colorado blues fest brouhaha

Date: 23 Jul 2003 05:59:57 -0700
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.blues-l
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A Local Blues Festival Organizer Comes Under Fire For Not Delivering What
He Promised.
by News 13 Team
7/21/2003
IT WAS TOUTED AS THE 3-DAY FESTIVAL CELEBRATING THE SOUNDS OF BLUES MUSIC
IN THE PIKES PEAK REGION.
BUT, MANY TICKET HOLDERS WHO SPENT UP TO 45 DOLLARS FOR THE EVENT SAY
THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY GOT.
MANY WHO CAME OUT TO THE FESTIVAL IN ANTLERS PARK WANTED A PEACEFUL NIGHT
IN THE PARK LISTENING TO JAZZ AND BLUES MUSIC.
BUT WHEN THEY GOT THERE, ALL THEY HEARD WAS HEAVY METAL.
THE ORGANIZER DOUG RANDALL SAYS HE RAN OUT OF MONEY.
AND COULDN'T PAY THE BANDS THAT WERE SUPPOSE TO PERFORM.
"I called the bands and told them support from our community didn't come
in, in order for us to raise enough money to pay them."
OUT OF THE 16 BANDS 11 DROPPED OUT.
"The blues community didn't support the festival. So therefore we changed
for the format to people who would support the festival," RANDALL SAID.
WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE MOSTLY HARD ROCK..
RANDALL SAYS HE HAD TO CHANGE THE FORMAT TO PAY THE BILLS.
HE BLAMES THE COLORADO SPRINGS BLUES SOCIETY AND THE PIKES PEAK BLUES
COMMUNITY FOR BLACKLISTING HIM OVER A COUPLE OF UNPAID DEBTS.
"it's for unpaid bands.. four unpaid bands...there is not business in the
world that dies not run on debt."
RANDALL SAYS HE'S SORRY TO THOSE WHO CAME OUT AND DIDN'T GET WHAT THEY
EXPECTED
"We would like to correct the situation and continue this next year."
NEWS 13 TRIED CALLING SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE PIKES PEAK BLUES COMMUNITY TO
GET A COMMENT ON RANDALL'S ALLEGATIONS. BUT NO ONE WANTED TO TALK.
http://www.krdotv.com/DisplayStory.asp?id=6106
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