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
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.
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| 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
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
'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.
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.
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| "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: "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.
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| The festival site five hours before it was cancelled: |
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| Whitsunday Times - 11 November 2011 |
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| Whitsunday Times - 25 January 2012 |
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| Whitsunday Times - 16 February 2012 |
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| Whitsunday Times - 11 October 2012 |
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| 10 March 2013 |
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| 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
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| Sponsors of Whitsunday Calling |
Sources:
Whitsunday Times
Whitsunday Calling Website and Facebook
Whitsunday Tickets Website and Facebook
Enetica
MyWhitsunday
