Caloundra gig now...
    
Paul Egerton: this sucks but not a shock as i heard rumours earlier in week ..we r still going down as we had accomadation booked and paid for will have a nice relaxing time at Airlie beach
    


Sponsors of Whitsunday Calling
Sources:
Whitsunday Times
Whitsunday Calling Website and Facebook 
Whitsunday Tickets Website and Facebook
Enetica
MyWhitsunday
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